1. Transforming and Distorting Objects
Chapter 4
Transforming and Distorting Objects

2. Transforming Objects
When you change an object’s size, shape, or position on the artboard, Illustrator defines that operation as a transformation.
The Tools panel contains five transform tools:
Rotate
Scale
Reflect
Shear
Free Transform

3. Transforming Objects
The Rotate tool rotates an object or a group of objects around a fixed point.
The Scale tool enlarges and reduces the size of objects.
The Reflect tool “flips” an object across an imagined axis, usually the horizontal or the vertical axis, however, you can define any diagonal as the axis for a reflection.

4. Transforming Objects
The Shear tool slants—or skews—an object on an axis that you specify.
By definition, the Shear tool distorts an object.
*Of the five transform tools, you will probably use the Shear tool the least, although it is useful for creating a cast shadow or the illusion of depth.

5. Transforming Objects
Finally, the Free Transform tool offers you the ability to perform quick transformations and distort objects in perspective.

6. The Reflect tool flips an image horizontally or vertically
Transforming Objects
The Reflect tool flips an image horizontally or vertically

7. Transforming Objects
All transformations are executed in relation to a fixed point called the point of origin.
The default point of origin is the object’s center point.
You can change the center point to another point on the object or somewhere else on the artboard.

8. All transformations are executed from a point of origin
Transforming Objects
A baton rotating around its own center
Petals of a daisy rotate around a central point
All transformations are executed from a point of origin

9. Transforming Objects
There are four basic methods for transforming objects:
Click a transform tool, then click and drag anywhere on artboard
Double-click one of the transform tools, which opens the tool’s dialog box
Click a transform tool, then click the artboard to define the point of origin
Click a transform tool, press [Alt](Win) or [option] (Mac), then click the artboard to open the tool's dialog box

10. Transforming Objects
Repeat a transformation again quickly with the Transform Again command.
The quickest way to use the Transform Again command is to press [Ctrl][D] (Win) or [Command][D] (Mac).

11. Transforming Objects
The Transform Each command allows you to transform multiple objects individually.
The Transform Each dialog box offers options including:
Move
Scale
Rotate
Reflect

12. The eight squares are rotated on their own center points
Transforming Objects
Before
After
The eight squares are rotated on their own center points

13. Transforming Objects
Without the Transform Each command, applying a transformation to multiple objects simultaneously will often yield an undesired effect.
This happens because the selected objects are transformed as a group in relation to a single point of origin and are repositioned on the artboard.

14. Transforming Objects
When you click the Free Transform tool, an eight-handled bounding box is placed around the selected object(s).
You can move the handles to scale or distort the object.
You can click and drag outside the bounding box to rotate the selection.

15. Transforming Objects
In general, the role of the Free Transform tool is to make quick transformations by clicking and dragging.
Moving the handles on the Free Transform tool in conjunction with certain keyboard commands allows you to distort an object or distort in perspective.

16. Use the Free Transform tool to distort objects in perspective
Transforming Objects
Use the Free Transform tool to distort objects in perspective

17. Transforming Objects
You start by dragging any handle on the bounding box, then to distort in perspective, you must apply the following after you start dragging a handle:
Press and hold [Shift][Ctrl] (Win) or [Shift][Command] (Mac) to distort image.
Press and hold [Shift][Alt][Ctrl] (Win) or [Shift][option][Command] (Mac) while dragging to distort in perspective.

18. Transforming Objects
When you click the Free Transform tool, the Free Transform menu appears.

19. Transforming Objects
Transform panel

20. Transforming Objects
The Transform panel displays information about a selected object:
size
orientation
location

21. Transforming Objects
You can type new values directly into the Transform panel to modify selected objects.
All values on the panel refer to the bounding boxes of the objects, whether the bounding box is visible or not.
You can also identify on the Transform panel the reference point on the bounding box from which the object will be transformed.

22. Offsetting and Outlining Paths
The Offset Path command creates a copy of a selected path set off by a specific distance.
It is useful when working with closed paths, making concentric shapes or making many copies of a path at a regular distance from the original.

23. Offsetting and Outlining Paths
Concentric refers to objects that share the same center point.

24. Offsetting and Outlining Paths
Two sets of concentric circles
Concentric circles produced by the Scale tool
Concentric circles produced by the Offset Path command

25. Offsetting and Outlining Paths
When you offset a closed path, a positive value creates a larger copy outside the original; a negative value creates a smaller copy inside the original.

26. Offsetting and Outlining Paths
The Outline Stroke command converts a stroked path into a closed path at the same width as original stroked path.

27. Offsetting and Outlining Paths
The Outline Stroke command is useful:
for applying a gradient to a stroke
because it allows you to modify the outline of an object more than if it were just a stroke
because it is often easier to create an object with a single heavy stroke and then convert it to a closed path than it is to try to draw a closed path directly

28. Offsetting and Outlining Paths
The Outline Stroke command converts a stroked path to a closed path

29. Creating Compound Paths
You make a compound path to create a “hole” or “holes” in an object.

30. Creating Compound Paths
The letter D is an example of a compound path

31. Creating Compound Paths
When two or more objects are compounded, Illustrator defines them as one object.
Compound paths function as groups.

32. Creating Compound Paths
You can select and manipulate an individual element with the Direct Selection tool, but you cannot change its appearance attributes independently.
Compound paths can be released and returned to their original component objects by applying the Release Compound Path command.

