The Mesh Tool

Hi folks!
How would I approach a picture of a person regarding the mesh tool? I have tried creating the basic path around the whole person - but when I add the mesh tool it looks like world war three has broken out....?!
I thought about dividing up the person to arms, legs, hands, etc - but then you have a problem with gradients accross to paths or do you....?
Can anyone give me any tips on this and how to approach such a large project.
bookie56

I have tried creating the basic path around the whole person.
That's the basic problem, and the nearly universal misunderstanding when first dinking around with Mesh Envelopes and Grids.
Generally speaking, don't start with an outline of the shape you ultimately want to end up with; start with a geometrically simple shape that the Mesh tool can make horizontal/vertical sense out of as you add the main divisions; then reshape the outlines and Mesh lines to the desired shapes.
Understand and then always bear in mind: No matter how you eventually distort the Mesh patches, the Mesh tool basically creates patches which are arranged in rows/columns. They even have a stacking order. Think of a Mesh object as a collection of squares which share edges and corners and can't be separated. You certainly don't want to leave the Patches shaped as squares; you want their edges to eventually follow the coloring tones and/or shape contours of what you're drawing. But no matter how you distort them, each patch is still defined by four MeshPoints; the program still "thinks" of them in terms of rows/columns.
As with auto-tracing, you have to bear in mind that the program can't read your mind. It has no shape-recognition intelligence whatsoever. If you, for example, start with an outline shape that you and every other human intuitively recognize as a sillhouette of an arm, the program just sees a meaningless irregular path with a given number of anchorPoints. When you click in the middle of the shape to create two Mesh divisions, expecting the "arm" to be divided along its "length" (for example, from shoulder down to wrist), the program doesn't see any of that. It just tries to make a horizontally/vertically oriented grid of four patches. So you have to start simple, let the program do the simple things it does, and then reshape those simple things into shapes that humans recognize as shape and shading.
JET

Similar Messages

Please help me! I am struggling with the mesh tool!

So I want to make this chair look like it does in the picture, but I cant! There is a chapter in my Illustrator CS3 book explaining how to use gradient mesh and mesh tool, but it doesnt help me at all. I am clueless! The tutorial says that I can create points in the mesh simply by clicking with the mesh tool within an object, but when I try to do that, the pointer is "crossed out". I can only add extra points on lines or edges, but not on empty space within an object. What gives? Why is it that others can do it an I cant? Forgive me if I sound a little too upset, but I've been struggling with this for days and I cannot find an answer.
In this tutorial right here: http://www.layersmagazine.com/illustrator-gradient-mesh-tool.html the guy just clicks in empty spaces creating intersections. In my case it is impossible.
PS: Please look at an attached file and tell me what would be the best way to go about coloring this chair. Maybe I am doing this completely wrong? (I only started learning illustrator about 5 weeks ago)
Sorry for the background template being of poor quality, but this was taken from a book and scanned, so it's the best I could do.

You know something I think there should be a behavioral change in this case. To my way of thinking this option should automatically be disabled if you select the Mesh tool. If for some reason you want the mesh tool not to behave the way there might be a toggle or a double click to get the preferences for the tool 's behavior itself. I can see where this behavior can be useful but there needs to be a toggle.
Selecting the anchors for adding color with out accidentally creating a new mesh division is good thing but you need to be able to work both ways.
What do you think Scott Weichert you use the tool extensively, am i wrong?

Why can't I use the mesh tool? - brand new illustrator user

I am trying to learn to use illustrator - I've been watching the online videos - which are very helpful, but there aren't any that I can find for the mesh tool. I want to add some shading to the body of this acrobat but every time I try to use the mesh tool I get the not available symbol. I can't figure out why or how to change it. I started from a scanned drawing, did a live trace, and converted to live paint to fill in colors. What should I do now to enable the mesh tool? Please help!

You need to select the shape and then click inside of it with the
tool. I'm not positive but I think it needs to be a solid for it to
work as well.
Some tutorials that I thought were rather helpful on explaining it
were on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8ZDViCmo7w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdH2hAUUPbg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDkBAN9XRoo
The person in those videos covers creating the mesh and coloring it,
patching, very nice. Hope those can help you out.

