Plug-ins notes
SymbolHeadline (Andrew's Vector Plugins Volume 11) Use plug-in set to create textures, backgrounds, banners, animations, layers + designs using symbols
Installation of plug-in / symbols Please place the GX11_SymbolHeadline.aip file in the c:\program files\adobe\illustrator CS\plug-ins folder [pc Illustrator 速 CS] or c:\program files\adobe\illustrator 10\plug-ins [pc illustrator 10] or CS2 or CS3 CS4 equivalent for the mac, please place the GX11_SymbolHeadline file in HD:Applications:Adobe Illustrator CS:plug-ins [mac Illustrator 速CS] or HD:Applications:Adobe Illustrator 10:plug-ins [mac Illustrator 10] or CS2 or CS3 or CS4 equivalent Please copy all the files in the folder marked 'Plugins for Illustrator...' as well as the actual folder (this is generally only for mac Illustrator CS2 though)
Possible installation paths PC PC PC PC PC
CS4 C:\program files\adobe\adobe illustrator CS4\plug-ins\graphicxtras CS3 C:\program files\adobe\adobe illustrator CS3\plug-ins\graphicxtras CS2/12 c:\program files\adobe\adobe illustrator CS2\plug-ins\graphicxtras CS/11 c:\program files\adobe\illustrator CS\plug-ins\graphicxtras 10 c:\program files\adobe\illustrator 10\plug-ins\graphicxtras
OS OS OS OS OS
X X X X X
CS4 HD:applications:adobe illustrator CS4:plug-ins:graphicxtras CS3 HD:applications:adobe illustrator CS3:plug-ins:graphicxtras CS2 HD:applications:adobe illustrator CS2:plug-ins:graphicxtras CS HD:applications:adobe illustrator CS:plug-ins:graphicxtras 10 HD:applications:adobe illustrator 10:plug-ins:graphicxtras
(if the 'graphicxtras' folder does not exist, simply create it in the plug-ins folder or use another folder name if you wish. You can also just place the file in the top level plug-ins folder if you wish but putting it in a sub folder makes it easier to find at a later date)
Alternate plug-in installation location Because of recent improvements in security, you may wish to install the plug-in sets in an alternate location such as an user account and not the default plug-in folder. If you are using a basic level account and one without admin features, you might
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Plug-ins notes not be able to save the AIP plug-in files to the usual folder. Set up an alternate or secondary plug-in folder in your user account and then copy the files there.
To specify an alternate plug-in for Illustrator 速 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)
Symbols notes The symbols files (*.ai files) should be placed in the c:\program files\Adobe\Illustrator...\presets\symbols folder (or mac equivalent). Access the symbols files via the windows\symbols menu (please consult the Illustrator documentation) Note, the symbols are held in the symbol palette.
If the symbol palette is empty, nothing much will happen. If the palette is empty of all symbols then the symbols plug-in will display nothing. Depending on the version of Illustrator 速, different number of default symbols are displayed and these are ones that will be initially displayed (unless you have updated your startup Illustrator file)
Symbols plug-in and other symbol libraries This plug-in does need some kind of initial setup if you wish to use different symbols. The plug-in cannot access the other libraries so any setup of the symbols has to be done before you access the symbols libraries. Please see below how to access the symbols libraries
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Plug-ins notes
Symbol libraries are basic AI files. You can open them as normal but on opening, you will probably not see any of the symbols in the document space / artpad, they are only accessible via the symbols palette
To open a new symbol library This depends on the location 1) Go to the symbol palette 2) Go to the right menu 3) Select the open symbol library command 4) Select a symbol from list OR select the other library command and browse for another (perhaps self-created library) AI file
Symbol types Symbols can be text / images / gradients / meshes / multiple paths / multiple images / page of text etc
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Plug-ins notes
Trademarks Illustrator is registered trademark of Adobe. Photoshop is registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated. We have no connection whatsoever with Adobe. Adobe product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Copyright (c) 2000-2008 Abneil Software Ltd / Andrew Buckle
OS / Application Plug-in set is for Adobe 速 Illustrator 速 CS4 CS3 CS2 CS 10 Windows Vista + Windows XP + MAC OS X 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5
Plug-in page http://www.graphicxtras.com/products/aiplugin11.htm support at graphicxtras.com (mail address)
