Spider Web Effect

[latchet_mcbride@adobeforums.com]

Hi All

I am trying to create a spider web effect and am not having much luck... any ideas. It can be lieteral or stylised as long as it suggest a web.

Thanks

Latchet

[Jacob_Bugge@adobeforums.com]

Latchet,

The easiest way to make a suggestion is to use a polar grid with more radial than concentric dividers (12 to 8 or something like that), but that wil be circular.

A much better way, to make a angular weblike thing, is to:
a) Pick the polygon tool, click somewhere and choose easy figures such as radius 6, 12 sides;
b) Place at X = Y = 0 and AltOTR to have opposite corners in vertical directio;
c) Make fill transparent;
d) CtrlC CtrlF AltOTS to copy to an easy fraction such as 20%;
e) Repeat to fill the polygon pattern, such as 40%, 60%, and 80%;
f) Make a path twice the radius and place it to connect the opposite corners;
g) CtrlC CtrlF AltOTR choosing Copy to copy the path to fit the other corners (30 degrees at 12 sides).

You may modify the shape afterwards to make it more realistic.

[latchet_mcbride@adobeforums.com]

Thanks Jacob, I will give your idea a crack.

[B. Philippus]

latchet:

another way is to draw a line, set stroke 1 pt, no fill, select it, with the rotate tool set the center at one end of the line, rotate and copy a number of times randomly, then from the center, make a spiral, decay 97%, segments 50, radius 2, then select everything, Object>Path>Outline Stroke, Alt-Add to Shape, then Object>Path>Simplify, straight lines only, 100% accuracy.

Bert

[Jacob_Bugge@adobeforums.com]

But actually, it is quite easy, and the shape really gets right if you do it the spider way:

Start with a straight path and add other radial paths more or less accurately, just draw them at about the right angle and drag them to cross in the same point.

Start a new path with points on the radial paths, a bit further from the centre in the first round and keep the distance from then on.

The inaccuracies just add to the feeling of watching a real web.

[Jacob_Bugge@adobeforums.com]

Bert,

I tried your solution earlier, but as far as I can see, the distance between the lines grow outwardly, whereas it is constant in a web.

[James_Talmage@adobeforums.com]

1. Rectangular Grid Tool. Drag out a grid. During mousedown use the up/down and left/right arrow keys to create as many horizontal and vertical dividers as you want.

2. Object>Envelope Distort>Make With Mesh. Set both Rows and Columns to 1.

3. DirectSelect the upper left corner point of the Mesh envelope. Drag it down across the grid toward the bottom right. You'll see the idea.

If not, see the PDF from a prior thread:

<http://www.IllustrationETC.com/AIbuds/AIGoofyGrids.pdf>

JET