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ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CS2
User Guide
The Variables palette uses the following icons to indicate a variable’s type:
•
Visibility variable
•
Text String variable
.
.
•
Linked File variable
.
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Graph Data variable
•
No Type (unbound) variable
You can sort the rows by clicking items in the header bar: by variable name, object name, or by variable type.
See also
“To work with palettes” on page 31
To create variables
You can create four types of variables in Illustrator: Graph Data, Linked File, Text String, and Visibility. A variable’s
type indicates which object attributes are changeable (dynamic).
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In the Variables palette, do one of the following:
•
To create a Visibility variable, select the objects that you want to show or hide and click the Make Visibility
Dynamic button
.
•
To create a Text String variable, select a type object and click the Make Object Dynamic button
•
To create a Linked File variable, select a linked file and click the Make Object Dynamic button.
•
To create a Graph Data variable, select a graph object and click the Make Object Dynamic button.
•
To create a variable without binding it to an object, click the New Variable button
. To subsequently bind an
object to the variable, select the object and the variable, and click the Make Visibility Dynamic button or the Make
Object Dynamic button.
Note:
The Variable palette menu also provides commands for creating variables.
See also
“About the Variables palette” on page 505
To edit variables
•
To change the name and type of a variable, double-click the variable in the Variables palette. Alternatively, select
the variable in the Variables palette, and choose Variable Options from the Variables palette menu.
•
To unbind a variable, click the Unbind Variable button
in the Variables palette, or choose Unbind Variable
from the Variables palette menu. Unbinding a variable breaks the link between a variable and its object.
•
To lock and unlock all variables in a document, click the Lock/Unlock Variables button
or
in the Variables
palette. Locking variables prevents you from creating variables, deleting variables, and editing variable options.
However, you can bind and unbind objects to locked variables.
See also
“About the Variables palette” on page 505
.
.
.