Andrew's Vector Plugins Manual (for Illustrator CS6)

Andrew’s Vector Plug-ins for Adobe ® Illustrator ® CS6

Introduction: Andrew’s Vector Plug-ins

The plug-ins are for CS6 only. They will not work in CS5 or CS4 etc. The plug-ins are for 32bit and 64bit versions of Illustrator, the key vector application from Adobe Systems Incorporated.

This document is for all the plug-ins and will cover some but not all of the aspects of the plug-in, which in many cases, will be better served by video tutorials as the plug-ins are interactive tools - and some of functionality will make for dry writing but hopefully interesting viewing. To see all our videos, please check out the video links via our site toolboxplugins.com.

The plug-in set is called ‘Andrew’s Vector Plug-ins’ and the earlier versions existed (generally) as a mix of plug-ins for the toolbox and the filter menu. Now, all the plug-ins (because of changes within the application) are solely toolbox based so to use the plug-ins, go to the toolbox.

The installation of the plug-ins is the same in all cases - add the PC 32 bit file to the plug-ins folder of the 32bit version of Illustrator; add the 64bit PC version to the plug-in folder for the 64bit version of Illustrator. If you are using a mac, then copy the OSX version to the applications folder location for Illustrator plug-ins (note, that there is no 32bit version of Illustrator on the mac) In many cases, you might not initially see any difference in the toolbox after startup. Most of the plug-in tools are actually behind other tools though some such as the mesh tool are on top of the earlier mesh tool (don’t ask, I really don’t know why) If you have any initial concerns about the installation or basic use, please either check our videos or contact us via support@toolboxplugins.com.

The manual is split into descriptions of each plug-in and will be updated as the plug-ins are updated or new plug-ins are added (there are approximately 40 plug-ins in the initial pass of updates but there will be more and newer plug-ins such as ones for beautiful strokes will be added.

Sorry to all those who loved the earlier plug-ins and the dialogs and all the functionality. Please contact me if there is a particular feature you would like to see in a particular plug-in as perhaps I can add that in as a new plug-in or perhaps add to an existing one. The underlying code is still there but just not displayed as a dialog. The reason for the change was the update to the dialogs with CS6 and it just proved too hard to convert to a new format and perhaps a totally new visual framework such as using Flex. I hope to add control bars etc at some point.

Please store the supplied serial number or at least store away the reference number or print out the order. Particularly useful if you want an update etc in the future.

Why toolbox plug-ins well, there is every intention of creating tools for other Adobe products.

Adobe and Illustrator are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

Andrew Buckle First release: February 2013 http://www.toolboxplugins.com

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Install The folder structure for each set is OSX Release and PC release and within the OSX you will find the 64bit mac version of the AIP file (Illustrator plug-in) and in the PC folder, a 32bit and 64bit version.

To install the plug-ins, please place the correct plug-in in the application of your choice. So if you use the 64bit Illustrator on the PC then place the plug-in file in the plug-in folder of Illustrator found in the program files folder. If you are using the 32bit version then place the PC version into the program files x86 folder plug-in path for Illustrator. On the mac, please place the AIP file into the plug-in path for Illustrator CS6 found in the applications folder.

You can also just create a secondary plug-in path via the preferences and just use any folder for your plug-ins but please still use the correct plug-in i.e. 64bit plug-in for the 64bit application on the correct application - it is no use putting the 32bit plug-in into the 64bit plug-in path nor the PC plug-in into the MAC application.

Once installed, re-start Illustrator and access the plug-ins via the toolbox.

One difference from the earlier forms of these plug-ins, they work on only one path at a time or generate one path at a time. I might extend them to include others at some point but at the moment they are one / singular. Also, you will notice that on finishing their task and releasing the mouse, the path is no longer selected (that is just how the functionality works - you don’t want to see the mess that happens if the path was still selected on release)

TIP: Perhaps the easiest way to use these plug-ins is to create a separate document. If you are using a document with 20 artboards say or perhaps a huge document or a document moved to the corner of the document space, a new document based on A4 RGB or CMYK might be the easiest way to use the plug-ins and then just copy the paths from the new to the old document etc. Certainly found that the easiest way to use the plug-ins while creating this document. Note: this might change in future with the introduction of control bars or some other means to enter the settings for each plug-in

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Use

This is a general use. The plug-ins all follow the same basic principal. The individual description will give specific details such as use with meshes etc.

The plug-ins are all accessed via the toolbox. Select the tool icon and select the path etc or set the fill colour and stroke colour (if no path is required) and then drag the icon across the screen in the horizontal direction to manipulate one of the functions of the plug-in (from left to right to increase the setting - in some cases, you can also extend off the artboard) You can change the setting modified by the dragging of the mouse by holding down the shift key OR alt key / command key / Option key / space bar / caps lock / tab etc - again, details are given for each of the plug-ins. NOTE: some of the options are not available on the mac so only shift, cmd, option etc are available.

See the artboard below, to modify setting X drag from left to right

The functionality of the plug-ins are based on a single artboard (you can use multiple artboards of course) as well as a document size of A4 - that was the testing size for all the plug-ins. Also the key thing is that the document is created in the middle of the Illustrator document space. When you drag you will also see a little yellow box at the side (an annotation) - it shows the percentage of the drag based against the current document width / artboard width as well as the current item’s setting - so if you see very large values or very large negative values you are probably applying the plug-in on a different artboard from the first basic artboard (or a huge artboard). A solution is to go back to the first artboard and create the design there and copy it to one of the other artboards or use the tip mentioned in the previous page of creating a new document with A4 etc dimensions and creating the design there.

