11 Replies Latest reply: Nov 23, 2009 2:05 PM by Jacob Bugge RSS

    How do I find the end of an open path?

    3DMARTIN Community Member

      I'm trying to create a compound path (a shape with a hole in it), but it refuses to make the compound.  Previous expeince has shown that this is down to one or both of the paths having an open end.  This has always been solved by dragging out each anchor point until I see the break, then joining the ends.

      But in this case, the 'outer' shape has hundreds of anchor points and finding the end is going to be a very time consuming process.

      Is there a quick way of finding the end point?

        • 1. Re: How do I find the end of an open path?
          Jacob Bugge CommunityMVP

          Martin,

           

          If there is only one path/opening, you can just select the path and Ctrl/Cmd+J to close it.

          • 2. Re: How do I find the end of an open path?
            3DMARTIN Community Member

            Thanks Jacob,

            I've just tried that, but I get the message; 'To join, you must select two open endpoints ... etc.'

            -Just to clarify, I selected just the 'outer' shape first.

            • 3. Re: How do I find the end of an open path?
              JETalmage Community Member
              Previous expeince has shown that this is down to one or both of the paths having an open end.

               

              Your premise is wrong. In Illustrator, open paths can be compounded. Check your Fill Rule and Path Direction settings in the Attribute pallete.

               

              JET

              • 4. Re: How do I find the end of an open path?
                3DMARTIN Community Member

                Thanks Jet,

                that's the answer i was looking for, never looked at the Attributes panel before.

                • 5. Re: How do I find the end of an open path?
                  JETalmage Community Member

                  In order to use the Join command to close a path, the whole path has to be selected. Either use the black pointer or AltClick it with the white pointer. Then do Ctrl-J.

                   

                  JET

                  • 6. Re: How do I find the end of an open path?
                    Jacob Bugge CommunityMVP

                    Martin,

                     

                    I am glad you got the solution.

                     

                    I've just tried that, but I get the message; 'To join, you must select two open endpoints ... etc.'

                    -Just to clarify, I selected just the 'outer' shape first.

                     

                    If you need a closed path in other connexions, you may have a look at the Document Info palette/panel, ticking Objects in the flyout:

                     

                    1) If it shows 1 path and you get the message, the path is closed already.

                    2) If it shows 2 paths or more, you have more work to do, with the Direct Selection Tool.

                     

                    My suggestion was based upon the presumption that you had 1 open path and only works for that case.

                     

                    Edit: And what James said with the addition that you may also drag across the path (including the two relevant or all Anchor Points) with the Direct Selection Tool. I did not specify the implied use of the (normal) Selection Tool.

                    • 7. Re: How do I find the end of an open path?
                      3DMARTIN Community Member

                      These are all useful answers, which have helped me understand Illustrator better, thanks folks

                      • 8. Re: How do I find the end of an open path?
                        JETalmage Community Member
                        If you need a closed path in other connexions, you may have a look at the Document Info palette/panel...If it shows 1 path and you get the message, the path is closed already...If it shows 2 paths or more, you have more work to do, with the Direct Selection Tool.


                        Jacob,

                         

                        First, if you don't also turn on Selection Only in the Document Info palette, the pallete is going to show the number of paths in the whole document, regardless of what you have selected.

                         

                        Second, if it shows one path, that is no indication of whether the path is open or closed. The Document Info pallette tells you how many paths are open and how many are closed separately, either within the whole document or within the current selection, depending on whether you also have the Selection Only option checked.

                         

                        So if you have both Selection Only and Objects checked in the Document Info's flyout menu, and have only one path either partially or completely selected, then the Document Info palette will tell you if that one path is open or closed.

                         

                        But again: All you have to do in order to use the keyboard shortcut for Join in order to close a path--or a subpath of a compound--is make sure the whole path is selected.

                         

                        All this is extraordinarily cumbersome, and is just part-and-parcel to Illustrator's hideous selection interface, its insistence upon two selection tools, its inability to distinguish between a path merely having all of its anchorpoints selected versus its being selected at the object level. After all these years, and despite its inelegant tool glut, Illustrator still can't join more than two paths at a time, and it still requires you to tedously select endpoints in order to just join two.

                         

                        JET

                        • 9. Re: How do I find the end of an open path?
                          Jacob Bugge CommunityMVP

                          James,

                           

                          First, if you don't also turn on Selection Only in the Document Info palette, the pallete is going to show the number of paths in the whole document, regardless of what you have selected.

                           

                          Obviously, but is that not on by default?

                           

                          ... The Document Info pallette tells you how many paths are open and how many are closed separately, either within the whole document or within the current selection, depending on whether you also have the Selection Only option checked.

                           

                          That is an improvement made since 10; I wonder when. Thank you for that one.

                           

                          All this is extraordinarily cumbersome, and is just part-and-parcel to Illustrator's hideous selection interface, its insistence upon two selection tools, its inability to distinguish between a path merely having all of its anchorpoints selected versus its being selected at the object level. After all these years, and despite its inelegant tool glut, Illustrator still can't join more than two paths at a time, and it still requires you to tedously select endpoints in order to just join two.

                           

                          Which is one of the reasons I am grieved by my inability to successfully extract any of your scripts, such as these: http://www.illustrationetc.com/AI_Javascripts/PathScripts.htm

                          • 10. Re: How do I find the end of an open path?
                            JETalmage Community Member

                            Which is one of the reasons I am grieved by my inability to successfully extract any of your scripts
                            They are posted as ordinary .zip archives. If you can't extract them, I don't know why, unless you are on MacOS and don't have a suitable .zip archive extraction utility.

                             

                            As I recall, the only script I have ever modified specifically for Illustrator 10 is a separate version of the latitude / longitude "sphere" script, which I wrote just shortly after CS1 was released. I don't have any reason to re-write scripts for AI10, because I don't use AI10. (It's four versions out of date.)

                             

                            Nor are the differences between versions of Illustrator re Javascript clear cut or well-documented. Such things have to be tested, and I don't have AI10 installed on any of my machines.

                             

                            For the most part, however, version should not matter. As I recall, though, ExtendScript Toolkit was not released until after AI10. It was at that time that I started using the .jsx extension. I don't know if AI10 even recognizes the .jsx extension. So it is conceivable that some of the scripts named with the .jsx extension might work in AI10 if you just change the extension to .js.

                             

                            JET

                            • 11. Re: How do I find the end of an open path?
                              Jacob Bugge CommunityMVP

                              James,

                               

                              ... So it is conceivable that some of the scripts named with the .jsx extension might work in AI10 if you just change the extension to .js.

                               

                              Thank you so much. That was it. Now I have some renaming to do.

                               

                              And then celebrate.