How can I close path gaps automatically?

[BaCbDc]

I traced my scanned pencil drawing with "Image Trace"

and pressed the "Expand" button.

This is a zoomed part of my drawing with the blue marked paths:

You can see there are a lot of gaps.

I thought I could close them with Object->Path->Join

But then I get the message:

"The selected objects cannot be joined as they are invalid objects

(Compound paths, Closed paths, Text objects, Graphs, Live Paint group).

You can use Join command to connect two or more paths, paths in groups;

or to close an open path."

Is that the right function to close path gaps?

And what have I to do so that I don't get that message.

Or is there another function to close all path gaps automatically?

For the "Live Paint Bucket" function there is a gap detection function

to colour not really closed paths.

I saw there is a "Close gaps with paths" button in the

"Live Paint Bucket" function. But first of all it is

disabled (why?) and second I don't know if it's the right place

because I don't want to paint an area. I only want to

close all path gaps of my drawing automatically.

So how can I do this?

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

You need to either edit the existing paths by moving anchor points around. Or use e.g. the blob brush tool and draw lines in-between.

[rcraighead]

Live Paint Group "Close Gaps" only refers to how AI handles "Fillable" areas of a Live Paint group. It does not actually alter the paths.

Like Monika said, using the blob is probably the most direct route. If you are using a pressure sensitive input device it will closely mimic the pencil quality. It will also automatically merge with the existing strokes.

[Steve Fairbairn]

As well as what others say, you can save yourself a lot of work by checking that there aren’t any gaps in your original drawing.

Gappy lines like this are much more easily remedied by hand, prior to scanning.

[Kris Hunt]

Object > Path > Join is for joining the endpoints of one or two open paths. What you have here is a series of closed paths. You would get fewer gaps if you used Image Trace on ink lines instead of pencil lines since the darkness of the stroke would vary less.

[BaCbDc]

Thank you for all answers.

[Ton Frederiks]

Or try to change the trace settings, like I suggested in your other thread:

How to complete open paths of Image Trace (automatically)?

[CamilleFavreau]

Hi there,

I'm having a similar issue and I am trying to move my anchor points in the different segments of the 5 around and snap them into alignment even after I do Object > Path > Join with all of them selected, it doesn't. I also tried drawing new lines in between the gaps and that doesn't work either. 

Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong? 

trying to close make the 5 closedtrying to close make the 5 closed