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Rick Johnson

About Rick Johnson

https://rj-graffix.com

https://rj-graffix.com/about/

Posts by Adobe Wan Kenobe:

AxoTools Quick Tips videos

Today I released the first in a series of short videos covering topics relating to AxoTools, both using the plugin and doing technical illustration in general. The first video briefly describes different types of projections for the benefit of those who don’t come from a technical illustration background.

The next in the series will cover how to begin an isometric drawing in AxoTools. Other possible topics may include:

  • Using multiple line weights (including dashed break lines for curved surfaces) to suggest form and mass
  • Filling art with white to overlap parts
  • Using flow lines
  • Fill modes and other Draw panel options
  • What is that option to rotate ellipses when projecting?
  • Using the line tool to draw straight lines and to toggle line weights
  • Entering simple equations in text fields, plus auto-entry of measurements
  • Use the Extrude tool to draw a drop shadow (but never for an oblique projection!)
  • What’s the difference between the Transformations panel and Auxiliary projection panel?
  • Using the Measure tool
  • How does Project-in-Place work?
  • What are the Axo Zone tool and Projection Zones for?

If you have other suggestions for short video subjects, please leave a comment below!

AxoTools Qukck Tip: Projections

 

I’d like to thank Ron Kempke, AxoTools’ co-author, as well as Matt Jennings of Industrial Artworks, and Greg Maxson of Greg Maxson Illustration for the use of their illustrations and advice in getting this video series started.

Tag72a plugin from Worker723a now available

Tag72a automates the process of reporting information about your files by automatically creating and updating text objects that remain part of the file itself. Each of these properties have options allowing you to customize it to best serve the needs of your workflow.
Each time a document is saved or printed, the selected items will be automatically created or updated.
Reported properties of the document include:
  • User name
  • Document name
  • Document file path
  • Date saved
  • Date printed
  • Spot colors used
  • Fonts used

You can download and try Tag72a for free from the Worker72a product page. For detailed information, please see the Tag72a online documentation.

This is the same Tag72a plugin you’ve known from Worker72a, updated for Windows and Apple M1. Evaluate with 500 free trial uses.

Worker72a Locked or Hidden detector now available

Locked or HiddenThe Locked or Hidden Detector (LorH) is now available in the Worker72a collection. This plugin for Adobe Illustrator scans your documents for art objects that are locked or hidden. You can run it with a menu selection or set it to automatically scan every document you open.

This update now runs under Windows and on Apple’s new M1-series processors. You can download it and evaluate it with 500 free trial uses.

AxoTools adds Tangent Line tool

AxoTools now includes a new Tangent Line tool.
Tangent Line tool
To use it, move your cursor over a path near the point you want the tangent line to begin. You’ll see a guide line appear showing the tangent angle. Click on the path and drag a line, which will be constrained tangent to the path. If you press Alt or Option, the tangent point will be adjusted, if possible, to align with your cursor. If you drag to another path, the tool will draw concentric rings when it’s near a tangent point there. For best results, find the spot where the rings collapse into a solid blue ball.

tangent line tool dragging

If your Draw Settings have checked “Automatically concatenate lines” then paths at both the start and end points will be cut and concatenated (joined). While dragging, you can press the keys “J” to toggle line concatenation or “W” to automatically assign stroke widths to path remnants.
The preferences includes a new item for “Curve tangent precision” which will affect both the Tangent Line tool and the extruding process for curve fitting. The default value of 0.1 will probably work fine for most or all of your work, but you can adjust it as high as 1 for faster performance or as fine as 0.001 for the most precision.
I’ve actually wanted a tool like this for my own work since the 90s, so it’s a thrill to be able to finally offer it to other AxoTools users. The added tool is part of a free update, available for download now.
I hope you find it useful!

Worker72a Text Overflow Alert now available

wopdThe second Worker72a plugin is now available here. When Text Overflow Alert is installed, it automatically scans all  documents when opened for text frames or text paths with overflowed text, and selects it for you to inspect and edit as needed. You can read more about it on its product page or follow upcoming Worker 72a plugins on the Worker72a download page.