33. Working with the Pathfinder Panel
A compound shape is two or more paths that are combined in such a way that “holes” appear wherever paths overlap.
The term “compound shape” is used to distinguish a complex compound path from a simple one.

34. Working with the Pathfinder Panel
Compound shapes generally assume an artistic rather than a practical role.
To achieve the effect, compound shapes tend to be composed of multiple objects.
You can think of a compound shape as an illustration composed of multiple compound paths.

35. Working with the Pathfinder Panel
Shape modes and pathfinders are preset operations that help you combine paths in a variety of ways.
They are useful operations for creating complex or irregular shapes from basic shapes.

36. Working with the Pathfinder Panel
For the purposes of drawing and creating new objects, the following five shape modes and pathfinders are essential; compare each.

37. Working with the Pathfinder Panel
Two Objects/No Filter
Unite
Minus Front
Intersect
Minus Back
Divide

38. Working with the Pathfinder Panel
Unite shape mode: Converts two or more overlapping objects into a single, merged object.
Minus Front shape mode: Where objects overlap, deletes the frontmost object(s) from the backmost object in a selection of overlapped objects.
Intersect shape mode: Creates a single, merged object from the area where two or more objects overlap.

39. Working with the Pathfinder Panel
Minus Back pathfinder: The opposite of Subtract; deletes the backmost object(s) from the frontmost object in a selection of overlapped objects.
Divide pathfinder: Divides an object into its component filled faces. Illustrator defines a “face” as an area undivided by a line segment.

40. Working with the Pathfinder Panel
After applying a shape mode button, you can select the resulting objects in the compound shape and format them using the Direct Selection tool.

41. Working with the Pathfinder Panel
The Pathfinder panel contains ten buttons for creating compound shapes.

42. Working with the Pathfinder Panel

43. Working with the Pathfinder Panel
If you apply the Minus Front shape mode button, to an image where a square overlaps a circle, the resulting object is a compound shape.
If you took the same two overlapping shapes, but this time pressed [Alt] (Win) or [option] (Mac) when applying the Minus Front shape mode button, the circle would not be deleted but would function as a hole or a “knockout” wherever it overlaps the square.

44. Working with the Pathfinder Panel
The relationship is dynamic: You can move the circle independently with the Direct Selection tool to change its effect on the square and the resulting visual effect.
You can release a compound shape, which separates it back into individual objects.

45. Applying Round Corners to Objects
Round corners are an essential component of any designer’s tool kit.
The following figure shows a five-point star with pointy points.

46. Applying Round Corners to Objects
Star with pointy points

47. Applying Round Corners to Objects
The following figure shows the same star with round corners.

48. Applying Round Corners to Objects
Star with round corners

49. Applying Round Corners to Objects
When you round corners in Illustrator, you are working with widgets, small circles that appear at every corner.
When you click and drag the widget, all the corners of the object are rounded as you drag.

50. Applying Round Corners to Objects
Corner widgets visible on objects

51. Applying Round Corners to Objects
If you want to apply a specific corner radius to a point, rather than click and drag to create the rounded corner, simply double-click the widget.
This opens the Corners dialog box where you can enter a specific radius.

52. Applying Round Corners to Objects
Chamfer
Inverted Round
Corners dialog box with options for corners

53. Applying Round Corners to Objects
Round corners applied to the object
Chamfer corners applied to the object
Final artwork with corners applied to all anchor points

54. Using the Shape Builder Tool
The Shape Builder tool is designed to help you create new objects from overlapping objects.
The Shape Builder tool creates new closed paths.
The following figure shows eight orange-filled circles overlapping.

55. Using the Shape Builder Tool
Red outlines indicate which shapes will be included
Fill and stroke for new shape
Specifying objects to be created with the Shape Builder tool

56. Using the Shape Builder Tool
In addition to creating new objects, the Shape Builder tool also deletes closed paths from overlapping objects.
To delete an object with the Shape Builder tool, press and hold [Alt] (Win) or [option] (Mac), then click or drag over the objects you want to delete.
*Note the minus sign beside the Shape Builder
tool icon in the following figure.

57. Using the Shape Builder Tool
Specifying objects to be deleted
Minus sign
Shapes are not outlined in red when being deleted

58. Creating Clipping Masks
You use a clipping mask as a “window” through which you view some or all of the objects behind the mask in the stacking order.
When you select any two or more objects and apply the Make Clipping Mask command, the top object becomes the mask and the object behind it becomes “masked.”

59. Creating Clipping Masks
You will be able to see only the parts of the masked object that are visible through the mask, as shown in the following figure.
The mask crops the object behind it.

60. Creating Clipping Masks
Object to be used as a mask
Object to be masked
The result after applying the Make Clipping Mask command
Clipping mask crops the object behind it

61. Creating Clipping Masks
You can position as many objects as you like behind the mask and position them in such a way that the mask crops them in visually interesting (and eye-popping!) ways.

62. Creating Clipping Masks
Masks can be used to create stunning visual effects

63. Creating Clipping Masks
The Draw Inside drawing mode does just what its name implies: it allows you to create one object within the perimeter of another object.
Drawing one object inside another is essentially the same thing as creating a clipping mask.
When you draw an object inside another, the two objects behave the same way any two objects behave in a clipping set.

64. Creating Clipping Masks
The relationship can be undone with the Clipping Mask/Release command.
The big difference between using the Draw Inside drawing mode and making a clipping mask is that the Draw Inside option can involve only two objects.