Blends


Illustrator has the capability to take two vector objects and create a blend between them. If the shapes are different, Illustrator morphs one shape into the other, which can produce some cool effects (see Figure 7.190). Blending can be used to create airbrushlike effects. Blends can also be used to help create steps or frames for animations, which we discuss later when we talk about the Flash file format.

Figure 7.190. A blend between two vector objects.


To create a blend, select two vector shapes and choose Object, Blend, Make. To change the options of a blend, select the blend and choose Object, Blend, Blend Options. You can specify a smooth colored blend, which automatically calculates how many steps are created in the blend, or you can choose to specify the exact number of steps you want to create (see Figure 7.191).

Figure 7.191. The Blend Options dialog box.


A blend follows along a straight path that is automatically drawn between the two objects (it doesn't print), which is called the spine of the blend. If you want the blend to follow a specific curve (see Figure 7.192), select both the blend and the curve, and choose Object, Blend, Replace Spine.

Figure 7.192. Replacing the straight spine with a curved one.


A blend in Illustrator is live, meaning that if you make changes to the two outer shapes, the blend updates accordingly. If you want to break a blend into its individual parts, choose Object, Blend, Expand.



Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Creative Suite 2 All in One
Sams Teach Yourself Creative Suite 2 All in One
ISBN: 067232752X
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 225
Authors: Mordy Golding

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