The plugin is on sale through August 2022, with prices as low as $3.00 for an individual license.

Look for more Worker72a plugins in the near future.

Easy isometric grids

isometric gridAn isometric grid is one of the most commonly asked-for features in AxoTools, as well as a frequent topic on the Adobe Illustrator user forum. It would be really nice if Adobe Illustrator’s Perspective Grid presets included Isometric, but that’s not an option right now. In the meantime, there are some easy alternatives.

If you’re lucky enough to have Hot Door’s CADtools, an axonometric grid tool is already built in.

For the rest of us, just do a simple internet search, you’ll probably come up with a gazillion links showing how to make your own. For example, there’s this short tutorial by envatotuts+ on “How to Create an Isometric Grid in Less Than 2 Minutes.” Essentially, you create a rectangular grid with Illustrator’s built-in Rectangular Grid tool, then project it to isometric using any of several methods.

But it gets even easier! Your internet search results will likely include many Adobe Illustrator documents with an isometric grid already built. Just download it and save it as a template to use any time you need it!

So, considering how isometric grids are so easily and readily available, it’s not likely to be added to AxoTools any time soon. Instead, you can expect new features that are really new.

Worker72a plugins now part of Graffix

Worker 72a

Worker72a is now part of the Graffix family of Adobe Illustrator plugins

Doug Habben has been writing Adobe Illustrator plugins for a couple of decades, and in 2006 began offering them to the public under the banner of Worker72a. Doug and I have been in touch for many years, trading tips as fellow part-time plugin developers. After several years of retirement from his day job, Doug decided to retire from his own business, as well, and contacted me about handling and maintaining his plugins going forward. We obviously reached an agreement and for the first time, Worker72a plugins will be available for Windows, and also run natively on the new Apple M1 processors.

wopdThe first of Doug’s plugins to migrate over is White Overprint Detector. When installed, it automatically scans all opened documents for text or path art with white overprinting strokes or fills, and selects it for you to inspect and edit as needed. You can read more about it on its product page or follow upcoming Worker 72a plugins on the Worker72a download page.

The plugin is on sale through August 2022, with prices as low as $3.00 for an individual license.

Best wishes to Doug in his “other” retirement!

AxoTools improves CADtools integration

works with CADtools

If you use Hot Door’s CADtools plugin for Adobe Illustrator, you already know how AxoTools complements its extensive set of tools and features with additional options for axonometric drawing. With CADtools to quickly and accurately create orthographic art and AxoTools to project and finish axonometric views, you’ve got the best set of technical illustration tools available for Adobe Illustrator.

AxoTools has improved its integration with Hot Door’s CADtools plugin to share axonometric projections and document scales. To enable this, first select one or both of the CADtools options in AxoTools’ Preferences dialog.

The preferences dialog can be called by double-clicking any of the AxoTools tools or in the menus at Illustrator > Preferences > Graffix Plugins > AxoTools… (Mac) or Edit > Preferences > Graffix Plugins > AxoTools… (Windows).

preferences for CADtools

CADtools offers an extensive array of options for formatting values, but in AxoTools you’ll have to choose from the presets in the Scale units menu in the Preferences dialog.

To import CADtools’ scale or axonometric settings as set in its CADaxonometric panel, first ensure that you have CADtools installed and have checked the AxoTools preference to use CADtools axonometric view. Next select “Load CADtools settings” from the flyout menu in AxoTools’ Projection panel. The first time you do this, it may take a few seconds to make the connection from one plugin to another, but subsequent calls to CADtools will happen very quickly.

AT/CT projection settings

If you change the scale or axonometric settings in CADtools, AxoTools will not be alerted and so cannot automatically import the new settings. In that case, you must manually update AxoTools by selecting “Load CADtools settings” again from the Projection panel’s flyout menu. Every time you open or change your current document, AxoTools will look for CADtools to import its settings. If you don’t have CADtools installed, it’s recommended that you uncheck these two settings.

For more information on Hot Door’s excellent CADtools plugin, please visit https://hotdoor.com.

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