Category: Article

Chapter 81. Creating Custom Type Containers 7:14

  • Type Tool vs Area Text Tool
    • Former is always rectangle or square
    • Latter lets you convert an area into a writable area
  • Option-Actions operates from center, keep forgetting
  • When you convert a Path to be a Area Text Tool it becomes invisible because it is just a place to hold Text
  • Shift-Click selects multiple objects
  • Align is always relative to something
  • Shape Builder Tool
    • Select multiple objects
    • Click this tool
    • Draw a line through objects that you want to join
  • Paste In Place
  • Demo simple way to put text into a shape by using a copy of the shape

Chapter 80. Container And Point Type 11:10

  • Text
    • Ain’t boring
    • Can do anything to Text
  • Use the Typography workspace
  • AI falls into the category of Typesetter
    • Like LaTeX?
  • Use InDesign (ID) for writing
  • Point text ignores the right margin
    • You gotta hit Enter to get a new line
  • If a Text object has focus and you want to insert text somewhere else
    • Command-Click then release and the cursor changes to a box so you can insert a Text
  • Drag a giant Text area
    • Soft-returns happen automatically in here
    • This is Container Text
  • Twist Text
    • Container; text remains vertical and fills bounds
    • Point: text rotates
  • Ditto for resizing box
  • Double-click the bar-thing to switch between Point and Container text

Chapter 60. Getting Creative With The Scissors And Knife Tools 8:39

  • Looking at more maker tools Scissors and Knife
    • Under the Eraser
  • Both work on a selected Object
  • Hold while either is selected hold down Command to get the Selection tool
  • Knife creates closed dynamic shapes
  • Scissors cuts a path that opens it up
  • Hold Shift when dragging Anchors to go straight
  • Scissors lets you chop apart ellipses into halve parts
  • Option-Drag objects creates a duplicate
  • Below the left bar color thing are
    • Set path and stroke to black and white
    • White box with red slash through it is “nothing”
  • Fun lesson!

Chapter 59. Using Join And Average On Open Paths 5:57

  • Simple shapes can be made into complex objects
  • Andy started with AI in ’87
    • Was already in natural media industry all his life
    • Wanted to get into new computer media
    • First attempts were frustrating but learned that
      • Practice makes perfect
      • You don’t have to draw the Mona Lisa
        • Instead draw simple shapes that can be made into the Mona Lisa
  • Double-Clicking the hand tool, not the zoom tool, returns the zoom to 100%
  • You can weld two Anchor points
    • Only two
    • This is Marqueeing that area
    • Use the Direct Selection Tool A
    • Be sure you only got two
  • Sometimes you want to consider the curvature of the two lines
    • This is the Average operation
    • Both is cool
    • Join helps, too
  • Easily make complex shapes out of simple objects

Chapter 57. Controlling Paths With Anchors 6:25

  • Anchors are connected by Paths which hold Strokes
  • Anchors control the path
  • When the Pen tool has an asterisk next to it, it is telling that you are creating a new shape. You are not connecting it to anything. It is bran new.
  • When you hover an Pen that is creating Anchors over another Anchor and an open circle appears it means that you are going to “close the object”
  • How to create an open shape: A straight line for example
    • Couple ways
    • Go pick up another tool and switch back, never do this
    • Click to drop first Anchor, then second Anchor, then hit enter
  • If you Click-And-Drag to drop an Anchor, you can make non-straight lines
  • If you select the Direct Selection Tool and hover over an Anchor, it makes the anchor really big
    • Drag the Anchors around to reshape the object
    • Select as many anchors that you want
    • Bendy lines get reshaped too