Pattern Along a Path

[midazolam@adobeforums.com]

Hi everyone -

I'm trying to create a displacement/texture map for a 3D program. I'm trying to create the seam of a baseball. What I have is a path that is shaped like a figure 8 but that doesn't cross itself (rather like a bone). I'm trying to get the stitching to follow that path - when I try to use a custom brush, it distorts as it follows the path. basically I'm trying to make a shape like a / or a > follow the path, rotating appropriately as it corners, etc.

Suggestions?

It doesn't have to be in Illustrator, either. I was also wondering if you can create a custom brush in Photoshop and apply it to a working path there.

Thanks!

:m

[Wade_Zimmerman@adobeforums.com]

Try making a blend and use the appropriate orientation in the blend options and the replace the spine make sure you cut your shape if it is a closed shape it won't space evenly.

[midazolam@adobeforums.com]

OK I tried your suggestion, and either I'm doing something wrong (most likely) or it's not the solution to the problem. I split my peanut-shaped path into 2 so that it would be open, made my short diagonal stroke for the stitch, but when I try a blend, it makes the half-peanut shape scale down along the diagonal of the stitch. It doesn't seem to matter which item I click first, nor where/which point I click on either path - it always changes the peanut shape rather than causing the diagonal shape to follow the path. I have it set to orient to the path and for now to repeat 10 times.

Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks!

:m

[Doug_Katz@adobeforums.com]

A custom scatter brush might be perfect for this:

Draw a single stitch, perhaps with the arc tool. If you want to get fancy, place a tiny filled ellipse at each end to mimic the threading's penetration through the leather.

Group the configuration and drag it to the Brushes palette. Make it scatter brush when asked and set Rotation Relative to Path (that's important).

Apply the brush to your bone-shaped path. It won't look good at this point. But now double click the brush in the Brushes palette. Turn on Preview, and begin to adjust the Size and (important) Spacing and (also important) Rotation sliders.

I was able to get pretty darn close to the look of a baseball's seam.

Wade's blend certainly will also work. As would a custom brush with appropriate spacing in Photoshop.

[midazolam@adobeforums.com]

Thanks, Doug!

I know this is off topic for the Illustrator forum, but do you make custom brushed in Photoshop the same way - by dragging them to the brushes palette? I didn't have much luck doing that...

Thanks again - I'm going to give the scatter brush a try!

:m

[Doug_Katz@adobeforums.com]

In Photoshop, you must make your brush on the canvas, then draw a marquee around it and Edit>Define Brush.

But I'd try the AICS scatter brush first.