Knife tool with compound paths

Okay this is probably easy, but I haven't encountered it before. I could do this is Illustrator, but I'm betting it's easy to accomplish in InDesign.
I've taken a word that I've converted to outlines. Now I want to remove the dot off the "i" in the word. I can't seem to do it. The letters are all stuck together (regardless of whether I use the direct select tool or not) unless I release the compound paths which messes up all the other letters. Can I use the knife tool to cut the dot off the eye? If so, I can't really figure out how to use it. Come to think of it, I never use that knife tool and am not really sure what to do with it.
Allright let me know if you have any suggestions.
Thanks, Phyllis

Hm, it still selects the stroke on all of them. No matter how far in I zoom they're still stuck together. So it's something to do with the compound paths. I'd release them, delete the dot and put the paths back together -- only I can't figure out how to put the lower-case "g" back together as it has 2 holes in it. That's annoying. I guess I could put each letter in a separate box so that I'm only creating outlines for an individual letter. But in that case I might as well switch to Illustrator. I must be missing something....
Thanks, Phyllis

Similar Messages

Help with Compound Paths

Hello,
I would like to know how to accomplsih the following. I can't get it to work, assuming it is possible.
Background: I have type (in outline form) on top of a solid vector rectangle (rectangle A). Rectangle A is on top of a background color. I want the type to drop out to the background color. I know how to do this by a) selecting both the type and rectangle A and b) making a compound path. Works. No problem.
But, what I really want to accomplish is the following: I want the type to drop out to the background color when it is placed on top of TWO separate objects. Here is the order of objects, starting at the bottom: 1) background color, 2) rectangle A, 3) square B, 4) outline type (fits entirely within the area of the square). I want to be able to cause the type to "drill" through both square B and rectangle A so that the color of the type is the background color. Assuming this is possible, how do I do it? Thanks for some help. Dale

Sorry, no, I mean for output... In AI or PDF files this seems to work great but anything dealing with transparency gets flatteded when you pull an eps file into a layout program like Quark or InDesign and consequently, the knockout or transaprency mask turns white regardless of what background it is placed on...
I know that in Indesign, this shouldn't be an issue since you can just use the Illustrator format but say you work in a place (like I do) where for reasons dealing with output and central storage that are beyond your link in the chain and thus out of your control, you have to save as EPS still - is there any way that you know of right off, to get this to work without the knockout going to white?
I ask only because it seems like there should be a way to prevent this from happening since there are no transitions and this isn't dealing with a degree of transparency but a compleet knockout...
If this is something that to the best of your knowledge should work, I don't expect you to troubleshoot my problem and I'll look into the settings I'm playing with on my own.
As always, thanks for your help either way though!

I'm having trouble finishing up with Compound Paths

OK, I'm a novice here so here's my script. It works really well like it sits. It basically takes two objects in a large group and aligns them. I want to make each two objects combinded into a single compound path. I have tried multiple things and they all just kick out errors and what not. I can't seem to get my head around the vocabulary for the scripting but the darkness is starting to fade the more I do.
#target Illustrator
          var idoc = app.activeDocument;
          var pi =idoc.compoundPathItems;
          var numn = prompt ("How Many Names?", "Enter Number of Names");
          var dd = prompt ("How far below name is the number?", "Enter Drop Distance");
          var nH = prompt ("How tall are the names?", "Enter Name Height in Inches");
          dd = parseFloat (dd);
          numn = parseInt (numn);
          nH = parseFloat (nH);
for (j=0; j<numn; j++) {
                    var num = j + numn;
                    var numpath = pi[num];
                    var npath = pi[j];
                    var nName = 'name' + j;
                    var numName = 'number' + j;
                    var centWidth = pi[j].width / 72;
                    var centN = pi[num].width / 72;
                    var adjNum = (centWidth - centN) / 2;
                    var fhp = j*9.5*72;
                    var fvp = 0;
                    var nhp = (j*9.5*72) + (adjNum * 72);
                    var nvp = ((dd*72) + (nH * 72))*-1;
                    pi[j].name = nName;
                    pi[num].name = numName;
                    npath.position = [fhp,fvp];
                    numpath.position = [nhp,nvp];
// Would Like to combine the aligned items into a single compound item.

