Combining Drawing-Objects

The shapes you create in Object Drawing mode don't interact with one another or with shapes you create in Merge Drawing mode, even when they overlap. But you can force them to do so by using the Modify > Combine objects commands.

To unite multiple drawing-objects

1.	Use the drawing tools, in Object Drawing mode, to create overlapping shapes: Make two or more overlapping fills with the same colors. Make two or more overlapping shapes with fills and strokes; use different colors for the fills and strokes in each shape.
2.	Select the overlapping fills that are the same color.
3.	Choose Modify > Combine Objects > Union (Figure 5.25). Figure 5.25. The Modify > Combine Objects menu offers commands for uniting overlapping drawing-objects in four ways. The two fills become a single shape (Figure 5.26). Figure 5.26. Applying the Modify > Combine Objects > Union command to drawing-object fills of the same color (top) melds the fills and creates a single drawing-object (bottom).
4.	Select the overlapping shapes of different colors.
5.	Repeat step 3. The fills and strokes of the shapes segment one another, but you wind up with a single drawing-object containing all those segmented shapes (Figure 5.27). Figure 5.27. Applying the Modify > Combine Objects > Union command to shapes of different colors (top) causes the selected fills and strokes to replace and segment one another as merge-shapes would. The resulting shapes unite in a single drawing-object (bottom). To access those shapes, double-click the drawing-object to edit it (Figure 5.28). Figure 5.28. Try double-clicking the new drawing-object after you've applied Union to drawing-objects of different colors. In drawing-objectediting mode, you can see how the shapes segment one another. Each chunk of stroke and fill is a separate shape.

Tip

• You can also use the Modify > Combine Objects > Union command to combine a mix of merge-shapes and drawing-objects into a single drawing-object.

To use one drawing-object to remove part of another

1.

Use the drawing tools in Object Drawing mode to create two or more overlapping shapes with a variety of fills and strokes.

2.

From the Modify > Combine Objects menu, choose one of the following: Intersect retains fills and strokes only where all the selected shapes overlap and deletes all other fills and strokes. The resulting shape(s) take stroke and fill attributes from the topmost shape. Punch uses the topmost drawing-object like a cookie cutter to remove any shapes directly below it. (Imagine the shape left in the cookie dough after you've cut out a cookie; that's what Punch creates.) The resulting shape(s) retain their original attributes. Crop uses the topmost object like a cookie cutter to select a new shape from any shapes that lie below it. (Imagine the cookie cutter again, but this time you wind up with the cookie itself.) The resulting shape(s) retain their original attributes (Figure 5.29). Figure 5.29. The last three commands in the Modify > Combine Objects menu have different results depending on which object lies on top of the stack. Intersect creates a new shape from the intersection of all selected shapes, using the top shape's attributes. With Punch, the top shape takes a bite out of the others and removes it; the remaining shapes keep their original attributes. With Crop, the top shape takes the same bite but this time removes everything else; the resulting shapes keep their original attributes.

Tips

• When you select merge-shapes, the Modify > Combine Objects menu only offers the Union command. You can use this command instead of grouping merge-shapes. The Union command preserves the spatial relationships between shapes but gives you the ability to change fills and strokes directly on the Stage as you did in Chapter 4.

• If you choose Modify > Combine Objects > Intersect and all your shapes disappear, it means there was no place where they all intersected. That result may seem self evident, but if you've selected many shapes or your shapes are complex, it may be difficult to see.