Skip to main content
Participant
August 15, 2019
Answered

How can I fix the angle of arrowheads?

  • August 15, 2019
  • 5 replies
  • 3236 views

When Arrowheads or Pattern Brush is applied, the direction of the tip changes in conjunction with the direction of the line.

How can I implement an object like the one shown in the image (left) with a single line or open path?

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Kurt Gold

    Here is a variation of the Scatter Brush approach (CC format, ca. 60 kb). The diferrence is that it works even with very long lines (not the powdered substances).

    https://drive.google.com/open?id=150UY4WQWIsGGf_4UAyEfPVjeOPxAKIuq

    5 replies

    kphotopage
    Legend
    August 17, 2019

    I took the same approach as Monika Gause

    Modify your Arrowheads.ai file.

    Create your own “Star” Arrow.

    New Document.

    Draw a Stroke path.

    Apply your new custom Arrowhead in the Stroke Panel.

    Can Save As a Graphic Style if wish.

    The ONLY problem I had was saving that given Adobe file!

    Presently I am working with:

    macOS Sierra, Version 10.12.6

    Illustrator CC 2019, Version 23.0.4

    Well it seems I’m NOT the only one!

    https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2558935

    K

    Monika Gause
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    August 17, 2019

    kphotopage  schrieb

    The ONLY problem I had was saving that given Adobe file!

    Your system has locked the folder. Save it elsewhere and then move it there.

    But I would suggest putting the changed file into the Plugins folder anyway, so the one in the support files stays unaltered.

    26117508Author
    Participant
    August 15, 2019

    Yes. I use "Reverse path direction"!

    tromboniator
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    August 15, 2019

    Draw a line segment of necessary length, angle, stroke weight, and color. Make the desired arrowhead shape into a scatter brush. In the Appearance panel Add New Stroke and apply the scatter brush. In the Brushes panel flyout menu select Options of Selected Object. Set Rotation relative to Page. Increase the Spacing percentage until you have one arrowhead at each end of the line segment.

    Peter

    Kurt Gold
    Community Expert
    Kurt GoldCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    August 15, 2019

    Here is a variation of the Scatter Brush approach (CC format, ca. 60 kb). The diferrence is that it works even with very long lines (not the powdered substances).

    https://drive.google.com/open?id=150UY4WQWIsGGf_4UAyEfPVjeOPxAKIuq

    26117508Author
    Participant
    August 15, 2019

    Thank you so much! I understand.

    Thanks to everyone who answered.

    JETalmage
    Inspiring
    August 15, 2019

    There is no option for Arrowheads to maintain their current rotational orientation relative to the page. Scatter Brushes have that option, but there is no way to have the base artwork of a Scatter Brush only occur at path ends. Pattern Brushes have End Tiles separate from the Tiles repeated along the path. But End Tiles of Pattern Brushes also always rotate according to the direction of the path (and cannot be set to disallow distortion).

    What you want could be easily done in a program which provides live connector lines.

    In Illustrator, just store the star as a Symbol and manually snap instances of the Symbol to the end points of separate paths.

    JET

    Monika Gause
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    August 15, 2019

    To get an arrowhaed just at the beginning or the end of the path, you can set up your own arrowhead.

    To do this open the arrowheads.ai file from the application folder and use the direction directly in the file to edit it.

    How to apply strokes in Illustrator

    (the location of the file on a Mac has changed in the meantime. It is located in the Support files as well in recent versions)