select few objects and try this to build up a new compound path.
#target illustrator
var doc = activeDocument;
var sel = doc.selection;
var newCompPath = doc.activeLayer.compoundPathItems.add()
if (sel.length > 0) {
   for (var i=0; i<sel.length; i++) {
        sel[i].evenodd = true;
        sel[i].move(newCompPath, ElementPlacement.INSIDE);

Making a clipping group with a compound path

So, as of today I'm new to scripting for Illustrator, I'm using the ExtendScript Toolkit. However I'm not new to scripting my own solutions and I do have some experience with JavaScript already.
What I'm trying to do is this: For all selected Items->Duplicate selected item and make a simple clipping group with it
What I end up with visually doesn't change the picture, but gives me a lot of clipped colored areas which I then can edit in the isolated mode, allowing me far faster and better shading. Doing that by hand takes hours on some pictures, it'd take a second with a script.
The script itself already perfectly works for normal PathItems. As obvious in the title, as soon as I have to apply the same to CompundPathItems things stop working. My issue is somewhat similar to this old thread [Problem with compound path clipping], but I couldn't find a solution there because I get different behavior.
When I run the very same script that perfectly works with the normal PathItems with CompoundPathItems I get this: Error 9046: The top item in the group must be a path item to create a mask
Well that's a problem. In the GUI there is absolutely no difference between making a clipping mask with a simple path and a compound path. The reference guide has frankly not helped me with this issue at all, the only thing I learned from that is that the CompoundPathItem object doesn't have a clipping attribute, but those included PathItems do.
Here's what I have so far:
if ( selected[i].typename == "PathItem" ) {
var newGroup = doc.groupItems.add();
copy = selected[i].duplicate(newGroup,ElementPlacement.PLACEATEND);
selected[i].moveToBeginning(newGroup);
newGroup.clipped = true;
As I said, this part perfectly does what it's supposed to do for normal Paths.
For CompoundPaths I use this workaround.
if ( selected[i].typename == "CompoundPathItem" ) {
var newGroup = doc.groupItems.add();
copy = selected[i].duplicate(newGroup,ElementPlacement.PLACEATEND);
selected[i].moveToBeginning(newGroup);
compoundItems = selected[i].pathItems;
compoundIndex = compoundItems.length;
for ( f = 0; f < compoundIndex; f++ ) {compoundItems[f].clipping=true;}
var lineList = new Array(10);
for ( l = 0; l < lineList.length; l++ ) {lineList[l] = new Array( i * 10 + 50, ((i - 5) ^ 2) * 5 +50);}
newPath = app.activeDocument.pathItems.add();
newPath.setEntirePath(lineList);
newPath.moveToBeginning(newGroup);
newGroup.clipped = true;
newPath.remove();
Mind you, this workaround does work in so far that it bypasses that annoying and wrong error, and the Compound Clipping Path also works, with the only problem being that the Compound Clipping Path created like this is still displayed in its original colors in the Layers section, and is still selectable. When I lock the Compound Clipping Path I can work with it but still...
So the question is, what am I missing here? Surely there must be a proper way to do this.

