Freehand vs Illustrator (Solution for create a Style) NEED an EXPERT!! 1

[denonzolee]

Hi there,

It seems I have to jump from my lovely MX to Ai... You know the reasons... :-S

I almost do everything with Ai too, but now I have realized that I can't make a special style that I could with MX.
I want to create a line with this style:

http://img104.imageshack.us/my.php?image=lines01cp4.jpg

In MX, I draw a spline (1.). Then draw 2 parallel lines as fig 2.
After it, select the spline, I can add an effect - called Expand Path - then the spline has a thick property, and I can add a fill to this path with a Tile (select that 2 parallel lines (fig2.)) and rotate it 45 degree and the result is that line on fig1.

Of course, I know it is possible to create an outline from a path, but what I want is to make a styled line as on fig1. not just a filled object. Thats the point!

I hope I was understandable.

Thanks in advance.

 

[apepp]

...try creating one line coloured and the other line with no stroke applied (or white) a certain distance a part. Drag these to the pattern swatches, apply it to the stroke of the drawn line, then rotate it using the transform palette (select 'transform pattern only' in the flyout menu of the transform palette), type in 45 degrees in the angle field...

...you can also rotate a pattern by double clicking the rotation tool in the tools palette, select 'pattern only' and enter a value in the field...

...to update the pattern, adjust the master you created earlier on the artboard and drag it over the existing pattern swatch by holding down the alt/option key, all strokes linked to the pattern will update accordingly...

...both fill colours and patterns appear in the same palette. Look for the icons at the bottom of this palette to filter the palette between colours, gradients and patterns...

Andrew

 

[apepp]

...to add you may see very faint joins, but these do don't print in my experience, they are just the way illy renders...

Andrew

 

[denonzolee]

Andrew!

Perfect.
I got frightened a little bit how can I make it, but now I have quiet down...

Thank You.

 

[apepp]

...splipped my mind to mention the bounding box method for patterns...

...create a pattern, send a square object behind the pattern (no stroke or fill)...

...drag pattern to swatches and apply to object...

...the bounding square tells illy where to join, so in your example you can have one line with a bounding box to define space between each line, rather than have two lines as I mentioned above...

Andrew

 

[denonzolee]

Yeah, maybe its better. Thanks again.

Its a little bit disturbing that the pattern rendered faulty on the display, but nevermind, the exported image is okay. Cool.

 

[apepp]

...yes the render has a lot to do with the magnification you are set to...

Andrew

 

[denonzolee]

Andrew,
I have an other question for you.
Is it possible to save the work without the linked bitmaps? In MX if you have a bitmap file in your vector document (a photo for the background) it isn't save it into the own file format (The .fh11 file isn't contains the bitmaps).
I don't want to save/make 'duplicated' files (I mean it; an independent bitmap file and the .ai file which contains the bitmap once more. I just want the .ai with only links in it to the appropriate bitmap files). The 'Include Linked Files' option is uncheched in the Save as menu (but it is 'gray', so can't checkable), but it doesn't matter, it is saves horrible large file (the bitmap what I have is 200mb, and the .ai file will be <300mb... :-S )

Thx

 

[apepp]

...a number of things effect .ai file size...

...when 'Placing' a picture you have the option to 'Include Linked Files' or not in the 'Place' dialog. Without this option checked illy will embed them...

...the pdf compatibility option upon 'save as' will also increase file size a lot, turn this off and make sure your placed images are linked and not embedded. An embedded image will have an icon to the right of the main icon in the links palette...

...you can relink an embedded image by going to the flyout menu of the links palette and choosing 're-link' whilst an image is selected...

Andrew

 

[apepp]

...sorry, correction:

>>> when 'Placing' a picture you have the option to 'Include Linked Files' or not in the 'Place' dialog. WITH this option checked illy will embed them <<<

...got it the wrong way around, but you know what I mean...

Andrew

 

[denonzolee]

Ahh, yes, thanks. I have figured out how does it works.

Hmm, but something wrong with my bitmap file. If I want to make it to work as a 'Link' it is stops (after clicking the Place) a few moments later with 'Not enough memory' error message... 8-O
If I load it as an Embedded file, its okay. Whats the reason of this memory error message? (I have 1.5G ram) Okay, its a really large Tif file (size B0@300dpi) but I don't think this is the problem. I have converted it to a .psd file, and its worked both in Embed and Linked mode too. :-S