Most efficient way of making a map in Illustrator? 1

[imagodesigns]

When you create the appearance of a road in Illustrator (thin white stroke on top of a thicker darker stroke), I often have issues with the junctions (where the roads cross each other).

I know of a number ways to make roads including applying multiple stroke appearances to a single stroke, creating a graphic style or brush etc, to be able to apply the road appearance quickly to multiple strokes on a single layer, but doing it this way causes me issues with the junctions.

The only way I currently know around this is the old school way of making multiple layers and having all the white strokes above the darker strokes- which involves careful layer management), does anyone know of a way of achieving the same effect in a more efficient way- such as using a brush or graphic style, but getting around the junction issue?.

Any help will be gratefully received!

 

[apepp]

...two overlapping paths with a stroke layered appearance applied = select both, and choose "object > compound path > make" (shortcut = command/control + 8)...

...if using a custom brush stroke, the above method won't work with the brush applied to a single appearance layer, as using brushes is more complex to deal with when you have overlapping paths...

...doesn't work:

http://www.zen63258.zen.co.uk/tek/Screen shot 2010-09-02 at 22.12.13.png

....will work:

http://www.zen63258.zen.co.uk/tek/Screen shot 2010-09-02 at 22.11.50.png

andrew

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http://www.apepp.info

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[apepp]

...so to clarify, to get a compound path to work you need to apply a graphic style to a path...

...the graphic style uses two brushes applied to a layered stroke appearance, rough black for bottom, rough yellow for top (at half the size)...

...with this graphic style applied to two paths, you can select both and make a compound path (command/control + 8) to create the intersection...

...the option that doesn't work is where you try to simply whack a "complete" custom brush on paths and try to make a compound path...

andrew

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http://www.apepp.info

============

 

[imagodesigns]

Thanks so much guys! I'm new to Tek Tips and within half a day of posting a problem on here that has bugged me for, well, years, I have a definitive answer. Huge thanks again, just hope I can help someone out in turn now.

 

[askIllustrator]

Just to throw out one more option for using custom brushes, you can change the opacity of the lower (darker) stroke to Overlay, create a brush with it and pull off the effect with a single brush. No groups or compounds required.

Follow me on twitter or just ask me anything. @ask_illustrator
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