andrew's vector plugin's volume 21 manual for illustrator

Plug-ins notes

file:///C|/...ndrew/Products/Documentation%20NOT%20FOR%20RELEASE/Illustrator%20plugins/Volume%2021/GX21_Documentation.htm[30/10/2008 19:34:26]

Layers (Andrew's Vector Plug-ins Volume 21)

Introduction

Plugin set contains plugins for various path and layer effects. Please note: the plugin set was originally known as layers andhas been slotted into the collection at volume 21.

I hope you enjoy using the plugins (now a single plugin but built >PC

Installation of plug-in set

For the PC please place the GX21_Layers.aip file into

C:\program files\adobe\adobe illustrator CS4\plug-ins



C:\program files\adobe\illustrator CS\plug-ins

C:\program files\adobe\illustrator 10\plug-ins

MAC

For the mac, please place the GX21_Layers file into

HD:Applications:Adobe Illustrator CS4:plug-ins



HD:Applications:Adobe Illustrator CS:plug-ins

HD:Applications:Adobe Illustrator 10:plug-ins

You may wish to put them into a sub-folder of the plugins path instead of the plugins path, this will make it easier to find anythird party plugin, also it will avoid any potential corruption or movement of a key plugin or extension

I would suggest adding them to a sub folder of the plug-ins instead of just the plug-ins folder. Create a folder 'graphicxtras'or anything else you wish and then add the plug-ins to that folder (as long as it is a sub folder of plug-ins they will be pickedup). The reason for the sub folder is to make it easier to find the plug-ins and isolate them from the native Illustrator plug-ins

Alternate plug-in installation location

Plug-ins notes


Because of recent improvements in security, you may wish to install the plug-in sets in an alternate location such as an useraccount and not the default plug-in folder. If you are using a basic level account and one without admin features, you mightnot be able to save the AIP plug-in files to the usual folder. Set up an alternate or secondary plug-in folder in your useraccount and then copy the files there.

To specify an alternate plug-in for Illustrator ®

1) Go to the edit > preferences > plug-ins

2) Check the additional plug-ins folder option

3) Specify / browse for your required file in your user account (such as 'third party plug-ins' etc)

Install OS X / CS2

Please place all the contents (for CS2) mac OSX GX21_... into the plug-in path. If an item is removed or name changed, theplugins will not work

*** UPDATE from previous versions

This set has been changed. Instead of three plugins (GX21_LayerTranslate, GX21_LayerScale, GX21_LayerRotate), the pluginset now consists of 1 plugin, GX21_Layers but it splits into three within the program. Please remove the previous three andreplace with the new plugin (please backup the original three as you may wish to use some of their functionality at somepoint)

Initial use of plug-ins

Please access via the filters menu of Illustrator ® via the <AVP Paths> menu (CS3 CS2 CS 10)

Please access the plug-in via the object > filters menu (CS4)

Plug-ins notes


You will see three additional plugins located in that menu marked layers rotate, etc.

To use, please select a path or paths or image or symbols and others and then apply the plugins.

All three plugins can be used as is, without any reference to layers or animation. If you wish to export the layers as ananimation, please use the export functionality to export as SWF etc

The layer scale / rotate / translate overlap in many ways, the basic functionality is as the name.

Symbols

The set also comes with a set of bonus symbols, please place these in the presets symbols folder and access via the symbolspalette

Applications support

MAC OS X 10.2 10.3 10.4 .5 98 ME NT XP Vista Illustrator ® 10 CS 1 (11) CS 2 (12) CS3 CS4

Questions

Please contact me on [email protected].

Other plugins are available on the site

mailto:[email protected]

Plug-ins notes


http://www.graphicxtras.com

Updates / upgrades

Upgrades are generally available, either as free updates or inexpensive updates/upgrades. Please store the reference serialnumber or details of order

Copyright

The plugins are copyright of 1999-2008, Abneil Software Ltd (Andrew Buckle). This product was released by Abneil Softwareltd (UK based company)

Trademarks

Illustrator and Adobe and Photoshop are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. We have no connectionwhatsoever with Adobe. Adobe product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Adobe Systems Incorporated.

Important - Rapid visual changes (drag buttons)

*** NOTE: Please be very careful with some of the functionality if you suffer from light sensitive problems / issues as usingcertainly functionality and rapidly changing settings and random fill colors or path strokes, can create an intense set of colorchanges. This might be same for many different path combinations. This is mainly connected with the interactive dragbuttons. Basically, be careful of rapid changes of settings!