app.executeMenuCommand()? That one eluded me so far, might be just the right thing. I'll definitely take a look, now just to find a ref on that, as unfortunately the official ref documents I have don't mention that command. Any place with a list of possible commands?
Ah, also of course I'm not only doing it for the isolation mode. If you care to hear the background, here is it:
As I said it's for shading the pictures I'm working on. I've iterated and tried through a bunch of techniques. For example gradient meshes on my first few real works. Now those meshes don't do well with complex shapes, which previously I alleviated by using a simple square or rectangle gradient mesh and using the original colored shape as a clipping mask. That did work, but it was a huge lot of work.
After a bunch of attempts at that I went over to using simple gradients as a background for the shape and then I'm doing the shading freehand with the blob brush tool, using a graphic style and filters to make it look right. That's better, but properly making all the clipping masks takes me much longer than anything else.
Now the problem is that the shading is not supposed to go over the lines, which is impossible to do properly without either messing up the order, or using clipping masks, hence the script. Because you know, if you use a blob brush with a strong Gaussian blur close to the lines you'll end up with stuff on both sides. If you don't start close to the line the shading won't look right if the darkest part of the shade needs to be close to the line. And that's where clipping masks do magic.
And finally here's an example how I work with the script and the result:
After I have traced a sketch, adjusted the line widths and everything to look neat I turn the paths to outline strokes and then make them into a live paint group (which would mess up the line widths, unless you turn the paths into outline strokes first).
With that live paint group it takes me just a few minutes to flat color my piece. Then I expand the live paint group, in case of doubt spend some more minutes to make compound paths from all areas I need to shade in one piece, then I select all the areas and use my script to turn them into neat clipping masks. Then I can click any area, enter the isolation mode and go up one level so I'm in the appropriate group, where I can shade freely without the problem of going over the lines.
At the end that allows me to apply a complex and in-depth shading, without wasting any time to get there.
PS: Well, I just found out that Draw Inside is pretty darn close to what I want to do, and oddly enough it produces the same visual discrepancy with compound paths that my script produces. I'll be taking a closer look at that, though my script does a little more than just the clipping mask stuff, so maybe I'll go for a hybrid solution. Whatever makes for a better workflow.

How to slice object and stroke with knife tool?

I am trying to slice an object into 2 pieces using the knife tool. The problem is that both cut pieces retain a complete stroke outlining the object rather than a cut stroke. How do I slice the object in half and get the effect of cutting thru the stroke as well? Thanks!

I don't believe you can do this in a single operation. You'll need to knife the object, then select the newly created segment on each object with the direct selection tool, then delete to open each path.
But this is likely to cause another problem: once you delete the path segment that you knifed through, the object's fill will form a straight edge from one open end point to the other. IOW, you'll lose any curvature you might have created with the knife.
There may be another way; others who are more adept will be along to offer it I'm sure.

Using the knife vs. the pen tool to alter paths?

Is there a reason to use the Knife tool to cut up a shape VS. using the Pen tool to add or subtract additional paths?

The Knife tool cuts a single path into two separate paths.
The pen tool adds or removes anchor points to a single path.
There is no direct relation between the two. They both serve completely separate purposes.
Am I just doing your homework or something? These are all questions that could easily be answered by spending 10 Minutes with the application and trying the tools.

Why can't I make a selection with my path selection tool?

While following a tutorial, I am now unable to make a path selection. I know how to select a path, have done it before, but now my path selct tool does not select a path. Did I change settings or something else that I am not aware of? Any help would be appreciated.

A changed setting may not be your problem.
One pertinent question is: Can you SEE the path you are trying to select ? That is, do you see the thin line that Photoshop uses to show you the locus of points that define your path. This is distinct from the stroke that you may have applied to the path and distinct from the fill which you may have put within your path. The point being that if you cannot see the path you cannot select it. If you cannot see the path go to the paths panel and left click on the path of interest. This will show you the path line and then with your path selection tool active clicking on any part ofthe path line will select the path.
By the way, depending on path fills and path strokes that may be present it may be difficult to see the path line.
Paulo

Help with linked files/ compound paths please

Hi - I am working with an illustrator file from another designer which has a compound path with linked files - when you link a new file the image is automatically resized and clipped to the path. I am able to edit it but i want to make my own from scratch and can't figure it out. I'm working with Illustrator CS6. Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks

Hi Steve - thanks for the reply - my question was a bit vague as I wasn't entirely sure what I was working with but I think your point about the new linked image scaling to the same size as the existing file has helped me understand it a bit more. What I want to know how to do is to make an entirely new file with a clipping mask that I then link an image to. I made a file with a clipping mask on the page and then chose file>place but the image I import is not being clipped (I ticked the link option when importing it) I see it working with the existing file I'm working with but I need to know how to make a new one myself.
If this makes it clearer here's what I want to do ...
I am making a banner, I have 3 flat jpegs of t-shirts that I want to place on the banner without their white background. I made a clipping mask the same shape as the outline of the t-shirt and now I want to import the jpeg so it is a linked file and is clipped by the clipping mask and so I can use it in future to import different t-shirt image in without scaling and clipping them each time.
REally appreciate your help, thanks.

