Creating a curved guide and transforming a shape multiple things

[Gordon Donovan]

Hello - I cannot remember how to do this. I am missing a step or the language on what I need to do.

I want to make a circle, create a guide out of it. Then make a rectangle and transform multiple times on this circle guide. Hope I describing this okay. Thanks for help. 

[federico platon]

Do you wish to have several copies of a rectangle rotated, scaled or displaced sequentially, incrementally? That's a Blend.

Basically you create two objects (same or not) select them and use the Blend Tool or the Objects>Blend command.

Then you can adjust the intermediate items that are a blend an intermediate between both ends.

Initially a blend uses a spine or a linear line between both ends. If you select the blend and also another object (an ellipse or circle) you can turn or replace the spine, the blending path, with the path of that circle (Object>Blend>Replace Spine).

[Gordon Donovan]

Thanks, but don't need a blend

[rcraighead]

Or you can use "Effect>Distort & Transform>Transform to duplicate in a circle:

[federico platon]

Not a Blend? Seemed you were describing it. Then, please show us a draft of what you want to get. Thanks

[Kurt Gold]

You can use the Rotate tool and copy rotate around the centre point of the circular guide.

[meganchi]

To make a shape turn into a guide, select it and go to View menu...Guides...make guides.

But, I'd recommend to draw a circle, then create a pattern brush out of a square or rectangle shape to apply as a stroke to the circle. But, there are other good suggestions posted by others, too.