I'm hoping someone can assist me with this. I am wanting to take a vector that has multiple objects and "merge/flatten" them to form one object that only has nodes/curves around the outside of the image. When I flatten the image it loses resolution and appears not to be a vector any more. The reason I want to eliminate all the node/curves of the separate objects and only have nodes on the outside border of the image is for people to use the design with a cutting machine. If all the objects have nodes the cutting machine will cut around each object instead of the whole image. I've spent days trying to work out and find out how to do this to no avail! I'm desperate! Could someone please help? Thanks. Helen
select all and go Object/Shaping/Boundary. Cut, select all your shapes and rasterize them i.e Go Bitmaps/Convert to Bitmap - rgb at 300dpi. Now paste and you'll have a vector cut line around your "flattened image"
Hi. Thanks for your reply. When I convert to a bitmap the image is no longer a vector and loses its resolution. This appears to be the case but am I mistaken? What I am wanting to do is join all the objects while keeping it as a vector.