Adobe InDesign CS3 Tip – All Wrapped Up in a New Favorit

e

 
 

Even before I wrote a Layers Magazine online tutorial about InDesign Text Wraps ("All Wrapped Up" - http://www.layersmagazine.com/indesign-making-wraps.html), I had a steady flow of emails with requests for tips and workarounds. As good as the Wraps feature was in CS2, there were some interesting quirks and issues. With the introduction of CS3, many of these Wrap workarounds are no longer necessary. One of my favorite new additions is in the Wrap Options section of the Wraps panel (Window>Text Wrap) - "Wrap Largest Area" in the "Wrap To" popup menu. What makes this a favorite? Try the following to see for yourself. Fill a two-column Text Frame with type (Type>Fill with Placeholder Text). Then draw an oval with the Ellipse tool (L). With the oval selected, click the "Wrap around object shape" button, in the wraps panel, and choose Wrap Largest Area from the Wrap To popup. Drag the oval across the Text Frame to see what happens. The type will Wrap either the left or right side of the object depending which side has the most type area next to it in a column. So text will Wrap one side of the Wrap object, instead of just jumping across it.

Adobe Illustrator CS3 Tip – Alter Your Brush After You Paint

 
 

I saw an interesting illustration that contained a three dimensional globe with all of the water areas of the Earth missing. It looked as if all the continents were mapped to an invisible sphere. You could even see the reverse side of the continents on the far side of the globe. How was this done? Here's what I did to recreate it. I saved a flat outline tracing of the continents as a Symbol, by selecting the entire map with the Selection tool (V), and choosing New Symbol from the Options menu of the Symbols panel. Then I drew a circle by clicking and dragging the Ellipse tool (L), while holding down the Shift key. Next, I selected the left anchor point of the circle with the Direct Selection tool (A) and deleted it. I Filled the semicircle that remained with an existing blue Swatch and no Stroke from the Swatches panel (Window>Swatches). To apply a 3D Effect, I went to the Effects menu>3D>Revolve. Now the fun part – I pressed the Map Art Button, found the Continents Symbol from under the Symbol popup menu. Then I checked Scale to Fit, and Shade Artwork to give it a 3D shaded look. But how did I make the Water part of the Earth invisible? To see for yourself, check Invisible Geometry, the Preview button and OK.

Adobe Illustrator CS3 Tip – Moving Objects from Different Layers to the Same Layer

 
 

One fast way to move objects from different Layers into the same Layer is to select the first object with the Selection tool (V), then Shift-click on additional object to select them as well. Next, go to the Object menu>Group. This will not only Group the objects, it will move all of those objects into the same Layer as the topmost object. But what if you wanted to move all selected objects into a totally different Layer? No problem! Select all of the object with the Selection tool. Then click your other Layer in the Layers panel to make it the active Layer. Then go to the Object menu>Arrange>Send to Current Layer. All objects move to the active Layer maintaining their original stacking order.

Adobe Illustrator CS3 Tip – Cropping Images Just Got a Lot Easier in Illustrator

 
 

Cropping images has always been easier in layout applications, such as InDesign, than it is in Illustrator. But one simple addition to the Control panel has simplified cropping in AICS3 a great deal. To see what I mean, Place an image in Illustrator (File>Place). Then draw a rectangle with the Rectangle tool (R) over the top of the photo. Marquee across the image and the rectangle to select both. Go to Object>Clipping Mask>Make to "crop" the picture. Two new buttons appear to the far left of the Control panel. The left of these two button, Edit Clipping Path, lets you move the Mask or change its size by dragging on bounding box points to crop the picture. Press the button immediately to its right and just the image is selected allowing to edit or move just the image within the Mask that "contains" it. This little feature (that is barely mentioned in Adobe's materials) is a huge leap in dealing with images in Illustrator.

Adobe Illustrator CS3 Tip – Building One Layer Right on Top of Another

 
 

One thing that is different in Illustrator than in InDesign is adding new Layers. In InDesign, a new Layer is always added as the top Layer in the Layers panel. This is not the case in Illustrator. When you go to the Options menu of the Layers panel and select New Layer, an Options widow opens for this Layer and when you press OK, the new Layer is added directly above the currently-selected Layer. Of course, if Layers don't stack up in the panel exactly the way you'd like, you can click and drag the Layer listings up or down the stacking order and insert them further up or down in the panel listings.

Adobe Illustrator CS3 Tip – Magical Panels

 
 

Adobe has done an amazing job opening up extra screen real estate with the new Interface in Illustrator CS3. But sometimes you need as much space as possible while working on a design. If that's the case, you can press the Tab key on your keyboard to make all panels disappear and hit the Tab key again to make all panel reappear. But when you get tired of hitting your Tab, leave all panel hidden until you really need them. Then bring your cursor to the side of your screen and the panels will reappear on just that side of the Interface. Move your cursor away from the panel and they disappear again. Magic!

Layers Tip of the Day - Magical Panels

Layers magazine wrote:

Layers Tip of the Day - Magical Panels

Från:                                Layers magazine [info@layersmagazine.com]

Skickat:                           den 13 juni 2008 22:48

Till:                                  christian.earl@gmail.com

Ämne:                             Layers Tip of the Day - Magical Panels

Adobe Illustrator CS3 Tip – Magical Panels

Adobe has done an amazing job opening up extra screen real estate with the new Interface in Illustrator CS3. But sometimes you need as much space as possible while working on a design. If that’s the case, you can press the Tab key on your keyboard to make all panels disappear and hit the Tab key again to make all panel reappear. But when you get tired of hitting your Tab, leave all panel hidden until you really need them. Then bring your cursor to the side of your screen and the panels will reappear on just that side of the Interface. Move your cursor away from the panel and they disappear again. Magic!