FILTERiT 5: Live Symbol Path

[ Index ] [ Live Effects in General ]

Live Symbol Path places instance from “Symbol”(*) along the outline of selected object (path or text or its group) based on various specifications.
Original object can be edited, and the effect will automatically update.
If “Symbol” is edited, the live object with correspondence “Symbol” will also be updated.

* “Symbol” refers to the selected Symbol or Symbols (multiple selected) from Illustrator’s Symbol panel.

Example:

From sample file live_symbolpath_01.ai
  1. Create a new document (set Units as Points) from “Illustrator > File > New…” menu.
  2. Select “Illustrator > Window > FILTERiT5 > Live Symbol Path” menu. “FILTERiT5: Live Symbol Path” panel will open.
  3. Create an ellipse on the document’s artboard. Use Illustrator’s “Ellipse Tool” and draw it. Set Width to 500 pt, Height to 300 pt, Fill Color to White, Stroke Color to Black, and Stroke Weight to 1 pt.
  4. Select one or more Symbol from Illustrator’s “Symbol” panel.
  5. Select the ellipse.
  6. From the panel menu (located on the upper right corner), select “Default Settings.”
  7. Click “Apply” button on the panel.
  8. Change “End-alignment” setting to “By Size.” The joint for placed Symbol instances on Ellipse Path will be adjusted.
  9. Select other Symbol from Illustrator’s “Symbol” panel.
  10. Click “Apply” button. An alert message about the change of Symbol instance will appear. Click “OK,” and Symbol instances will be replaced.
  11. Change settings on the panel by referring to the following paragraph.

Setting items:

Space
Specify the space between each Symbol instances with the relative width. 1/2 size of each instances’ width will be added as space in between. By checking "Equally” on the right side of the input field, each space will be based on mean value even when multiple Symbol instances with different size are used.

Size
Specify the scaling of Symbol instance. If “Scale Stroke” option is checked, Stroke Weight will also scale.

NOTE: “Scale Strokes” option is active only when “Expand Symbol Instances” option is selected. In this example, we assume that this option is always selected.

Expand Symbol Instances
Equivalent to placing Symbol instance after expanding via “Illustrator > Object > Expand…” menu. This option enables to specify the color of “Fade.” Also be able to use “Untrue H/V,” “Fill” and “Stroke” options in “Fluctuations” (Group Box).

NOTE: If this option is selected and when Symbol is edited, its result will not reflect on the Live Object.

Proportion Stroke Weight
If Profile for Path’s Stroke is not equal, Symbol instance will scale in proportion to Weight. To determine scale-up or down, specify “Datum Weight” value on the right side of this option.

TIP: To check the effect of this option, select Profile with the unequal width from Illustrator’s Stroke panel to the applied path, or increase the width of Stroke by Illustrator’s “Width Tool.” In that case, Illustrator’s “Expand…” command is disabled. To Expand, click “Expand” button on this panel.

End-alignment
No: No adjustment on end alignment. Symbol instance may overlap or create space in between at the end edge.
By Size: In order to make equal space between all Symbol instances on the Path, the Size will be adjusted.
By Space: In order to make equal space between all Symbol instances on the Path, the spacing will be adjusted.

Fade (Group Box)
No: Normal arrangement.
Yes: Use the number of instances and create fade with transparent or specified color or both.
Steps: Use the specified number and create fade with transparent or specified color or both.

NOTE: Unless “Expand Symbol Instances” option is selected, color (CMYK) option can not be used.

TIP: To change the direction of Fade, you can reverse segment order of original path. To do that, select the anchor point on the end point and click it using Illustrator’s Pen Tool. If it is a closed one, make sure to cut off at anchor point on the end point first. To re-connect, Release the Live Symbol Path’s effect.

Fluctuations (Group Box)
You can add offset to placed Symbol instance (or its Expanded object) specified with maximum and minimum values in this settings.
The offset can be specified with options from “Change Symbols,” “Space H(%),” “Space V(%)” through “Fill, Stroke (Color).”

NOTE: Unless “Expand Symbol Instances” option is selected, “Untrue H/V” and “Fill, Stroke (Color)” options are inactive.

Each option has three checkboxes (“Random,” “+ -,” and “Reverse”) and radio button to select one of option from “Normal/Weight/Direction/Repeat.” But some options may have fixed value and can not be changed.
The following explains mainly about details on three checkboxes. As for the radio button, we assume that “Normal” is selected and explain differences in the case of choosing other options.

If input value for “Spade H(%)” through “Fill, Stroke (Color)” options are F, the offset will be as the follows.

“Random(%)” value is 0 or “Random” is checked off:
If “+ -” is checked, offset will be based on -F and +F alternately, if not it will be constant F. (If “Reverse” is checked, the positive and negative will be reversed)
“Random(%)” value is more than 0 or “Random” is checked on:
If “+ -” is checked, the random value will be created from adding “Random(%)” value to the range between -F to +F. If not, it will be done from adding “Random(%)” value to the range between 0 to F. Higher the value of “Random(%)” creates bigger scattering within the range. (If “Reverse” is checked, the positive and negative will be reversed)

Settings on “Same Sequence” fields are active only when multiple Symbols are selected. If multiple Symbol instances are placed, the appearance will be the same as above.
Except “Angle(°)” option, any options from “Space H(%)” to ”Untrue V(%)” are relative value of horizontal size for Symbol instance (or its Expanded object).
Above is in case “Normal” is selected by the radio button. If “Weight” is selected, relative change takes place based on Stroke’s Weight. If “Direction” is selected, relative change takes place based on the slope of a tangent for the Path. For “Direction,” reference angle can be specified by “Shift(°).” Also if “Repeat” is selected, the specified “Cycle” will be used as the sequence to make the relative change. If “Same Sequence” is checked when applying random value, the same sequence will repeatedly be.

NOTE: In the case of replacing to different Symbol by specifying “Same Sequence,” if the size of the bounding box for Symbol is different, the appearance for placed symbol instance will change.

Live Update
Updating the Artboard while you work can result in slow screen redraw times, especially when Live Reflections is creating a high number of copies using the Radial option. Unchecking Live Update leaves the selection unchanged until you click the Apply button. When checked, Live Update will automatically apply the Live Reflections settings as you make changes.

Expand/Release/Apply
The Expand button creates individual objects from each of the intermediary steps created by Live Reflections. The objects will be grouped. The Release button removes the Live Reflections effect. The Apply button applies the current settings to selected objects.

Panel Menu
The Panel menu is accessed by clicking the icon in the upper right corner of the panel.
You can reset the panel setting to 'Default Settings' or name the current settings and save as the preset menu.
For how to use the preset menu, please refer to 'Preset Menu.’