Merged-path around circle

Thank you very much for your help, but it seems that I will need to find another solution, as this one isn't working out for me.

Hey, thanks both!

Well, I'm trying to do the steps, Jacob, but when I select "Set Spacing-Specified Steps" to 1 (or any other number)

I get this:

What am I doing wrong here?

If I understand you, create the type with the Type on a Path tool applied to a circle, select the whole type object (not just the type itself), then go to Type menu > Create Outlines. The text will now be a group of paths rather than live type.

Peter

workinghere,

As I (mis)understand it, you may use this way, if it is all right to have the circle part run through the centres of the (compound) paths:

0) Cut the circle where you wish to have the centres of (the (Bounding Boxes of) the first and last objects;

1) Place all the shapes with equal spacing (or distributions, whichever is preferable) horizontally;

2) Object>Blend>Blend Options, set Spacing>Specified Steps = 1, and Orientation>Align to Path;

3) Object>Blend>Make;

4) ShiftSelect the circle cutout and Object>Blend>Replace Spine;

5) Object>Blend>Expand, then Direct Select the intermediate funny shapes and delete them.

This will give you the desired distribution of your shapes as a Group (or in 5) you may Ungroup and just Select the funnies and have the shapes ungrouped).

If you wish to have the circle act like the baseline as in Path Type (running under the (compound) paths, you will have to first create a set of mirrored copies beneath the baseline and give them an Opacity of 0, then Group each with its visible counterpart.

So it is much simpler to create the circle that bit larger.