Compound path with multiple shapes question

Sorry, I have read the answers on this board but its just not working for me.
If you can imagine a film reel. I have a large circle with 5 circles within. I simply cannot get it to do what I want, which is the five circles within to 'punch through' the base circle.
I have the base circle at the back, and selected all to creat compound path, this just causes the fronter most circle to punch through, turning the other four circles the same colour as the back ground circles.
Have played with the path finders etc and not getting to a resolution. I gave up and purchased the vector on vectorstock, this one works perfectly and as far as I can work out mine is give or take identical, so why is the compound path not taking?
Illustrator CC latest and macbook retina with 10.10

just to be clear, you start off with this (orange circle behind, all objects separate):
and then you select all, hit ctrl+8 or Make Compound path or whatever, and you end up with something other than this?

Hello Creative Cloud Illustrator Community. Help Please! This is with regard to compound paths and transparencies. I have set some type on a circle and then created outlines. I then placed the outlined type on a black stroked ring which I then selected "o

Hello Creative Cloud Illustrator Community:
Help Please!
This is with regard to creating a compound path:
I have set some white type on a circle and then created outlines. I then placed the outlined type on a black stroked ring which I then selected "outlined stroke." I then put both "outlined" graphical elements on a separate solid bkg. (all 3 are on the same layer). Lastly, I then selected the top two elements and went to "make" a "compound path" (because I want the type to be the "holes" so I can see through to the background). However, the only effect I get is the white outlined type turning black (the same color as the black ring). What am i doing wrong? I can achieve the desired result with simple boxes but it won't work with a circular type path, a stroked ring and a solid bkg.
Any help on this would be greatly appreciated!
Thank You!

Thanks for the response Jacob.
Unfortunately, I tried your suggestion with no success. BTW, minus front is now Subtract. Apparently, by clicking option>subtract, it works in the same way as minus front. I tried this to no avail.
Let me reiterate please.
I have 3 graphic elements-all on the same layer:
1. Background: Gold circle with a fill and no stroke.
2. Middle: Black ring (Stroked) inside gold background circle.
3. Top: White copy set on a circular type path and placed directly on top of middle black ring.
Both the middle black ring and top type path HAVE BEEN CONVERTED TO OUTLINES.
LASTLY, I select the Middle and Top, go to Compound Paths and choose "Make" and my white copy turns to black. Wrong!
WHAT I WANT TO HAPPEN: I want the white copy to become HOLES, so the GOLD background shows through.
Any solutions would be very much appreciated!

How to cut a hole that is part of a compound path

I have spent many hours using all the tools available in Illustrator CS4 to reshape the hole that is part of a compound path with no success.
The compound path consists of a square with a round hole, I want to for example, cut the round hole in half. Erase, Knife, Pathfinder do not work. I can do it if first release the compound path, cut the round hole, then make compound path again. While this method is easy for this example but not good for very complex drawing, because it would be too time consuming to convert back and forth the compound paths and remembering which holes belong to which compound path. Please help. I am to the point where I am willing to spend money to get a good cutting tool plugin, any reccomendation?

Sure....
Place or Open raster image.
Live trace (whatever settings you like) I'm assuming it's a 1 color trace (line art) and not a photo or color image
Click the "Expand" button in the Control bar
Everything should be selected/highlighted
Click the Merge button on the Pathfinder Panel (3rd from left, bottom row)
*optional -- Choose Object > Ungroup from the menu (Using Pathfinder command creates Groups for some reason. These groups aren't always needed.)
Deselect all (Command-Shift-A or Ctrl-Shift-A or just click somewhere empty to deselect the artwork)
Select the Direct Selection Tool (the white arrow)
Click the center of a "hole" or counter. This will select one of the superfluous white shapes.
Choose Select > Same > Fill & Stroke from the menu. All the extra shapes should highlight.
Hit delete.
You should be left with just black compound paths with no superfluous shapes anywhere. In fact, after this if you Select All, the color panel shoudl show a simple black fill and no stroke. Of course, this somewhat depends upon your Live trace settings.
What this does is merge all black and white shapes into the simplest form and at the same time it cuts through bottom objects with top objects. So if you have a white shape sitting on top of a black shape, it cuts that white shape out of the black. This ensures all the black has the correct compound shape assignments. Sometimes with Live Trace you can get white fill areas and not get the corresponding compound hole below it. Or the compound hole will not be exactly the same shape as the white object sitting on top of it. Using Merge corrects that. Then deleting the white shapes just removes all the unnecessary objects. If you want a color for the compound holes, just draw a rectangle or shape below the black and fill it with any color. All you need to is alter the counters or compound holes now to correct anything. No more double paths.
All these steps are not always necessary. But it's sometimes good practice depending upon what you are tracing. Once you do it once or twice you'll see it's only about a 1-2 minute processes and most of that will be waiting for the Merge command to complete.

