I'm creating a pie chart widge exploded wedges in Illustrator CS3 but I'm having trouble keeping all the wedges aligned evenly. Does anyone have any tips on doing this? My eyeing attempt is terrible.
fallenturtle,
Maybe other options apply to newer versions than 10, but based upon the relative amounts represented by each wedge, which may be recalculated into angles (3.6 * % value, 360*relative amount, or other (1/5 = 20% = 72 degrees etc)), you may:
1) Add a concentric no fill no stroke auxiliary circle larger than the outermost rim of the moved wedges;
2) For each wedge, Object>Transform>Rotate the whole chart and auxiliary circle so that the wedge is exactly on top, and Object>Transform>Move the wedge vertically (up) as desired;
3) Rotate the lot into the desired position.
In 2), you may just rotate by the degree corresponding to the amount of the wedge in question.
You may delete the auxiliary circle afterwards.
It depends entirely upon what you mean by "evenly spaced."
Do you want the wedges moved away from the center of the pie by an equal amount? (If so, the sides cannot be equidistant.)
Do you want the sides of the wedges equidistant? (If so, the wedge vertexes cannot be equidistant from the center.)
Do you want something in-between, but geometrically proportional?
Personally, A and C look ugly and scattered to me, so I will only elaborate on B (even though it tends to visually emphasize the smallest wedge):
JET
I think the best way is by eye and if you are trying to make one seem as if it is especially called out then you want that one not to be evenly spaced like the others.
Like such
If you want them all to be equally emphasized then you will do better by eye like such
And if you want more space then it will look a bit less consistent but no more so than any other approach and making the colors lighter is not going to resolve any geometric issues.
North America
Europe, Middle East and Africa
Asia Pacific