There is no effect when you use the vertical (that might change in the future but for now none of the controls use the vertical).

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width

In many cases, there are more than one tool icon for the plug-in set so plug-ins like the mesh tool come with four plug-in icons. Select distort mesh or horizontal modified etc to apply the distortion effects in a different manner (the key plug-in is always the first but I added the others as they might prove of interest and add some additional functionality) Additional plug-in icons may be added in the future.

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Plug-ins Distort mesh

The distort mesh plug-in set contains four plug-ins: distort mesh, horizontal modified mesh, vertical modified mesh and reverse mesh.

All require a mesh to be pre-created and selected. The mesh can contain a path (such as generated via the object create gradient mesh tool) as well as a mesh via the envelope distort make with mesh (which can have many other paths such as images selected) The distort mesh plug-ins use the following modifiers (general: jitter in the horizontal; shift: jitter in the vertical; cmd / ctrl key: interpolation of the mesh; option key / alt: 19 different points options; tab key: 13 different segment point options; space key: 14 different source options for the interpolation; caps lock on: 35 different options for the modification based on position in the nodes of the mesh).

OK, if that lot doesn’t mean much then the videos will probably be of more help. The source options, segment point options etc replaced the old dropdown combo boxes with various options such as apply the segment from the centre or apply the alternate segments to the left and the next segments to the right and so on. Literally millions of possible effects can be achieved via those options. They are perhaps not easy to control and I hope to add control bars to the tools so the options can be more obvious and can be repeated.

Once you have finished with the mesh then you need to be able to remove it (in the case of the gradient mesh you can remove it via the object path offset path command with a zero setting). In the case of the envelope mesh you can just expand that via the envelope menu.

Gradient mesh

The gradient mesh plug-in contains 4 plug-ins to modify the colour of a selected mesh (it will only work on a mesh and also on single mesh at any one time) The plug-in modifies the current mesh colours in a vast range of different styles such as inverted, randomized colours, lines, diagonal mesh designs, dot mesh styles and many more.

To create a mesh in the first place, select any path and then use the object create gradient mesh command.

As with distort mesh and the other plug-ins, the colour is modified by the dragging action from left to right as well as the application of different modifiers such as shift.

General: modifies the first colour channel (depends on the colour mode); shift: modifies the second channel; cmd / control: third channel; alt / option key: fourth colour channel if available; tab key: colour combo options such as random colours, lines, diagonals, dots etc On finishing the operation you can leave the mesh as a mesh but if you want to use the design in other applications then the design will have to be rasterized via the object rasterize command

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Plug-ins Heart

The heart plug-in includes 5 plug-ins such as basic heart designs, abstract designs, warped heart designs and more.

The heart plug-in creates basic path designs that can be filled with different colours or gradients or patterns; as well as strokes and beautiful strokes and brush strokes and styles.

The heart designs are created by dragging the mouse from left to right. The heart settings are modified by various modifiers such as shift and alt / option keys. General: height; shift: height of side bump; control / cmd: other bump; option / alt: distance from core; tab: distance from core for the other side of the heart; space: slant.

Shape FX

The shape FX plug-in consists of four plug-ins including a plug-ins to create cross designs, frame designs, scratchy lines, abstract designs, diagonals and more.

The plug-in generates a basic path as the mouse is dragged across the document from left to right (as well as up and down - this plug-in is slightly different from the others). The settings for the shapes are all modified by various modifiers such as holding down the shift key. General: inner radius, outer radius; shift: curve; command / control: curvature; alt / option: curvature; tab: extreme distortion;

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Plug-ins Spiral

The spiral plug-in includes 5 plug-ins such as a basic spiral as well as abstract design spirals and gap themed spirals and others.

The spiral plug-in creates a basic path and that path can be filled and strokes as well as have styles and brushes etc applied.

The spiral is created by dragging the mouse across the document. The spirals are modified by various modifiers such as shift and ctrl. General: radius; shift: number of spiral arms; control / command: decay; alt / option: curvature; tab: curvature; space: star settings; caps lock on: star settings.

Star Cauldron

The star cauldron plug-in creates a variety of star designs, star burst designs, zoom designs, abstract star designs and more. The plug-in set consists of 5 plug-ins.

The star path generated is a standard path and a fill and stroke as well as brush strokes etc can be applied to the design.

The star design can also be exported to other applications such as Photoshop and Indesign.

The star is created by dragging the mouse across the document from left to right. The star creation is modified by various modifiers such as shift and ctrl key. general: inner radius; shift: number of star points; control / cmd: outer radius; option / alt: inner points value; tab: outer points value (note that these can generate a lot of points and you may have to use other tools such as the smooth tool to remove excessive points); space: patterns (to create unusual path designs) and caps lock on: patterns 2.

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Plug-ins Warp

The warp plug-in includes 2 plug-ins (basically the same as one does the warp in the horizontal and one does the warp in the vertical) The warp plug-in does nothing more than the normal envelope / distort found in Illustrator but it does offer a more interactive / drag and drop warping as well as more extreme warping.

The warp can be applied to many different kinds of path.

The warp is modified by the dragging across the document.

Other settings can be set via modifiers such as shift and control command. General: bend; shift: number of warps applied; command / control: horizontal distort; alt / option: vertical distort value; tab: warp style such as random styles, arc style and others On finishing, the selected path still has the envelope which has to be expanded to remove the envelope or use the envelope menu to expand and release.

Use to warp to distort paths in countless ways.

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