Initial use of plug-in 1) Have at least a few symbols in the symbols palette 2) Go to the filter menu and select AVP <Create> menu and symbol headline plug-in (CS3 CS2 CS 10) 2) Go to the object menu and filter menu and select AVP <create> menu and symbol headline plugin (CS4) 3) Apply plug-in: set gap etc, set rows etc The plugin does come with a small selection of presets but the actual result will depend on the symbols in the symbols palette. If there are no symbols or the wrong symbols in the palette, not much will happen or the result will be just a mess. Place the symbols as required in the palette such as images of your favorite actors or text or drawings etc or native Illustrator symbols or others
In the examples, the symbols are SYMBOLHEADLINE (the text was converted and ungrouped) Default state of the plug-in is to display the symbols in the order of the palette
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Plug-ins notes
To change palette and add only your designs 1) Go to the symbol palette 2) Select the first item and hold shift down and select the last symbol in the palette and then click the bin button at the bottom of the palette 3) Select the first design you want to add to the palette (say a letter 'S') and drag that to the palette 4) Select the next design etc say 'A' 'T' 'U' 'R' 'N' 5) You will then have a symbols palette only full of the letters S A T U R N and all the default symbols will be gone 6) Say you mistyped the word and put the A first.. you can just select that and drag it to the correct position in the palette 7) Use the symbol tool as required
Plug-in dialog 'Dropdown' Set the mode for the plugin, either the actual default display or the layer settings or the row settings (the latter two are accumulative)
'Symbols' Only generate as many symbols as set, so for symbolheadline to see the entire word, set this to 14 but to have a shorter word 'symbol' set the value to 6. If set to 40 then the symbolheadline would be repeated
'Start position' Just use to shift the characters around the document (across layers you can set different start positions per layer and per
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Plug-ins notes row)
'Gap' Create a symbol, gap, then another, gap and so on. In the horizontal direction, set the symbols apart. If set for the vertical, the symbols will rise or dip
'Setup' Sets the initial scaling for the symbols and the initial angle.
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Plug-ins notes
'Jitter' Jitters the 'initial' position of the symbol left or right or up or down
'Jitter scale' Applies a jitter to the scaling of the symbols, create larger or smaller symbols side by side
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Plug-ins notes Jitters the angle (above from 0 to 50 or 0 to -50)
'Application' Fill all the slots (default) or perhaps fill alternate slots or randomly. Many different slot settings can be accessed via the dropdown. The default (if say 14 symbols are to be generated) is to generate a symbol for slot1 and then slot2 and then slot3 up to slot14. If the symbols setting is to alternate slots then slot1 will be filled, slot2 ignored, slot3 filled and so on.
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Plug-ins notes Create a number of additional layers and create the same set of symbols on those layers (though the symbols can be shifted, scaled etc in a slightly different way via the layers dialog). The rows dialog is slightly different and is more like the headline dialog, but applied as 2D
'Symbol to symbol' Scale each symbol in turn so if set to 80 then the second symbol is 80% the size of the first and so on
'Angle' Change each symbol by an accumulated angle (above 12 therefore the second symbol is angled at 12 and then the third at 24 and so on)
'Pulse' Instead of applying the scaling from symbol 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 etc, by setting the pulse to 2 then symbol 1 2 then reset then 3 4 then reset and so on
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Plug-ins notes
'SymbolNo' (CS4) Instead of selecting a symbol from the symbol palette (CS3 CS2 CS 10), (CS4) you have to select the symbol via the 'symbolno' field. To select the first symbol in the palette, enter 0. To select the second symbol, select 1 and so on. If the ordered or symbols [R] is set to checked then the symbol no field is ignored.
The order of the symbols is as below
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Plug-ins notes
i.e. the first is 0 etc (I know, it is confusing)
'Symbols [R]' Random select symbols, ignore the order option. If the symbols palette includes 123456 symbol then the symbols generated might be 112354 112222145 541233 etc ..
