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

Chapter 31. Working In Isolation Mode 4:32

  • Way to get to individual pieces in groups
  • Find a group, Double click on it
    • Top area shows that you are in that group
    • Rest of screen greys out
  • The greyed out areas are isolated from everything that you are doing
  • Double click again on an object and everything else greys out
  • Top area left arrow or escape-key lets you get out
  • Selection Tool → Option-Double-Click progressively selects
    • By double clicking on object in a group progressively selects all objects in inclosing groups

Chapter 33. Object Rotation And Smart Guides 5:16

  • Smart Guides shows useful information about context on artboard
  • Rotation tool
    • Set anchor
    • Drag to rotate
    • Alt-Drag to put a copy at the new location
  • Operate upon multiple objects
    • Select all objects
    • Click Rotate tool
    • Object → Transform → Transform Reach
    • Enable Preview
    • Remember that X, Y, and W are the transform panel
      • You can do the same thing there
  • Is it safe to align everything to pixel grid at the very end?

Chapter 32. Resizing Tricks 5:51

  • Won’t be resizing keycaps or symbols on them
    • Probably just font sizes
    • Might skips to chapter on text
  • Preferences → General → Scale Strokes & Effects
    • When you make something bigger the strokes and effects will get bigger
  • We tend to be creatures of comfort when it comes to workflow configuration
    • Every once in a while go into a pulldown and explore something new
      • Go to Help and type it in
      • It is possible that you need to know that
    • Get to know these program!
  • Select an entire groups
    • Command-Click it to select it all showing the bounding box
    • Keep holding Command
    • Resize it however you want
    • Hold Command-Shift to keep it in proportion
    • Hold Command-Option-Shift to resize it in proportion staying centered
      • Remove the Shift key and it will still remain centered
    • Holding Shift on rotation gives you 45° and 90° shifts
  • If you either have the bounding box of or want more precision you can do the same thing with the Scale Tool
    • Select the object (or group)
    • Select Scale Tool S
    • Click the point where you want to lock the object and a crosshairs will appear there
      • Hold Alt and click to show the Scale modifier panel with detailed options
    • Select the object/group with no modifier and now you will resize it relative to that point
      • Unsure how to rotate it
    • X, Y, and W in the top-middle section also bring up the Transform panel
  • The transform panel is where you would do precise transformations like
    • Change the width and hide by specific percentages
    • Rotate it by specific degrees