Need Help with the Mesh Tool

I'm having trouble adding a gradient mesh to this image:
http://img237.imageshack.us/my.php?image=picture1xi9.png
I would like to make it look a little more 3D or shiny with a white gradient. When I click inside the shape with the mesh tool, it creates some crazy mesh lines.. I'm pretty new to this and would really, really appreciate some help. Thanks! :)

I see the problem as well you may have to make an clipping mask of a rectangle or other shape that is more regular using this shape as the mask and grouping them.
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1wekWFXbGiN7ixwI4ulbOLsAZQRp0k" /></a>
<img alt="Picture hosted by Pixentral" src="http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1wekWFXbGiN7ixwI4ulbOLsAZQRp0k_thumb.png" border="0" />

How to use the mesh tool

I am not sure how to use the mesh tool

it can be tricky! it's best to use with geometric shapes and not random figures that you create with the pen or brush tools.
so lets say you wanted to make an apple using a real picture for reference. first off, you'd place the picture of the real apple in the background. next, you would choose the circle tool to create a circle around the apple. then, you would use the mesh tool and press the center anchor to create a simple grid looking form onto the circle. grab the selection tool to move around the anchor points surrounding the apple to make a more accurate outline. after this step, it's easier to add more anchor points for the actual apple! all you must do is grab the pen tool and add more anchor points along the path and use the selection tool to move the anchor points around the apple; eventually it'll look somewhat like a 3D graph of an apple. important tip to remember, the less lines the better. but a few are okay.
so after you've graphed/mapped out your apple you're going to want to press the selection tool and use your eyedropper tool to get an accurate color of the spot/anchor you selected. the basic point of the mesh tool is to outline a picture,@ and with the eyedropper tool you can use the exact colors from the original picture you're working from. i learned this technique from class. here's my example it can be a really useful tool if it's what you're looking for.

How to control the mesh tool?

I am wanting to use the mesh tool but I need to know how to control my lines. I want a starting point and an end point but when I click the starting point is decided by me but the end point is decided on its own, and it is not the end point I want. I want a straight line (with some curves) but I am getting a diagnol line. How can a control this?

This is an image of what I've been doing. See my lines. I wasn't even getting straight lines but I fixed it up someway.
Now look at their image. The lines are going perfectly in the direction they are wanting here. How are they doing it.

Turning off the Mesh tool?

I somehow turned on the Mesh feature and when I click on the "X" it does not close it.
1. How do you close this?
2. Does this tool apply only to the selected piece of art or to everything on screen?
Thanks.

That's the perspective grid.
See manual on what it is and how to turn it off.

I am having troubles when I save my Adobe illustrator file as a PDF file. The file contains some objects that are made by the mesh tool. When I save my illustrator file as a pdf, the meshed objects don't show. What should i do????

I am using Illustrator CS5

Please show a screenshot of the meshes
Attribute panel: any overprints set?
What kind of PDF do you save? Which options?
Which app do you use for viewing the PDF?

Mesh tool appears inactive?!

Hi,
I did not find any other similar questions.
I am trying to use the Mesh Tool, but it appears to be inactive. The cursor looks like a cross with a small crossed circle nets to it (like a "do not pass" road sign). I do not know what I did wrong. In Preferences I have "Object selection by path only" deselected, so it can't be it.

Thank you for your reply.
I am following a tutorial:
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2012/10/03/gradients-galore-reviewing-illustrators-extensi ve-toolset-video-tutorial/#more-140468
I don't think the image is a Compound Image. I used the Ellipse Tool and the Pen Tool to build it. I am working in Outline Mode (just like the person in the tutorial).
Now I think it might be the problem. I probably have to switch between Outline and Preview constantly to make it work. I am working on the 7:45-12:00 part of the tutorial. (if you have the time to check this out)
Message was edited by: august_kat
I tried to add the image, but something went wrong. Isn`t Illustrator native format allowed

I Need Mesh Tool Help!

I want to get my pink piece (left) to have gradient mesh like the piece on the right (use Mesh Tool)
I dont know how to do. Please help me explain how to do
Thank you!!!!!
My vector file here:
https://www.mediafire.com/?qulqval8ij0ll81

Make a copy of your shape and lock it, to use as a template, then direct select and move points, adjusting the shapes to your template by the handles.
In general, for irregular shapes you have better control if you start with a regular one, convert it to a mesh, then reshape to the irregular form. For example, I made square ABCD, then with the Mesh Tool clicked at E, creating a mesh. I laid point A at the upper left point on the template, and moved the others to suitable places, then adjust the handles. Other anchor points can then be added if you need them.