'Ordered' The default, just apply the symbols in order. If the symbols palette includes 123456 then the symbols will be generated 123456123456123456 etc
'Link / Proportional' The vertical and horizontal scaling is set to the same. Instead of potentially creating thin or thick symbols, the symbols are all proportional horizontal and vertical (i.e. if the scale for the horizontal is 20% then the scale for the vertical direction is 20% also)
'Random number of symbols' More useful with multiple layers or rows. If the number of symbols is set to 20 then the first layer might have 10 symbols, the second layer 4 symbols etc. If the symbols set is 123456789 and the number of symbols is 8 then the first layer might have 1234 and then second 123456 and then the next layer 12 and then the next 123456
'Break link with symbol'
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Plug-ins notes Turns the symbols into a path (or their native form...) You can then apply a warp etc
'Layers dialog' Set the layers to greater than 0 and then use the layers dialog. If set to 0, then the layers side of the plug-in is ignored. The settings are either accumulative or factors (scaling is a factor, gap is accumulative). Setting the symbols to -1 will reduce the symbols by 1 for each layer (so if 10 symbols at the start, the second layer will only have 9, etc)
'Rows dialog' Create additional rows based on the original headline. The symbols can be modified by accumulative (gap etc) or factors (scaling)
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Plug-ins notes
Symbols - use of Installation of symbols Please place the symbols in C:\Program Files\Adobe\Illustrator 10\Presets\Symbols or mac equivalent such as HD:applications:adobe illustrator CS:presets:symbols. The symbols can be accessed from any folder but this is probably the best location as the file/s can be accessed via the symbols dropdown. Use in conjunction with the document symbols palette.
De-install the symbols Please remove the AI files from the preset libraries folders
Symbols format The symbols were created in 10 format symbols.
Saving AI symbols You can always save the files as CS format if so required, just use the save command on the document symbols palette (in CS) and save all the current symbols or you can always open the original symbols file and copy some new symbols or delete symbols from the symbols palette there and then save the symbols file.
Copyright All the symbols are copyright Andrew Buckle 2004-2005, but they are royalty-free for use in commercial and non-commercial work
Symbol use The symbols can be used as is, just use them as a image resource and drag the symbol from the palette and use as a path (though you will have to expand the symbol to do this), sometimes it is best to just keep it as a symbol as all the effect menu options can be applied to the symbol such as free distort and transform and styles can be applied as required. None of the filter menu filters can be used on symbols, though many of the 3rd party plugins such as the graphicxtras.com Andrew's (vector) plugins can be applied to symbols as well as paths.
Flash export Symbols are useful in flash export (for low file size). The symbols can be exported to SWF format and also manipulated
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Plug-ins notes across layers to create animation effects. Or exported to SVG format.
Sprayer tool Symbols can be used with the native symbol sprayer tool, the symbols can be applied and then using the scruncher etc additional tools, the symbols can be re-sized and rotated and stained as required (graphicxtras.com also have some excellent tools that have a vast additional set of options and features to handle symbols from the toolbox).
Replace symbols Symbols can be replaced at a later point of the creative process, so create an image with a box, multiple boxes and then select the symbols and then the replacement symbol in the symbol palette and then use 'replace symbol' from the menu to change all the boxes into the more complex art. All the live effects remain as before.
Brush symbols Symbols can be converted to a brush, simply drag the symbol (and any associated effects) to the brushes palette and you will be asked to store the brush as a scatter / artistic or pattern brush.
Copy symbols Symbols can be copied and repeated as required with minimal file size overhead. Also of great use with transformations, the transform effect. This tool has a 'copies' feature which can be used to create unusual zoom effects and rotations and can be used in combo with the appearance palette to create multiple transformations for a single symbol.
Photoshop and symbols Symbols can also be copied via the pasteboard to other applications such as Photoshop (so a wonderful background symbol can be used as a wonderful background texture in Photoshop.. along with transparency information for use with layer effects such as bevels)
Envelopes/3D Symbols can be warped by the envelope filter
3D symbols Symbols can be turned into 3D shapes by using the 3D features of AI CS (extrude and bevel...) By using the appearance palette, multiple warps can be applied to a single symbol. So create an arc warp effect, duplicate it and modify the direction (say vertical instead of horizontal). This can create truly weird shapes from even the most basic symbol
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