flag help!

Hi I'm pretty new to this so please be gentle,

Is it possible to take a flat illustrated flag (ai format) and wrap it into a shape for example I found an image online that someone drew - I really like the way the flags have been 'folded' - Is it possible to draw the basic shape of the flag & then automatically (or even a simple manual method) add a flat flag design to the shape so that it would look 'folded' similar to this guys drawing??

I hope you understand what I mean as I'm not great at explaining things..

Thanks in advance for help.

Is this in support of the Red Hand NI paramilitaries?

Welcome to TalkGraphics

I might be a lot easier to just recreate the shapes using Illustrator's vector drawing tools. There may be some shaping envelopes you can use to modify a plain rectangle. Someone who is an Illustrator user will know better than I do about this.

Pauland, that isn't my drawing its something that I picked up in google images to show an example of what im trying to achieve.

Gwpriester, thanks for your reply.. Drawing the flags using tools is what I was hoping to stay away from (if possible) as some flag designs may be a bit more detailed (leading a noob like me to get confused how replicating the folds I aspire to get). Especially since im not artistic enough to draw freehand to trace. Shaping envelopes sounds interesting though, hope someone can point me in the right direction.. Thanks again

dw88, OK, but unfortunately that's a flag that is of a paramilitary organisation and would be offensive to many people and almost all right-thinking people, so it's quite unsettling to find it being used as an example.

I'd hope it could be changed to an alternative.

As Gary said, it would be better to just draw the shapes - there is no automatic way of folding an image that I know of, the best you can probably do is to mould individual parts into the seperate shapes of the flag.

Welcome to TG and I hope you'll understand my uneasiness regarding your chosen example.

I have remove the attachment as I didn't think that a UK flag was a paramilitary flag or offensive.. I think the question has been answered anyway

Thank you. I appreciate that.

It wasn't an official UK flag at all.

You're welcome I joined here to get some help & not to offend and if the image I found on google offended you then I'm sorry, it wasn't intended..

However the union flag is the official flag of the UK

Well, I know the imagery in reference to a paramiltary group in Northern Island, but apparently it has a long history. It is offensive to many.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...d-1950412.html

I'd say we should draw a line on this.

@dw88: Welcome to Talkgraphics :)

You did simply ask for help and I believe you posted the image soley as an example of what you were trying to achieve and had no idea that it had any bad connotations. I didn't have any idea either until Pauland's posts.

I do hope you will continue to participate here, this thread is not indicative of the way new members are usually treated here.

I would agree. Lets see how you get on dw88!

There are cleverer people than me here that I'm sure will help you.

You asked for help in a drawing of a flag and got accused of offending people! I don't know what our members think, about brining in politics to a forum, instead of helping. You have removed the flag before I could see it so I can't tell if it was offensive or not. It it was a red cross with a red hand of Ulster on it against a white background with or without a crown it was historically a flag of both Ulster and N. Ireland and it would not offend me at all. I wonder if it would offend anyone at all in a graphic forum when the person was asking for help.
In Illy all that I would do would be to group all of the vector pieces (Ctrl+G). On the Object menu go down to "Envelop Distort" out to "Make with Wrap". A new sub menu will open so click on Preview and then on the Style drop down menu select Flag. This will give you the wave I hope you want so click on OK.

There are other ways to do this using a gradient mesh which is harder to do. Please come back if you need any more help and I am sorry about the ignorance of I thought a good member here!

You have removed the flag before I could see it so I can't tell if it was offensive or not.

Don't let it stop you having a go at me in public and private even though you didn't see it, nor was it just a flag.

Thanks Albacore.

dw88, I'm sorry about the controversy - it's not your fault at all.

If you have a copy of the image I took issue with, could you email it, or a link to me at redhand@ipauland.com?

I'd like at least to show it to Albacore so that he at least has an opportunity to see the image.

Thanks,

Paul

:-O

WOW! I didn't expect this nor did I want it..

I have deleted the image from my computer Paul therefore I am unable to email it to you however to clarify to anyone who is interested it appeared to be a red hand with a star - Union flag & Northern Ireland flag (like Albacore posted) - A Holy Bible & the names of the battles of the first world war which the Irish people (regardless of religion/creed or colour) fought in together.. It never named or had emblems of ANY outlawed paramilitary - if it had of I would not of posted it to offend myself & others. I personally didn't find the image offensive but as I have previously said I removed it so that people wouldn't be offended.

Now hopefully that can put that to bed & I can get on with the actual question.

I've had a go at what your instructions Albacore, but unfortunatly I was looking something a little more complicated lol..

I've got the basic layout drawn - with a 'flat flag' that I want to try to put into the areas marked. I want to it look like its been folded in the 2 areas as you can see, keeping the outlines - I'm not even sure it makes sense the way I'm explaining it. lol

I've tried using a similar method albacore, object > envelope distort > make with mesh tried to keep it simple with 2 columns & 2 rows - I just appear not to be getting it exactly as I want (as it covers the 2 black lines of the folds & I want to keep) - I guess the only way of ensuring I get it the way I want is to draw it all into the flag area.

Thanks for all the help & sorry again for causing a stir!

Attachment 99715

I think simpler is better. I tried applying some simple envelopes in Xara (most of us in this forum use Xara, a British vector drawing application) to create your three shapes on the left and the results looked like a dog's breakfast. I would simplify and use something like Albacore suggested.

DW88 if you come back have a look at this tut as it will give you a bit more info on what you can do. Looking at your Spur's drawing drawing which you posted you could start off using say the Arc Warp and then move to the curtain tut using the proper Gradient Mesh Tool. Have a look here: http://www.vectordiary.com/illustrat...istic-curtain/
Come back again if you want more help.

Thanks again for your responses guys..

I started with an arc as suggested by albacore, its starting to take shape & its looking ALOT better. I'm adding some extra mesh to get more control over the flag (no shading like your tutorial yet though) - Its much better than in my previous post but I still need to play around alot more with it to get it as I want it but just wanted to let you know how I'm getting on..

Perhaps once I finally get something I'm happy with I will post the result :D

Hi dw88—

If these are of any help, we have two tutorials on Xara Xone covering mapping text and other design elements to cloth:

Creating text that flows along a cloth surface

Using a plug-in to make a waving flag

My Best,

Gary

I believe the member is trying to do this in Illustrator OG.

The tutorials can be adapted, OG, for Illustrator.

Just tossing my 2 pence in.

-g