Align
fidel (332 pencils) | Sat, 2005-09-17 12:01The Align palet let's you align different objects left, right, center, bottom & top. The alignment always takes the object most to the left or to the top as the reference to align the other objects, depending on the alignment you choose.
What if you want to align to a specific object?
Select the object and go to menu Object> Lock position.
When you select the other objects as well as the locked object and use one of the align options the locked object will be the reference point for the alignment.
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You have the same kind of tip for Illustrator. To align or distribute relative to a specific object, select the objects to align or distribute, then click the object to lock. Then click the button for the type of alignment or distribution you want.
you can't select a locked object in Illustrator. I want to center align a object relative to a specific object. Anybody knows how ? Thanks !
1- Select the object you want to align.
2- Hold Ctrl and select the reference object
3- Without any key holded click again the reference object
4- Apparently nothing will happen
5- click on an align option.
That's it, now all your object are aligned to the reference object.
Yes, I find the Align and Distribute pallets to be very handy in Illustrator, but they don't go far enough. I wish there was more precise placement of objects, like QuarkXPress's Step and Repeat, or being able to manually type in the coordinates of an object to move it. I'm rather surprised that, at version 12, Illustrator still lacks this.
computer help
will let you perform step and repeats. it's a bit clunky compared with step and repeat, but works just as well. Go to 'object>transform>move'. Set the coordinates and click on 'copy'. then if you hit 'command+D' it will 'transform again' which is the same as stepping and repeating.
I agree with vinylsofa concerning the move/transform again as a replacement for QuarkXPress's Step and Repeat. Concerning the ability to type the coordinates of an abject, you have the Transform palette which allows you to type x and y coordinates.
if you still didn't find the answer...
here it is:
1. Select all the objects you want to align
2. Hold Alt-key (doble arrow will appear) and select the refference object (it shoud be from already selected objects)
3. Choose the type of alignment in the alignment pallete
that's it.
That's brilliant, thank you.
I've been using Illustrator untrained for a couple of years and have put up with the apparent centre align limits. Since my new job has made me start using corel draw, I've been much less satisfied with the Illustrator align options, but the alt key has now changed all that.
Thank you!