SymbolTexture plugin
SymbolTexture (Andrew's Vector Plugins Vol 9) Create textures / backgrounds / designs using symbols
Installation of Plugin / symbols Please place the GX09_SymbolTexture.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 equivalent for the mac, please place the GX09_SymbolTexture 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 equivalent 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) If there are multiple folders marked 'Plugins for Illustrator etc', please put the folder and all the contents of that folder into the plugins folder.
Trademarks Illustrator is registered trademark of Adobe. Photoshop is registered trademark of Adobe. We have no connection whatsoever with Adobe. Adobe product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Adobe Systems Incorporated. Plugin page http://www.graphicxtras.com/products/aiplugin9.htm support at graphicxtras.com (mail address)
Initial Use of plugin To use, please select a symbol from the symbol palette. The symbols can be the native symbols, or your own symbols, or the supplied symbols. You can also randomly select from the palette (or ordered selection) by checking the random / order checkboxes. If nothing is selected in the palette, the plugin will display nothing. Symbols can be text
file:///C|/...177G141P17T23027951D7ADC88/Andrew.Plugins.Volume.9.v9.2.for.Adobe.Illustrator/Documentation/GX09 Documentation.htm[6/5/2011 5:34:54 PM]
SymbolTexture plugin
Or as images
Or gradients
file:///C|/...177G141P17T23027951D7ADC88/Andrew.Plugins.Volume.9.v9.2.for.Adobe.Illustrator/Documentation/GX09 Documentation.htm[6/5/2011 5:34:54 PM]
SymbolTexture plugin
# or other types of path
Plugin dialog The plugin is split into two functions, the texture dialog or the layer (animation) feature. The basics are the same for both dialogs. If the layers are set to 0, then the layer settings have no value. To access the layer settings, change the top drop down to layers (the layer settings are accumulated)
file:///C|/...177G141P17T23027951D7ADC88/Andrew.Plugins.Volume.9.v9.2.for.Adobe.Illustrator/Documentation/GX09 Documentation.htm[6/5/2011 5:34:54 PM]
SymbolTexture plugin If you have no idea how to start with the dialog, I would suggest using the presets at the right side as a starting point. This will show some possible options such as scaling / angle / distribution / midpoints. You can also set all the values back to the default settings by setting the 'reset' default.
'Copies': You can increase the number of copies of the selected symbol (in the palette) or decrease the settings. The more symbols selected, the slower the refresh. One good thing about symbols is that you are only using an instance so a complex symbol will have only the initial symbol overhead, all other instances add little overhead to the overall file (especially useful for output to SWF format). Also, the symbols can be changed at a later point by using the replace command and symbols can be manipulated further by tools such as the symbol sizer etc
file:///C|/...177G141P17T23027951D7ADC88/Andrew.Plugins.Volume.9.v9.2.for.Adobe.Illustrator/Documentation/GX09 Documentation.htm[6/5/2011 5:34:54 PM]
SymbolTexture plugin 'Scale': You can use this to randomize the scaling applied between the minimum and maximum scaling setting. You can use the link proportional setting to make sure the vertical and horizontal settings are the same.
'Scale (y)': Scales in the vertical direction to create flattened symbols
'Angle': Randomizes the angle of the symbols between a minimum and maximum value
file:///C|/...177G141P17T23027951D7ADC88/Andrew.Plugins.Volume.9.v9.2.for.Adobe.Illustrator/Documentation/GX09 Documentation.htm[6/5/2011 5:34:54 PM]
SymbolTexture plugin
'Distribution': A number of distribution settings are available, to distribute the symbols as a frame or cross or more at the top or left or in a circular design and more.
'Midpoint': and edge settings. You can re-size the symbols based on the distance from the edge and middle/center of the document space. The midpoint has little meaning if the edge and scale are set to the same value but if you set the edge to 1 and the middle scale to 200 then the symbols will be larger in the centre and very small around the edge. The mid point setting changes the position of the centre of the distribution for this scaling, so you can force the symbols to be bigger on once side of the image
file:///C|/...177G141P17T23027951D7ADC88/Andrew.Plugins.Volume.9.v9.2.for.Adobe.Illustrator/Documentation/GX09 Documentation.htm[6/5/2011 5:34:54 PM]
SymbolTexture plugin
'Initial': Initial setting for the angle for the symbols 'Layers': if set to 0, then the layers settings have no real meaning. If greater than 0 then the values for the layers can be set, accumulating (so setting copies to 25 and then on the layers dialog to 1, the second layer will have 26 copies, the third layer, 27 etc.. and scaling can be factored to reduce or increase per layer)
file:///C|/...177G141P17T23027951D7ADC88/Andrew.Plugins.Volume.9.v9.2.for.Adobe.Illustrator/Documentation/GX09 Documentation.htm[6/5/2011 5:34:54 PM]
SymbolTexture plugin
'Select symbols from palette [R]': Randomizes the selection of symbols from the palette. In this case you don't need to select a symbol from the palette but it does mean that you need to setup the symbol palette for the best effect. Say you have a green symbol, red symbol and blue symbol then the symbol texture will randomly select from those three symbols and place them up to the number of copies. If the ordered option is set then this takes over and will create a green then red then blue and so on in order
'Align symbols to midpoint': You can align the angle (it does depend on the initial angle setting though, so changing this will change the end result). More noticeable with designs as above but if the object is a circular shape, you might see no alignment.
file:///C|/...177G141P17T23027951D7ADC88/Andrew.Plugins.Volume.9.v9.2.for.Adobe.Illustrator/Documentation/GX09 Documentation.htm[6/5/2011 5:34:54 PM]
SymbolTexture plugin 'Midpoints vary across layers': Instead of just using the midpoint, you can randomize the midpoint across layer), especially useful for an animation jitter / dance.
'Link proportional': If the scaling is randomized, the vertical and horizontal scaling is set to the same value to preserve the proportionality of the shape. 'Copies per layer': Randomizes the number of copies across layers, so one layer can be 10 copies, the next 20 copies and so on 'Settings displayed': Similar but for the other settings.
file:///C|/...177G141P17T23027951D7ADC88/Andrew.Plugins.Volume.9.v9.2.for.Adobe.Illustrator/Documentation/GX09 Documentation.htm[6/5/2011 5:34:54 PM]