ai CS: Can't Move Type Along PATH!!!

[Dr_Strik9@adobeforums.com]

I have a single line of type on a path in ai CS. In the help files, it says to 1. select the type object. 2. Place your cursor over the Center vertical line util you see an icon. 3. Drag the type along the path.

Well, the ICON NEVER APPEARS.

What's the secret to moving type along a path?

Thanks,
Michael

[Dr_Strik9@adobeforums.com]

Well, nevermind. Quit and rebooted ai and it works now.

Go figure.

[Dr_Strik9@adobeforums.com]

Oops. Spoke too soon. Moved the type along the path ONCE, and now it won't move again.

I really don't have the time to quit ai CS and reboot it every time I need to move type along a path!

Is this a bug, or is there some other secret to it?

Thanks,
Michael

[Dr_Strik9@adobeforums.com]

Quitting ai CS this time didn't fix it. I seem to be STUCK! The only way to "move" the type along a path is to recreate the path, recreate the type, and hope it's in the right place this time.

:-( Not an acceptable solution at all. :-(

Michael

[Gary_Newman@adobeforums.com]

Deselect the path, then, with the Direct Select tool, select the end point of the path. Now hit the right arrow key repeatedly to slowly nudge the type aong the path.

Not really. It's April 1. Go into Preferences - Type and Autotracing. Turn OFF Type Object Selection by Path Only (I know... I like working by path selection only, too, which make this a slight pain, but that's the fix.)

[Wade_Zimmerman@adobeforums.com]

There is actually another way to move it along the path and keep select type object by path only selected which is to put the type cursor at the beginning of the text and either use the space bar or tab and delete key.

Also not the best solution. I think this should be fixed.

[Doug_Katz@adobeforums.com]

Why am I not having trouble with this? Where are you guys dragging from? If I drag from EITHER the vertical bar at the type's starting point or the vertical bar at its center point, I seem to be able to drag to my heart's content.

[Gary_Newman@adobeforums.com]

Doug - Do you have your prefs set to select type by it's baseline only (can't select it by clicking on the characters themselves)?

[Wade_Zimmerman@adobeforums.com]

I made that mistake once too Doug and I thought Gary was crazy until I realize I had turn this off. I also prefer it the other way as Gary the Dr like it but you can't have everything.

[Doug_Katz@adobeforums.com]

Yes I do have it UNchecked. But I thought you all were saying you were having the problem WITH it unchecked. My mistake. Seems to me you'll have a devil of a time moving it if you have that option CHECKED.

[Dr_Strik9@adobeforums.com]

Thanks for the tip of turning off select type by path only in Prefs.

You'd think they would at least put that in the manual. :-(

Michael

[Gary_Newman@adobeforums.com]

I don't think it should be in the program.

[Wade_Zimmerman@adobeforums.com]

I agree.

[jonf@adobeforums.com]

Hopefully I'm not screwing things up by misunderstanding the description, but you don't have to change preferences to select the path and get the I-beam icon. If you're using the direct select tool all you need to do is marquis-select the alignment-end of your text. (That is, drag your selection area around the furthest character to the left if you're left-justified, or the center of the text if your text is centered, etc.)

I'm guessing he was trying to move the text by selecting text with the Type tool, or by selecting the line only with the direct-select tool. I know I've made both errors.

[Gary_Newman@adobeforums.com]

He's talking about dragging one of the I-beams to move the type along the path.

[Randy_Hare@adobeforums.com]

Hi all,
Okay, I'm using CS in Panther, and the tool works like the help file says for me WITH the "type object by path only" preference, but you have to access the direct selection tool from the type tool by pressing the command key. (There is a little bit of odd behavior as that preference changes as long as the type tool is selected and you access the direct selection tool by pressing the command key. In that situation, the type is selectable within its bounding box--not just by the path.) So Dr., when your type object is selected, do you see squares appear at the ends of the path? They are the key here. Otherwise the path is selected or you are in text edit mode.While they are showing moving your (command key pressed) direct selection tool over the vertical bars changes the cursor to a little arrow thingamabob (sorry!) with which you can then move the text. The only caveat seems to be that the cursor must be EXACTLY on bars before it will change to the new cursor with an arrow. This does not seem to work if you try to use the direct selection tool by clicking on it in the tool bar. Go figure! I hope it will work for you now this way.

[Wade_Zimmerman@adobeforums.com]

Well actually with the command key technique as mentioned above which is the way I normally work with text you can use the direct select tool or the selection tool as well either would work. And it works in Jaguar as well.

Also I still think it should not be this way.

[Dr_Strik9@adobeforums.com]

Randy,

Thanks, you're right it works fine. But I don't think I would have EVER found that obscure set of circumstances (having the Type tool selected before hitting command to get the direct-select tool), and I don't think it's in the manual that way. (It might be, but it wasn't in the help files.)

Anyway, thanks. I just don't like not being able to select type by path only. For me it's much cleaner this way. :-)

Best,
Michael

"It's buggy until I understand it."

[Gary_Newman@adobeforums.com]

Hey, Randy - thanks for that tip. I also think you should be able to drag type along a path using just the Direct Select tool (I don't care about the regular selection tool - I never use it for anything), and the fact that you can't (with type selection by path only turned on, which is the way I like to work) mkaes it a bug. But it works fine if I access the DS tool with the Command key from the Type tool, and that gets me back most of the functionality I thought I'd lost.

[jonf@adobeforums.com]

"He's talking about dragging one of the I-beams to move the type along the path."

I know. But it sounds like he can't find the I-beam. I'm just saying the easiest way to make the I-beam show up is to use a marquis-selection to enclose it. That is, click outside the text area, and drag a selection marquis box around it. For me, that gets the I-beam to show up every time.