Can't release compound path

I drew some simple paths in Photoshop with the pen tool, then exported the paths to Illustrator. All the paths came into illustrator as compound paths, though they look like simple paths in illustrator. Because they are compound paths, I can't join the ends of the paths to the ends of other paths.
Whe I select one of these paths:
Object>Compound Path>Release is greyed out and unavailable.
"Release Compound Shape" in the Pathfinde palette menu is also greyed out and unavailable.
Is there any way to make these paths back into simple paths without redrawing them?
I'm using CS6 versions of both Photoshop and Illustrator.

Okay, here's the screen shot.

Compound path envelope disort - urgent - please help!

So, I really need to do a "car of the year" type of badge in illustrator.
I have the flags vector (grouped) and the hallow circle created whith the shape builder tool as a compound path. (see image).
And now, the obvoius problem. The only thing I could think of to achieve this result wast the envelope disort tool - make with top object. But then, ctrl-alt-c, bag!, error:
Now, obviously I understand why I get the error, my "hallow circle" is a compound path, but how do I convert it into a compatible shape?
Or is it an other way to get the same effect? I've tried the warp option but it just doesn't have a circle, just arch and it doesn't suit my needs. It looks crapy with warp.
Please help me! I've tryed everyting I could've think of, even importing photoshop paths... how can I make this badge work? I just couln't find a way to transform the compound path into an admitted shape. And my client really needs this badge for a franchise event at the end of the month.
This is where I got by using the warp tool but it looks bad, I want lager flags and I can't do that whitout screwing the arch meshed into a crappy circle... plese help me

Art brushes won't repeat.
Look for the element that's not allowed, because brushes are an ideal way to do this.
Look for gradients, pixel art or type.
Try this art:
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/exchange/index.cfm?event=extensionDetail&extid=1045620

Live trace, gradients and compounding paths

I have a complex shape, and I want to have a copy behind of it that is filled.. the shape itself is a combination of stokes and fills, so a straight-out fill doesn't look good at all.. I can get it all colored the same way using live paint groups to only fill in the areas that are completely surrounded. The problem with that, though, is a gradient will apply separately to each object, but if I make a compound path it fills in some bits of the strokes the protrude as lines into the outside (it's a ironwork sort of pattern).
The only way i can think to do this automatically would be to color all the selections the same and then rasterize it and then live trace it so it's one object and then apply the gradient to that, but I feel there's probably a more straightforward way. Not sure I explained that properly, if something's unclear I'll be happy to elaborate

"The problem with that, though, is a gradient will apply separately to each object..."
Once you get to this point, you can grab the gradient tool from the tool panel and drag across all of the filled shapes. This will make one uniform gradient seen through the many pieces of the selection.
Give that a try, let us know how it goes.

How to create multiple gradients in a compound path?

Hi, I am trying to color a compound path with multiple colors? Kinda similar to the effect here
I tried using the blend tool and replace the spline but it does not give the desired effect.
Any tips as to how to approach this?
I have made the G by creating a compound path.
Thank you!

namk,
You may:
1) Create a simple stroke/nofill path, with a stroke at least as wide as the semicircular end parts, which follows and fully covers the G shape of the compound path;
2) Ctrl/Cmd+X+B to bring it to the back, then give it the desired gradient along the stroke/path;
3) Select all and Object>Clipping Mask>Make.
If you wish to get the stroke back on top, you may:
4) Click the compund path with the Direct Selection Tool and reapply its stroke with the original weight.

Knife tool with compound paths

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