Adobe ILLUSTRATOR CS2 User Manual page 309

To create a compound shape
Creating a compound shape is a two-part process. First, you establish a compound shape in which all components
have the same shape mode. Then, you assign shape modes to the components until you obtain the desired combi­
nation of shape areas.
1 Select all the objects you want to be part of the compound shape.
You can include paths, compound paths, groups, other compound shapes, blends, text, envelopes, and warps in a
compound shape. Any open paths you select are automatically closed.
Do one of the following:
2
•
In the Pathfinder palette, click a Shape Modes button. Each component of the compound shape is assigned the
shape mode you select.
•
Select Make Compound Shape from the Pathfinder palette menu. Each component of the compound shape is
assigned the Add mode by default.
Change the shape mode of any component by selecting it with the Direct Selection tool or Layers palette and
3
clicking a Shape Mode button.
Note that you never need to change the mode of the backmost component, because its mode is not relevant to the
compound shape.
To sustain maximum performance, create complex compound shapes by nesting other compound shapes (containing
up to about 10 components each) instead of using many individual components.
See also
"About the Pathfinder palette" on page 302
About the Pathfinder palette
You use the Pathfinder palette to combine objects into new shapes. To display the Pathfinder palette, choose
Window > Pathfinder.
The top row of buttons in the palette, called shape modes, let you control the interaction between components of a
compound shape. You can choose from the following shape modes:
Adds the area of the component to the underlying geometry.
Add To Shape Area
Cuts out the area of the component from the underlying geometry.
Subtract from Shape Area
Uses the area of the component to clip the underlying geometry as a mask would.
Intersect Shape Areas
Exclude Overlapping Shape Areas
regions into holes and vice versa.
Uses the area of the component to invert the underlying geometry, turning filled
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CS2 302
User Guide