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Answered

Apply Warp Effects to Strokes

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
September 1, 2023
3 replies
1838 views

I think the title explains it. I am specifically trying to apply a "Flag" effect to a stroke so that I can create a wavy line with an arrowhead at one end of the stroke without having to expand the stroke and subsiquently distort the arrow head.

Similarly, I would like to be able to apply a "Flag" effect to a stroke so that I can quickly and cleanly create a type path that has a wave in it to avoid distorting the text.

Some of the other Warp effects will affect the stroke, but "Flag" does not.

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer Kurt Gold

The issue in that case is that the Flag effect in conjunction with horizontal (or vertical) open stroked lines does only work if the open stroked lines are grouped. Even a single line.

The first instance of the Flag effect will then only do an almost invisible wave, even if you set its bending to 100 %.

Therefore you have to take multiple instances of the effect in order to get a big wave. I'm not sure if that is intended behaviour or not, but it works that way.

To get the undistorted arrowhead, an additional stroke was applied to the group.

You are right that it is more complicated as it should be, but I cannot change it.

Kurt Gold

Community Expert

Is this what you are looking for?

Flag Arrowhead (sample Illustrator file)

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Zac12Author

Participating Frequently

Yes! Albiet not as simple as it should be. Can you explain how you achieved this and why it was necissary to apply 4 instances of the Flag effect in order to get this to work? I attempted to replicate this with zero luck, you can see in my screenshot that the stroke is completely unaffected by my multiple instances of the Flag effect being applied to it in the same manner that your file was set up. Thank you!

Kurt Gold

Correct answer

Community Expert

The issue in that case is that the Flag effect in conjunction with horizontal (or vertical) open stroked lines does only work if the open stroked lines are grouped. Even a single line.

The first instance of the Flag effect will then only do an almost invisible wave, even if you set its bending to 100 %.

Therefore you have to take multiple instances of the effect in order to get a big wave. I'm not sure if that is intended behaviour or not, but it works that way.

To get the undistorted arrowhead, an additional stroke was applied to the group.

You are right that it is more complicated as it should be, but I cannot change it.

meganchi

Legend

Select your arrowhead stroke, then go to the Object menu/Envelope Distort/Make with Warp. Then select the Flag warp. If you need to edit your arrowhead or stroke width, then you can go back into the Envelope Distort menu and select, Edit Contents.

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Zac12Author

Participating Frequently

Thank you, unfortunately this still distorts the contents. I would like the arrowhead to maintain it's integrity and not follow the curviture of the wave.

Ares Hovhannesyan

Community Expert

T use Twirl Tool and Puppet Warp Tool. May be this can be a solution for you?.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

The zigzag effect set to smooth does not do it?

I do not understand that thing about the text. You cannot type path text on the stroke what the effect is applied to it. You can apply a distort effect to text, but then it will affect the text as well.

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Zac12Author

Participating Frequently

This is close! The Zig Zag effect does create a wavy effect that doesn't distort the arrowhead, however it's not quite the "Flag" effect I'm looking for with this solution. You can see below, from top to bottom, the Zig Zag applied with 1 segment, the Zig Zag applied with 2 segments, and finally at the bottom the flag effect I'm looking for, but I had to create it manually with a middle anchor and the Anchor Point Tool. I'm really looking to use the functionality of the "Flag" effect so that it's clean and easily editable.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

You could try the Twist effect.

But it's tricky, since it also can distort the path.

WHat you can do is first apply the roughen effect, set the first value to 0 and then a low number of points.

Then apply Twist. Maybe it works.

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