Transformation, Alignment, and Distribution of Objects

Objects Transformation

• You can manually transform an object by selecting it and using the bounding box with corner points to adjust the scale. As you resize, a gray box shows the dimensions;
• Alternatively, use the Properties Panel to input specific dimensions. You can also enable or disable the chain icon for uniform or non-uniform scaling;

Using Transformation Tools

• Scale Tool: allows precise scaling from any anchor point. You can choose any point on the canvas to scale the object from;
• Rotate Tool: can rotate objects either manually by dragging from the bounding box or by typing a specific angle in the Properties Panel. You can set a custom anchor point to rotate around that point;
• Flip: you can flip shapes horizontally or vertically using the icons in the Properties Panel;
• Reflect Tool: this combines flipping and rotating. You set an anchor point and drag to reflect and rotate the object at the same time;
• Shear Tool: distorts the object by skewing it, allowing more creative distortions;

Corner Widgets

• Corner widgets are small circles at the corners of shapes that let you create rounded corners by dragging them;
• Dragging a widget adjusts all corners uniformly. You can also adjust individual corners by selecting them with the Direct Selection Tool;
• If the corner widgets aren't visible, go to View > Show Corner Widgets;
• For custom shapes or heavily distorted shapes, you may need to go to Object > Shape > Convert to Shape to activate corner widgets. After converting, you can use the Direct Selection Tool to manipulate individual corners.

Puppet Warp Tool

• Go to the toolbar, click the three dots, scroll down to the "Modify" section, and select the Puppet Warp Tool. You can also drag it to your toolbar for quick access;
• Select the object you want to transform (such as a character made of multiple objects and paths). With the Puppet Warp Tool, you can place pins at key points to manipulate different parts of the object;
• Once pins are placed, you can move or rotate them to adjust the object, like making a character wave by moving the wrist or elbow;
• The Puppet Warp Tool is commonly used in animation to make quick and easy character adjustments. It allows you to move parts of a design without major transformations, which is a valuable asset for animators and designers alike.

Alignment and Distribution of Shapes & Objects

• Alignment options are available in the Properties panel and allow you to align objects in three ways:
  • Align to Artboard: align a selected object to the artboard;
  • Align to Selection: align multiple selected objects relative to each other;
  • Align to Key Object: align objects based on a reference or "key" object;
• Smart Guides (shown as magenta lines) help in positioning objects accurately by providing visual cues. If Smart Guides are not visible, enable them in the Properties panel, or alternatively, go to View > Smart Guides;
• You can align objects to the center, left, right, top, or bottom by selecting them and using the alignment options. The alignment is relative to the furthest object in the chosen direction;
• To align with a Key Object, after selecting multiple objects, click on one to set it as the "key object." Other objects will align relative to this key object;
• You can distribute objects evenly using the Distribute Objects options. For example, select multiple objects, and Illustrator will space them equally based on vertical or horizontal spacing;
• If the alignment panel is not visible, you can access it by going to Window > Align. This panel contains all alignment, distribution, and spacing options, ensuring precise and neat designs.

Eraser Tool and Scissors

• To erase part of a vector shape, you must first select the object. After selecting the object, use the Eraser tool (found in the Tools panel);
• The size of the eraser is indicated by a target icon with a circle;
• If you try to erase outside the selection, nothing happens. But when you erase within the selection, it removes that part of the shape. You can deselect the object afterward to check the effect;
• The Scissors tool is used to cut vector paths (lines or curves), not the fill of a shape;
• To use it, select the object first, choose the Scissors tool, and then click on the path where you want to cut;
• After cutting, use the Selection tool to delete the unwanted portion of the path by pressing Delete or Backspace;
• Keep in mind that the Scissors tool cuts only the paths or anchor points, not the interior of the shape.

To sum everything up, mastering Adobe Illustrator's transformation, alignment, and cutting tools is essential for creating precise and dynamic designs. Whether you're scaling or rotating objects, using advanced tools like Puppet Warp for character manipulation, aligning and distributing elements for neat layouts, or carefully erasing and cutting vector paths, Illustrator offers a variety of methods to help streamline your workflow.