Editing mesh objects
When you create a mesh object, multiple lines called mesh lines crisscross the object and provide a way to easily manipulate color transitions on the object. By moving and editing points on the mesh lines, you can change the intensity of a color shift, or change the extent of a colored area on the object. At the intersection of two mesh lines is a special kind of anchor point called a mesh point. Mesh points appear as diamonds and have all of the same properties as anchor points but with the added capability of accepting color. You can add and delete mesh points, edit the mesh points, or change the color associated with each mesh point. Anchor points also appear in the mesh (differentiated by their square rather than diamond shape), and can be added, deleted, edited, and moved as with any anchor points in Illustrator. Anchor points can be placed on any mesh line; you can click an anchor point and drag its direction lines to modify it. (See About direction lines and direction points.) The area between any four mesh points is called the mesh patch. You can also change the color of the mesh patch using the same techniques as changing colors on a mesh point. Diagram of a mesh object A. Mesh line B. Mesh patch C. Mesh point D. Anchor point To convert a mesh object back to a path object, select the mesh object, choose Object > Path > Offset Path, and then enter zero for the offset value.
To add or delete mesh points and mesh lines: - Select the Mesh tool
. - Do any of the following:
- To add a mesh point colored with the current fill color, click anywhere in the mesh object. The corresponding mesh lines extend from the new mesh point to the edges of the object. Clicking on an existing mesh line adds a single intersecting mesh line.
- To add a mesh point without changing to the current fill color, press Shift and click.
- To delete a mesh point and the corresponding mesh lines, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) directly on the mesh point.
To edit a mesh point: - Select the Mesh tool or the Direct Select tool and click directly on a mesh point. Direction lines appear on the mesh point.
- Do any of the following using either the Mesh tool or the Direct Select tool, or as instructed:
- To change a mesh point's color, see Adjusting colors on mesh objects.
- Drag the mesh point to freely move the mesh point and the connecting mesh lines.
- Drag the direction points on the direction lines to edit the mesh point as you would any anchor point. For more information about editing anchor points, see Adjusting paths.
- To move all direction lines from the mesh point at once, Shift-drag a direction point using the Mesh tool.
- Use the Direct Selection tool, the Convert Selection Point tool, or the transformation tools to edit mesh points.
- To constrain the movement to follow a mesh line, hold down Shift while dragging the mesh point with the Mesh tool. This is a convenient way to move a mesh point along a curved mesh line without distorting the mesh line.
Dragging to move mesh point (left) compared to Shift- dragging with the Mesh tool to constrain the point to the mesh line (right)
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