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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
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    Placitas, New Mexico, USA
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    41,487

    Default Converting AI lines to shapes

    I purchase a lot of clip art from Shutterstock.com for various projects.

    The files, most of which are created in Adobe Illustrator, are fine as long as you don't get too tricky. The problem is the shapes are actually lines.

    So if you try to apply a bevel or join the shapes the results are a dog's breakfast. That is a total mess.

    You can select these "line" shapes then switch to the Shape Tool, press Tab (which goes to the first node of the line) and hit Enter and the line becomes a shape.

    But for the image attached, it is a nightmare because of all the shapes. Here's a faster way I discovered.

    Select the image and from Arrange select Break Shapes. The largest shape comes to the front. Send it to the back and give all the shapes an outline so you can see them.

    Select all the objects, switch to the Shape Tool. press the Tab key and hit Enter.

    This converts all the lines to shapes in one operation. I cannot tell you how many times I have done this one line at a time.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    SW England
    Posts
    17,746

    Default Re: Converting AI lines to shapes

    Quote Originally Posted by gwpriester View Post
    This converts all the lines to shapes in one operation. I cannot tell you how many times I have done this one line at a time.
    Gary, wait until you do it by accident for 100 lines and then try to undo your error.

    It certainly highlightls the lack of a proper Undo History list.

    Acorn
    Acorn - installed Xara software: Cloud+/Pro+ and most others back through time (to CC's Artworks). Contact for technical remediation/consultancy for your web designs.
    When we provide assistance, your responses are valuable as they benefit the community. TG Nuggets you might like. Report faults: Xara Cloud+/Pro+/Magix Legacy; Xara KB & Chat

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Currently New York State
    Posts
    774

    Default Re: Converting AI lines to shapes

    I edited this post. I figured out what I was doing wrong.

    I did not know you could covert lines to shapes like you showed Gary.

    Now if I just can remember it for next time.

    Ray
    Last edited by RKissane; 06 September 2019 at 03:12 PM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    Placitas, New Mexico, USA
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    Default Re: Converting AI lines to shapes

    Ray, the technique for closing an open path has been around since day one. And with some of these shapes, using the Shape Tool then Tab and trying to see where the selected point is is almost impossible because of the huge number of control points.

    Acorn, I think there could be a better AI import filter that recognizes un-closed shapes and closes them automatically would help.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    21,283

    Default Re: Converting AI lines to shapes

    pity xara does not allow a choice of winding rule which would make this 'filled shape from line' [as opposed to 'convert line to shape'] function more useful generally...
    -------------------------------
    Nothing lasts forever...

  6. #6

    Default Re: Converting AI lines to shapes

    Quote Originally Posted by gwpriester View Post
    ...I think there could be a better AI import filter that recognizes un-closed shapes and closes them automatically would help.
    Those AI files may not actually be un-closed shapes if opened in AI or CD, etc.

    I myself have only had this issue in Xara products when the source is from a stock site.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Location
    Harwich, Essex, England
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    21,895

    Default Re: Converting AI lines to shapes

    Interesting shape:
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	export.gif 
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    Egg

    Intel i7 - 4790K Quad Core + 16 GB Ram + NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1660 Graphics Card + MSI Optix Mag321 Curv monitor
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  8. #8

    Default Re: Converting AI lines to shapes

    Quote Originally Posted by Egg Bramhill View Post
    Interesting shape:
    Would have liked that GIF much more back in the 1960s/1970s...

    Pretty cool, Egg

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Location
    Harwich, Essex, England
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    21,895

    Default Re: Converting AI lines to shapes

    What were you smoking back then Mike?
    Egg

    Intel i7 - 4790K Quad Core + 16 GB Ram + NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1660 Graphics Card + MSI Optix Mag321 Curv monitor
    + Samsung 970 EVO Plus 500GB SSD + 232 GB SSD + 250 GB SSD portable drive + ISP = BT + Web Hosting = TSO Host

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Location
    Placitas, New Mexico, USA
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    41,487

    Default Re: Converting AI lines to shapes

    Dude!

 

 

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