Printable View
Is there a method to evenly distribute objects around a circle? I understand the horizontal and vertical alignment tools, but I'm not sure how to apply them in this situation. Attached are a sample picture of what I want to accomplish and the .xar file (XDP7). Thanks.
Attachment 88215
Attachment 88214
The blend tool will help you with this.
Here's a quick clip to show how.
The tutorial above is brilliant. Thank you very much, sledger!
One more issue, though, that perhaps may be a Xara bug:
1. Create an object and a group -- 1) one large circle, and 2)that group of small circles which you just evenly distributed.
2. Select the object and the group of circles.
3. Align them centrally, using the Object Alignment tool.
As you can see in my attachment, the result shows that the centering is a bit off.
Is this a Xara bug or do I need to do something else to align them centrally?
Attachment 88217
Can't repeat that Zee. I get a perfectly centered result.
Can you attach your file?
Sorry, attached is the .XAR file.
Attachment 88218
Centers for me. I created a blend and created the blend path/circle to spit the difference.
Hi, Gary. Yes, it does work for evenly distributing the small circles around the big circle. But then I took it a few steps further:
1. From your attachment, I converted the objects to editable shapes.
2. I ungrouped all the shapes, removed your text, and removed the extra overlapped circle. Also, I resized the large circle.
3. I regrouped all the small circles as one group. So now I have that group and the large circle left.
4. I selected both the large circle and the group.
5. I used the Object Alignment tool, and aligned centrally the large circle and the group.
6. The result is that the large circle is centered in the group, but not quite. It's a little off.
I've attached your file after having done the above steps.
Attachment 88220
Yep. I can repeat it now, even with a new file.
Seems like a bug.
Hello Zeedale,
I noticed in your profile you have web designer premium 7 so a quick way to get the alignment you are after with out needing the alignment dialogue would be to drop your group and circle into WD7premium (or if you have Designer Pro 7 just do it right there) and turn on the magic snapping then it's a simple matter of snapping your circle to the center of the page then snapping the group to the center of the page.
Sorry but that's not a bug. It's aligning the bounds of the large circle to the bounds of the group correctly.
Note that the group is made of an odd number of objects so the distance from the rotation centre to the right edge is different from the distance from the centre to the opposite edge. It's like a tyre with a flat spot.
Edit: magnetic "smart" snapping will do the same thing. The flat spot will mean that the actual centre of the group is not where you imagine the centre is.
To force the group to have a centre where you think it should be you must include an invisible outer circle in the group.
Phil
Excellent analogy, and makes perfect sense now, thanks PhilQuote:
Originally Posted by PhilM
Attachment 88227
@angelize: Zee's profile may need updating as the file attachments are created in Designer Pro 7
There are other ways to do the same job.
That way I like to do this is to draw the first circle and then go into the Pages Options and under the General tab look down to the bottom third where you can see the "angle of constrain". Set it for your case to 51.43, (360/7) then pull in a ruler guide (Ctrl+Shift+R) do the vertical first centring on your circles centre.
Then with the Selection tool click again on your circle and move the centre of rotation down to the correct radius for all your circle. Now move your horizontal ruler guide down to till it exactly crosses your centre of rotation.
You will have the rotation handles showing a with your lefthand mouse button and with Ctrl held down at the same time drag the circle around your centre. When you see the circle in a new position right click your mouse. Now you have 2 circles.
Keep dragging the circle around with the lefthand mouse depressed and holding down Ctrl and the 3 will appear and right click again.
Repeat this process until you have 7 circles.
Because your drawing shows the top circle off centre then group the circles and rotate until the position is correct.
This might have read that this method is longer than the Blend methos but it is really quick and easy. If you visit the Xone have a look at any clock or watch tut where Gary has explained this much better than I have: http://www.xaraxone.com/tutorials/au...orial%203.html