Layers rotate plug-in

Plug-in takes a path or selected paths and rotates them about the current set center

'Copies center options': Center of the rotation

'Copies': Number of copies to generate for the rotation

http://www.graphicxtras.com/

Plug-ins notes


'Rotation options': Options to apply for angle / rotation of newly created paths

'Rotation': Angle / rotation to apply, dependent on rotation dropdown

Plug-ins notes


'Radial options': Radial translation options (if set to the default, the radial setting is not enabled)

'Radial': Radial translation depending on radial translation options

Plug-ins notes


'Horizontal translation options': Horizontal shift options such as random translation of paths or accelerating or reducingtranslation

'Horizontal translation: Horizontal translation value (depends on the options set)

Plug-ins notes


'Vertical translation options': Vertical translation options such as accumulate or uniform (even spaced) displacement

'Vertical translation': Vertical translation value

'Layers options': Apply all the selected shapes onto the same layer, or place all the shapes onto new layers, or ignore layerstotally

'Layers': Create a new layer only after a certain number of paths have been created

'Interpolate options': Apply different color factors to the created paths

'Interpolation': Factor applied (using the option set) to each path in turn. Turns the generated paths white or black orrandom etc

Plug-ins notes


'Base': Use the 'initial' path in the calculations instead of recalculating based on the recently created path

'Delete': Delete original path

'Place Above': Place the created path above the previous path or below.

Layer scale plug-in

Scales the selected path or paths or images or symbols.

'Scaling center options': By default the paths are scaled about the current path center but they can be scaled about the topleft corner, bottom left, document and many other possible centers.

Plug-ins notes


'Copies': Number of copies to generate

'Horizontal scaling options': The scaling in the horizontal direction can be as set, accumulated, random, rapid, and more

'Horizontal scaling': Scaling applied to each path in turn.

Plug-ins notes


'Vertical scaling options': Vertical direction scaling options, which can be as set, accumulate, rapid, random and others

'Vertical scaling': Vertical scaling, depending on scaling option

'Horizontal translation options': Options for horizontal translation applied to the path (also used for the user definedcenter)

'Horizontal translation': Horizontal translation applied

'Vertical translation options': Vertical translation options for up or downward scaling

'Vertical translation': Vertical translation setting, dependent on option set

'Layers options': Apply the paths across layers (as defined by the layer setting) or group all the selected and apply acrossthe layers (as defined by the layer setting) or ignore layers

'Layers': If set to 1, place a single path on a layer and then create a new layer for the next path and so on. If 2, place twopaths on a layer and then create a new layer.




Plug-ins notes



'Above': Place the created path above the previous path or below.

Layer Translate plug-in

Translates or shifts the paths in a particular direction without rotation or scaling the paths

'Copies': Number of copies to generate

'Translation options': Translation options applied to both directions, horizontal and vertical (depending on the values set)

'Translation': Translate the created paths in the horizontal / vertical direction

'Translation variant options': Variant or additional translation applied to the paths such as radial effects and more

Plug-ins notes


'Translation variant': Additional translation added etc to the translation setting

'Layers options': No layers or group paths and layer or layer each path on its own layer (depending on the layer setting)

'Layers': Place a path (or more) on a single layer before creating a new layer





'Above': Place the created path above the previous path or below.

Buttons

'Tumble' button

Randomizes to the extreme most of the settings of the plugin.

'Shuffle' button

Plug-ins notes


Randomizes the internal calculation (if there is a random element associated with the current settings)

'Presets'

Dropdown of different preset settings.

'View' / zoom

Zoom / view level for the document (bottom right of the dialog)

'Drag' buttons

drag (hold the SHIFT KEY down) to interactively change the setting (beside the button). Most use the document horizontal tomodify the setting but items associated with the vertical can be modified by up-down vertical drag.

Layers - general use

The plugin has a small selection of layer options, either placing the paths on the same layers or each path generated on its'own' layer or just ignore layers

Layer options: place all generated paths on a new layer (depending on the layer value)

Example below shows two paths on the same initial layer

Plug-ins notes


Using the first layer option, the result is as below. Each path is on a new layer, the second path follows on after all the firstpath's layers

Layer options - all: If two or more items are selected, they are generated on the same layer before any new 'insert layer' isapplied

Plug-ins notes


The end result displayed in the layer palette

No layers: Layers are ignored and all the paths are placed on the same single layer

Plug-ins notes


The end result displayed in the layer palette

Layers value: If set to 1 then each action results in a single new layer. If 2, then two actions (generation of paths) results intwo sets of paths on the layer, and so on. The example below shows three path generations are added to the layer beforemoving onto the next layer

Plug-ins notes


The result shown in the layers palette

Animation and symbols

The layers can be animated, either saving them as SWF or GIF etc

Apply one of the plugins (in this case, two paths are selected and the layer translate plug-in)

Plug-ins notes


The layers are generated by the plugin. Go to the export command (file menu) to export the file as SWF file

The SWF format is selected

Plug-ins notes


The SWF options appear. Select AI Layers to SWF frames (or the last option, if required)

Set frame rate, looping, etc

Plug-ins notes


SWF is one format but GIF can also be used for animation

As the application has no animation palette, save the layers / file as a PSD file via the export menu

Plug-ins notes


Save as PSD

Save PSD using 'write layers' option

Plug-ins notes


Go to Photoshop and open PSD file and display layers palette. You will see the layers as in Illustrator ®

Go to the animation palette

Plug-ins notes


Select the right dropdown and make frames from layers

The layers will now appear in the animations frames palette. Set time, etc

Plug-ins notes


Save the file as a GIF

andrew's vector plugin's volume 21 manual for illustrator

Documents

sub folder of plugins

secondary plugin folder

default plugin folder

plugin path

usual folder

folder graphicxtrasor

plugins gx21

filters menu of illustrator