Joints:

[MJ50]

Hi to everyone,

i have received a file from my client, its autocade drawing actually we have to cut on cnc router machine but the file has a problem, as i mentioned in my attachment, the file is broken from every joint, so it is possible to join broken areas in adobe illustrator cs3, with one command, thanks.

[handrawn]

without seeing your file I don't know if this is what you mean, but from illustrator help file:

Join two or more paths
Illustrator CS5 provides the option to join two or more open paths. To join one or more open paths, use the Selection tool to select the open paths and click Object > Path > Join. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+J (Windows) or Cmd+J (Mac).
When anchor points are not overlapping, Illustrator adds a line segment to bridge the paths to join. While joining more than two paths, Illustrator first looks for and joins the paths that have end points stationed closest to each other. This process is repeated until all paths are joined. If you select only one path to join, it is converted into a closed path.

Note: In this process, you may lose complex aspects of your art styles.

The output path has the appearance of the topmost path in the selection.
The join option only results in a corner join regardless of whether you select anchor points to join or the entire path. However, for overlapping anchor points, if you want the option to select a smooth or corner join, then use Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+Alt+J.

also this is CS5 - so CS3 may be different

[Albacore]

You certainly can do it the way Steve has suggested as it is the best way to do it. One question that I have when you use the Direct Selection Tool and drag the marquee over the area how many nodes are selected. If all are in blue then the Pathfinder Tool can be used to cut the areas to separate them and you will need to do this for every area as you are using the file for cutting. I would have thought the file from the cad programme would have given the info for the software of the CNC machine to do the job. Most CAD programmes only give info for a line at a time and nothing really about a solid shape unless it has been defined. It could have been a graphics programme which was used likely Illy and then exported as .dxf file format to you could be a footer to sort out.

[MJ50]

thank you very much for replying, actually the file consist on open paths the question is have to joint them one by one? or any other way to join them at once? one more Q: adobe Illustrator CS3 has any option or command it shows open paths in different color or anything? so may be easy for me to complete the job. thanks.

[handrawn]

selecting all [ctrl+a]
followed by
object > path > join
should join them all up in one go - is this not working ?

[MJ50]

Answer: No

[handrawn]

ok then can you post the file?

[MJ50]

yes sure!

[handrawn]

hi

I am not an expert in router cutting

is the problem the fact that paths are separate, or that the strokes are separate and therefore the corners where the strokes meet are not 'filled in'

[Albacore]

It would be much quicker to redraw. I spent 20 mins and I got 4 nodes joined. Also because we had to ungroup the lines it has ruined the stack properties. Even tried importing into both Xara and a CAD programme and these were a problem to because Illy gives stroke & fill separate values, in xara joining 2 nodes together joined 3 and in the CAD programme all lines were double some even longer than the original because it was developed as a pattern. ! hour should do it as it is a repeating pattern.