Recalcitrant mesh tool handles or...

...I am ignorant on usage. Just decided to try out the mesh tool. When I try to adjust the control handles I get unpredictable results - the mesh lines jump around and are acting un-controlable.
Is there anyone who has had this problem?
Thanks much

Yeah sorry that wasn't very elaborate. Attached is a screen cap.
Notes: System: Win XP Illus Version: CS2
User Skill Level: Rookie - I have no primary vector tool, using several over the years. Was heavy into Freehand while working in auto industry at a company doing tech illustration. Switched to Xara when I moved into freelancing - also learned Inkscape*, and have stuck to using regular gradients. I finally picked up a used version of Illustrator at Amazon because so many clients want stuff done in Illustrator (Mostly doing stuff in Xara and Inkscape and exporting it to Illustrator). So I am still pretty green in Illustrator.
I decided to experiment with the mesh tool. I am altering it to fit the contours lines of an automobile.
I started with a rhomboid matching the prespective of the side of the vehicle and created several grid lines - then started shaping it to the vehicle contour lines. I looked - snap to point was on. Snap to grid was not. Not sure if that is enough info.
*Before getting razzed too much for using Inkscape : I like the way the line tool works in the following regard: If you delete a point along an arc, the line of the arc stays the same. This is incredibly handy at times. Plus - if carefull - I could take Xara into Inkscape - into Illustrator
I

Gradient Mesh Tool won't work over a standard gradient

How can I get the Mesh Tool to work over a gradient? If I place an RGB image and create a gradient mesh over it I can select each individual point and then use the color picker to pick a color underneath by clicking the placed image. However, if I create a gradient mesh over a standard gradient I can not pick up the color in the standard gradient that is below. What the color picker does is pick up the entire gradient. It doesn't put any color into the individual points of the gradient mesh.

Thanks guys for the answers. I appreciate it. I did determine that I could rasterize the gradient so it would be treated like a placed image. That breaks the vector attributes but it does work.
I swear that I tried all the modifier keys (ctrl, shift, alt, ctrl+shift, etc.) but I guess not. I was crunching out a job at 4AM and I guess I missed something. I do usually try all of them before I look for other options. I thought that I might have overlooked a switch or preference. But I couldn't find one. Using "shift" does in fact work well. Thanks for redirecting me back to the most simple solution.
It always amazes me how the mind works, although frustratingly. I bet that I tried "shift" and maybe missed the key (I don't look at the keyboard most of the time as I do it by feel) or I didn't push it all the way down. Whatever the malfunction, once my brain thought that I'd tried the "shift" key I never went back and tried it again. It just goes to show you, you need to try each potential solution several times before moving on.
Thanks for the answers. It has me rolling again and having a great time exploring the world of the gradient mesh.

Mesh tool - Fish

Hi!
I going through a tutorial where I am going to make a... fish!
Step 3 on: http://www.tutorialized.com/view/tutorial/How-to-Create-a-Vector-Goldfish-in-Six-Steps/551 93
I have just made a Clipping Mask of a rectangel and the fishbody, I don't know why actually because the only thing that happend when I made a Clipping Mask of the fish and the orange rectangle, was that the fishbody got orange.
After that I got a description how to add a light on the body, and they are telling me (in the text under) that I am going to use mesh tool and click in fishbody.
"Create the specks of light on the body of the fish. Add a point to the mesh by using the Mesh Tool (U) and clicking anywhere in the shape’s area (picture 3c). After converting a shape into a mesh, you can select points with three tools: Mesh Tool, Direct Selection Tool, and the Lasso Tool.
All you have to do now is to add color to the mesh by selecting a color from the swatches palette. I took colors from the Swatch library > Metal. Get creative with color in this stage to get an excellent result."
The problem is When I got the Mesh Tool(U) activated (If I point at the fishbody, there's a border around the fish) and click on the orange fishbody... Nothing is happening, I not sure what is supposed happend but nothing is happening.
What can I do?
Thanks!

Thanks that was the problem

Mesh Tool

Could anyone please tell me how to colour in each individual square when using the mesh tool as im trying to create a shading type effect for a back ground?
thanks

To do this, you have to select the individual points of the square with the direct selection tool (White arrow) using shift to select the four points.

Mesh tool and pantone colors.

