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ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CS2
User Guide
Compound shapes
Compound shapes let you combine multiple objects and specify how you want each object to interact with the other
objects. Compound shapes are more versatile than compound paths because they provide four kinds of interactions:
add, subtract, intersect, and exclude. In addition, you can select each object within a compound shape to edit it or
change its interaction mode.
Pathfinder effects
Pathfinder effects let you combine multiple objects using one of ten interaction modes. Unlike compound shapes,
you can’t edit the interactions between objects when you use a Pathfinder effect.
About compound shapes
A
compound shape
is editable art consisting of two or more objects, each assigned a shape mode. Compound shapes
make it easy to create complex shapes because you can precisely manipulate the shape mode, stacking order, shape,
location, and appearance of each path included.
Compound shapes act as grouped objects and appear as <Compound Shape> items in the Layers palette. You can
use the Layers palette to show, select, and manipulate the contents of a compound shape—for example, to change the
stacking order of its components. You can also use the Direct Selection tool or the Group Selection tool to select
components of a compound shape.
When you create a compound shape, it takes on the paint and transparency attributes of the topmost component in
Add, Intersect, or Exclude mode. Subsequently, you can change the paint, style, or transparency attributes of the
compound shape. Illustrator facilitates this process by automatically targeting the whole compound shape when you
select any part of it, unless you explicitly target a component in the Layers palette.
A
B
C
D
Working with compound shapes
A.
Original objects
B.
Compound shape created
C.
Individual shape modes applied to each component
D.
Style applied to entire compound
shape