So I'm mostly interested in knowing how to make that repeating geometric pattern in a circle like that. I could easily make it straight but to curve and link up seamlessly like that seems near impossible to me.
What tools or tricks could accomplish something like this?
The trick here is to create one of the eighteen pattern parts, and then duplicate and rotate, then combine all parts and finally join the end nodes.Difficult?Many steps perhaps but not difficult, if you know how to use Draw. :-)Here's a tutorial for you.First, make sure Snap to Objects, Snap to Guidelines and Show Snap Location Marks are enabled.Create a circle and align it with the pattern's outer "circle".Duplicate it ("+" on numeric keypad) and resize to match the mid circle and inner circle.Create one vertical and one horizontal guideline that are aligned with the center of the circles.Use the Pen tool to create three lines that start at the center and matches the three vertical lines in one "cog" of the pattern.Duplicate the line that matches the longest vertical line, click to bring up rotation handles, move center of rotation to the guideline intersection point, type 20 in the Rotation box in Property Bar and hit Enter.(There are 18 "cogs" and 360 degrees divided by 18 is 20 degrees)Create one more line that exactly matches (use snapping) the longest vertical line.Now it should look like this:Switch to Shape tool and select one of the circles.Drag the end nodes to create a segment matching the pattern. The nodes should snap to the lines you created when they are in the right position. Make sure you get an "Arc", not a "Pie" (click button in Property Bar).Do the same thing with all three circles.Delete the four help lines, you don't need them any more.Select all four segments and Combine them.Switch to Shape tool, select two end nodes (red above) and click "Extend curve to close" in Property Bar.Do the same thing with the other two and the upper right corner.Now you have 1/18 of the pattern so it's time to start duplicating.Press "+" on the numeric keypad to create a duplicate, click to bring up rotation handles,move center of rotation to guideline intersection point, type "20" in rotation box and hit Enter.Without deselecting or anything, press Ctrl+D to duplicate and repeat the rotation.Repeat Ctrl+D until you have a full pattern circle.Select all eighteen parts and Combine.If you have done everything right and been careful about snapping to the right points, you should now have a perfect pattern.Switch to Shape tool, select all nodes, open the Join curves docker, choose Extend and hit Apply to join all end nodes and create one single curve.Adjust the line width and it should look like this:Good luck!
Yeah If I was going to create it that's pretty much how I would do it. I will say the math/ division isn't something I would use so that part would go right over my head and your thought process there makes it way easier and efficient!.
I was hoping there might be some kind of pattern or symmetry tool or modular way to do it though. Like if I wanted 9 "cogs" or 24 or whatever. But perhaps theres no tools/ processes that can do that? Or the nature of this pattern just doesn't suit such a process?
EC Graphics said:I was hoping there might be some kind of pattern or symmetry tool
Maybe you can find a way to do it with the Symmetry tool, but I doubt it will be any easier than my manual method.It is possible to create a symmetry with nine reflections and only create one "cog", but every other cog will then be mirrored so it will take some time to get them right and everything joined properly afterwards.Sorry Jason, no video tutorial from me, I've spent too much time on this already.
Yes the symmettry tool isn't the best way to do this. The only change i would make to Ronny's method would be to make all the additional elements Clones rather than plain copies. Then all updates to the master get pushed to the clones immediately.
Ronny Axelsson said:Press "+" on the numeric keypad to create a duplicate, click to bring up rotation handles,move center of rotation to guideline intersection point, type "20" in rotation box and hit Enter.Without deselecting or anything, press Ctrl+D to duplicate and repeat the rotation.Repeat Ctrl+D until you have a full pattern circle.
So this would become
Alt E, C, To clone the orginal. Then repeat Ronny's instructions.
Then delete the original clone that sits over the top of the master. NOW LEAVE ALL THE CLONES ALONE and only edit the Master. If you want to scale the master DO NOT USE the Pick tool handles as these chanes will not be transmitted to the clones since you broke this relationship by moving them, instead , using the shape tool select all nodes and then use the scaling tools there.