Hello,
I'm trying to make a logo using the mesh tool. I have to use pantone colors, since it will be used on a bussinesscard.
Now, I'm experiencing the following problem: I select a darker color on the bottom part of the object, and the gradient is going from dark, to light, to normal.
Why is this happening? Is it because I'm using pantones? it just looks icky.
Thank you!
Image:
[IMG]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b338/Aetza/drop.png[/IMG]
I clicked three times, so I have three horizontal and three vertical lines. The light part is happening between two lines.

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Also, I have no knowledge of printstuff.
And because of that, others here are trying to help you avoid getting yourself into trouble. Before anyone actually starts charging money for doing design or prep work for commercial print, they really should consider it their responsibilty to (what a concept!) actually be at least familiar with the printing process. Otherwise, if you present yourself as a for-print designer, you really are defrauding the customer.
Take a course at the local tech school; work part time in a press room for peanuts, just to learn. At the very least, get someone to give you a functional tour of a press room whenever you can.
It's not rocket science; it's mostly just simple mehanics. But it is also not just a simple matter of re-purposing your RGB web work. (In fact, that's backward; usually you should design for print first and then repurpose for web.)
As soon as you start talking about real ink-on-paper, you're talking about real labor and materials and real time on some really expensive equipment. Commercial offset printing is very competitive. Printing houses by necessity quote jobs according to the assumtion that jobs incomming from external preparers are built right, i.e.; that the external designer knows what he's doing. You can't expect a printing house to eat the costs involved in fixing your file-preparation mistakes.
In short, the printing world is chock-full of very bad relationships between angry designers who think they know what they're doing (often these days just because they've been doing some design work for the web) and printing houses who know they don't. Trust me: You don't need that stigma. A print designer should consider it a matter of necessity to develop very strong relationships with printing houses, based on mutual professional respect. Without that, you really won't be competitive, no matter how artfully talented you consider yourself.
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But it really is a pantone
There is no such thing as "a pantone". Pantone is a brand; it's a company. The various Pantone libraries are just sets of standardized spot color or process color specs published by Pantone, and used to communicate colors to printing houses. Pantone is not the only set of spot colors, but it is the most commonly-recognized in offset lithography printing; it predates graphics computers by decades.
When designing a file intended for color-separation (i.e.; mass printing), your concern is whether it will be printed in spot color or process color (or, in some cases, a combination of both). In order for your file to color-separate correctly, you have to build it correctly.
And color separation is not the only issue; there are other issues that affect whether the job prints correctly, such as trapping and total ink density. For example, spot color is by its nature less forgiving when you neglect the matter of trapping.
All printing is a matter of production economy. In the matter of process vs. spot color, several practical factors come into play, including the paper type, the specific press which will run the job, and even the nature of the artwork itself (ex: line-art vs. continuous-tone, tightness of the color registration, and others).
When designing for color-separated print, don't think in terms of "colors"; think in terms of real-world, physical inks. Basically, Your job is to deliver to the printing house a file which contains one image per ink--especially with spot color (i.e.; what far too many people think of as synonomous with "Pantone"). Don't think of a spot color as a "color"; think of it as an ink.
Offset presses have a separate ink well for each ink that will be printed. Each ink hits the paper at a different time as the sheet passes through the press. At the typical small-to-medium printing house, bread & butter jobs like business cards are usually run on smallish presses. Those are seldom more than 4-color presses, and are often 2-color presses. If, in your artwork, the number of separation colors exceeds then number of ink wells on the specific press, the job cannot be printed in one pass; the paper has to be re-run to apply the full number of inks and that entails another press set-up operation--which you pay for.
So if (as it sounds) you take the admonition to "use Pantone colors" to simply mean 'make sure all the colors you use are selected from the Pantone Swatch Library', you are already in trouble. Each time you add a color from a spot color library to your file, you are necessitating another ink well on the press.
If you've read and seriously considered the above, you'll understand that, by and large, it is rarely practical (cost efficient) to design a piece containing more than three spot colors. As soon as you need more than three colors, you should be considering 4-color (CMYK) process.
(Higher-end printing is frequently done involving more than four inks; it is not uncommon for sheetfed work to be process-plus-1 or process-plus-2 spot inks. Multi-pass jobs can involve foils, metallic inks, and varnishes. But such "glitzy" printing is knowingly extravagant and is still carefully prepared for to maximize economy within the requirements. Although it certainly can be, such extravagance is not usually the kind of thing used for the typical business card project.)
JET

The Mesh Tool

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