multi toolbox

Illustrator (r) plugin documentation

file:///C|/...P17T23027951D7ADC88/Andrew.Plugins.Volume.4.v1.2.for.Adobe.Illustrator/Product Documentation/GX04_Documentation.htm[6/5/2011 5:37:47 PM]

MultiToolbox/Points

Installation notes:

Please install the two plugins into the plug-ins folder of the host application. To remove, simply remove the plugins.

The files to install vary from platform and version

If you have version 8 or 9 of Illustrator, please place the plugins found in the 8 and 9 folder into the plugins path of Illustrator8 or 9. Do not put them in CS1 10 or CS2.

If you have Illustrator 10 / CS1 / CS2 and you are on a PC, place the top level plugins into the plugin path

If you have Illustrator 10/CS1 and you are on the macOSX, please place the plugins found in the Illustrator 10 / CS1 folderinto the Illustrator 10 or CS1 plugins folder.

Finally, if you are on CS2 and on a macOSX, then please place the top level plugins into the CS2 plugin folder.

Plugin folder:

The plugin folder has varied from version to version, generally you will find it as the 'plug-ins' folder under Adobe IllustratorCS2 or Illustrator folder.

Trademarks:

Illustrator is registered trademark of Adobe. Photoshop is registered trademark of Adobe. We have no connection whatsoeverwith Adobe. Adobe product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Adobe Systems Incorporated.

Plugin page:

http://www.graphicxtras.com/products/aiplugin4.htm

support at graphicxtras.com (mail address)

Toolbox:

The plugins are toolbox plugins. They do not appear in the filters or the effects menu or any menu, they will appear in the lastfew slots of the toolbox.

Tools:

http://www.graphicxtras.com/products/aiplugin4.htm



The multitoolbox plugin comes with 13 sub plugins. To access these, simply expand out the plugin toolbox for that tool. Thepoints toolbox plugin comes with a single plugin

Options:

To access all the options for each tool, double click the icon or press return

Example: Circular tool used with an image and random opacity applied

Modifiers:

All the tools have various modifications (while in use) where you can modify the number of copies etc while using the tool byholding the shift or the ctrl / shift or command / shift keys down during use

General Use:

The plugins both work in the same basic way, select an object or multiple objects and then drag while holding the mouse orartpen down and then the end shapes will appear on releasing the mouse / lifting the pen

Pen:

The plugins also can be used with a pen, to apply the effect with pressure. You will need to set the pressure options for eachoption to ON

Tools:

The multitoolbox plugin comes with a number of subtools: rows and columns, drag, circular and many others. Each tool hasits own set of options and uses.



Example: Background creation

General functions of multitoolbox:

Copies: Most of the dialogs have a columns or rows or copies, this is the number of items / paths to generate.

Rotation: Rotates the paths

Jitter: Jitters or randomly shifts the paths

Slowdown: Instead of applying the effect as quickly as possible, the plugin applies a slowdown. More useful when used incombo with trail cursor.

Color manipulation: some of the plugins have a dropdown offering fill color changes such as from current color to white orcurrent color to black or use the swatches palette (requires pre-modification to the swatches palette such as filling with onlythe swatches you want such as all blues) or random colors

Selected center: Some of the plugins use scaling or rotation and the rotation etc can be applied by the path center or all thepath's centers averaged out / or the selected item's center of all.

Locked or linked: The plugin works in one direction, up or down or across, or the size etc is linked horizontally / vertically

Beneath: The path's are placed beneath the previous paths (doesn't work with layers)

Trail cursor: Instead of removing the paths and generating paths and removing etc (the basic function of the plugin), theplugin doesn't delete paths, it just creates and creates 100s and 100s of paths in quick succession. Great when combined withopacity and fill manipulation for painted effects. Use slowdown to control the tool.

Opacity: Randomized opacity / transparency.

Blend style / mode: Randomized blend mode (difference or multiply etc)



Envelope: Randomized warping (can be slow)

Create or not: Apply or create or generate items or not (50 / 50 decision)

Rotation (R): Randomized rotation

Place on new layer: Place the created item on a new layer, great for animation

Opacity (pressure): set the level of opacity based on pressure (works best with a pen)

Rows and columns / grid tool: create a grid of selected paths or images or symbols



Drag tool: Create a zoom or row of paths.

Soft Center: variant of the drag tool but based around the selection center. In this plugin you can also control the initialdistance from the center as well as the type of measurement to use (such as points or inches)

Framed tool: The plugin to create a basic frame based on selected paths. The type of edge can be controlled by the edgedropdown. The stroke as well as fill can be manipulated in this plugin. The scale option is useful for additional frames createdusing the tool



Rim Random tool: Plugin for creating random backgrounds or brushes etc. The plugin offers options to create the paths withswatches (though this only works for paths and not images). The scale settings control the size of generated paths between aminimum and maximum size, the scaling can be locked horizontal vertically



Windmill tool: for circular path creation. The plugin can modify the rotation or angle of the paths aligning them to thedirection or the angle can match the position / angle of the cursor to the original (use this to try out many designs veryquickly).



Scaledown tool: a variant of the drag tool but offers twists to the paths as well as reduction or increase in the sizing of thepaths generated relative to original

Bouncealong tool: A variant of the scaledown tool but with a bounce option as well as path crunch feature.



Spiraled Tool: Create a spiral from the selected paths

Checkerboard: A variant of the grid / row column tool and creates a checkerboard grid of paths



Paint tool: Paints with the selected path. The painted paths can be made to fade away rapidly as well as scaled (reduced orincrease).

Tile tool: Create a tile (for possible use as a pattern)



Background tool: A variant of the rim random tool and creates a background based on the cursor position and start position.Also comes with a frame feature, the basic setting being no frame (50 - 50) but reduce to 20 will create a reasonable framewith the selected paths

Bonus:

Points toolbox



Plugin manipulates selected path's points in a variety of ways to create 100s of amazing designs even from basic paths. Thisplugin was added as an additional bonus plugin and is grouped with the multi tool. The plugin offers a number of ways tomanipulate the path points of a selected path or multiple selected paths. The plugin works only on the selected points of thatpath so if you wish to work only on the right half of a path, select those points only. The plugin tweaks and drags the anchorpoints and the drag points and shifts these using things like the document center or the 0,0 point of the document. The pluginoffers a number of checkboxes. The locking option is similar to the multi tool and the cursor position is locked.

The plugin either drags the point or direction point (50-50) if the drag checkbox is set to on. The points have an in and outdirection points and these are manipulated and swapped or applied depending on the checkbox settings. These have differenteffects depending on the dropdown set such as drag direction points or drag direction points but place the anchor points of allthe points on a path at 0,0 etc. Each have their effect to create rounded or flowery or intense path drags. You can also shiftthe start point as you drag (this is only of use for some operations that are marked as 'start') to manipulate the end pathdistortion by holding down the shift key as you drag the mouse/cursor



Example: Points tool: original with multiple points and end result.

The plugin comes with interpolation (so instead of applying the full drag, you can reduce the distance by a certain percentage,the interpolation can also be extended to the curvature). The plugin drag can also be modified by the pressure (art pad)

multi toolbox

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