CSC/FAR 020, Computer Graphics, November 8-10, 2010

1. CSC/FAR 020, Computer Graphics, November 8-10, 2010 Dr. Dale E. Parson http://faculty.kutztown.edu/parson Outline for week 10 Introduction to Illustrator

2. Illustrator – Vector Graphics • Capabilities related to Paths in PhotoShop. • Tool works with vectors, not image pixels. • Tools Palette is similar to PhotoShop. • Click and hold to see sets of related tools. • Arrow in lower right shows presence of tool groups. • Slide into right margin to tear off a tool group. • Control panel is similar to PhotoShop Options palette.

3. Other palettes and panels • Layers are similar to PhotoShop. • Layering commands are in a pull-down menu accessed from the Layers Panel. • Align Panel supports object alignment. • Appearance tweaks object/layer appearance. • File -> New supports various document types. • Use RGB Color for now. CMYK is the alternative. • Optional templates supply format and building blocks.

4. Color Settings • In the Bridge, Edit -> Creative Suite Color Settings. • File -> Document Color Mode -> RGB (or CMYK). • Edit -> Color Settings (general defaults for now). • Edit -> Assign Profile sets color output device profile. • sRBG for default. • View -> Proof Setup simulates output device. • Uncheck View -> Proof Colors when not proofing. • Customize uses specific color profiles. • Perceptual is based on human vision, Saturation is vivid but non-continuous, Absolute stays with device gamut, Relative makes reasonable gamut / color compromises. Do not check “Preserve RGP/CMYK Numbers” for on-screen simulation.

5. Geometric Objects • Create a new, blank 8.5 x 11 inch print doc. • Tear off Rectangle, etc. tool menu. • Add rectangles, squares (hold shift key while sweeping), rounded rectangles, ellipses, circles (shift). • Set stroke color and enable / disable fill color at bottom of Tools Palette.

6. Record a new “Cleanup” Action • Windows -> Actions. • Place some shapes on the page. • Create New Action named Cleanup. • Record “Select All” then “Edit Cut”. • Stop the recording on the Actions panel. • Now you can replay “Cleanup” as you experiment with geometric shape tools.

7. Polygons • Point click without drawing to set number of sides and default radius. • Sweep polygon out from center, rotate. • Vary the parameters in the Control Panel. • Stars are similar to polygons with two radii. • Selection Tool (arrow) supports selection and basic geometric transforms. • Flare Tools has rings, rays, etc.

8. Line Segment and Related Tools • Close Rectangle, etc., tear off Line Segment. • Control-click for Transform and other actions. • Single click for line dialog box. • Shift-draw to snap line to 45⁰ alignment. • ~-draw to fan out a series of line segments. • Shift-~-draw to keep them at 45⁰ alignment. • Alt-option draws out from original click. • Fill sets color for later use in closed figures.

9. Arcs • Arcs have several keyboard shortcuts. • “C” toggles between closed and open arcs. • “F” flips an arc. • Up and Down arrows change curvature. • Alt-option draws out from original click. • Shift, ~ and Shift-~ draw are similar to line. • Single click to enter parameters.

10. Damage some Lines and Arcs • Draw and select one line segment per effect. • Double-click any of these tools to set parameters. • Warp warps line and arc segments. • Twirl forms a spiral. • Pucker is an attractor for edges. • Bloat makes edges bloated. • Scallop scallops line / arc segments. • Crystallize stands line hairs on their ends. • Wrinkle generates random waves.

11. Spirals • Single click to see parameters. • Many segments pack tightly. • High decay expands spiral (> 110% is too big). • You may wind up hanging Illustrator with this one. • Control-click force quit AI in Mac Dock if you do. • Sweep to scale, Cmd-sweep for tightness. • Up / down arrow to add / delete segments. • Rotate, shift for 45⁰, space bar to move.

12. Grids • Rectangular grids have dividers, skew, number of dividers in Cartesian space. • Rectangular grids have dividers, skew, number of dividers in Polar space. • Options for fill. • Framing makes outer rectangle a path. • Compound ellipses treated as one object in some contexts, e.g., Direct Select.

13. Selection • Select Tool selects an entire path. • Direct Select is similar to Photoshop. • Shift-select adds or subtracts selections. • Select-menu or control-click selections. • Select all-on-layer on the right side of a layer. • Object -> Group creates a composite object, Ungroup releases it. • Magic Wand selects on basis of color.

14. Miscellaneous Tools • Object -> Transform has geometric transforms. • Object -> Arrange raises or lowers objects. • Rotate and Reflect Tools on Tools Panel. • Scale and Shear Tools on Tools Panel. • Reshape tool modifies predefined shapes, e.g., Reshape a spiral. • It is possible to Copy & Paste Paths between PhotoShop and Illustrator. • We will examine file-based data exchange later.

15. Selection • Download and unzip IllusEdit.zip. • Create a small set of shapes. • Selection Tool sweep, Object -> Group them. • Create a few more shapes. • Selection Tool sweep, Object -> Group these + former group into a second-order Group. • Selection Tool selects the entire group. • Direct Select selects vertices / edges. • Group Select, multiple clicks selects group hierarchy.

16. More Selection • Lasso Tools selects vertices and edges. • Magic Wand selects based on Fill color, Stroke color, Stroke Weight. Double click the wand. • Selection Tool shift-click adds or subtracts. • Direct Select highlights a vertex beneath its cursor. • Select -> Same based on properties. • Select all on a layer via the Layers Panel.

17. Isolate Selected Groups • Select a group of objects. • Click Isolate Selected Group in Control Panel. • Group appears in Layers Panel. • Editing is limited to active group. • Clicking top gray bar ends isolation. • Object -> Ungroup removes levels of grouping. • Select -> Save Selection under a name.

18. Grids and Guides • Check View -> Smart Guides to get coordinate and related information. • View -> Grid shows a snap grid. • View -> Snap To Grid forces grid alignment. • Test, then disable this. • Illustrator -> Preferences -> Guides and Grid to set grid resolution. • Illustrator -> Preferences -> Smart Guides. • Enable the top set of options.

19. Moving / Copying Objects • Selection Tools moves whole objects / groups. • Apple-C / Apple-V for copy / paste. • Make and Select a Star • Object -> Path -> Offset Path with a .1 in offset, try Miter, Round and Bevel. • Window -> Align or alignment icons on Control Panel. • Align to Key Object uses reference object.

20. Automating a Composition • Put a single simple object (e.g., star) on the page. Select it. • Record the following actions: • Copy, paste (or Offset Path 0), align, scale, rotate (and / or other transforms), align centers, group, end record. • Click this action sequence repeatedly (slowly) to get spiraling-in shapes similar to the first assignment. You may run out of memory!

21. Transformations • Window -> Transform and Align Panels. • Rulers help with number-based transformations on complicated, many-sided geometric shapes. • Object -> Transform has addition transforms. • Select -> right click also shows transform menu. • If you run low on memory, Save, Quit, restart.

22. PhotoShop Paths to Illustrator Shapes • DSC_0007.jpg into PhotoShop. • Non-contiguous magic wand, tolerance 100. • Create and name a new Path from selection. • Use Path menu with 1 pixel tolerance. • Rename testpath, Edit -> Copy the path. • Create a new Illustrator document. • Set fill to gradient. • Edit gradient options later. Stroke to black. Paste the shape (compound path).