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How to divide a polar grid with pathfinder tool? (or concentric divider?)

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
May 27, 2020
3 replies
4339 views

Hello - I wonder if anyone can give me some advice on how to divide a shape created with the polar grid tool with the pathfinder tool.

I created a polar grid with 366 sections and want to minus an elipse from the centre to create a doughnut with 366 sections. I filled the polar grid sections (should I not do that?), and hoped I might be able to divide them using a concentric divider, but I can't seem to do that. Then I tried using the divide tool on pathfinder with an elipse over the top of the polar grid - but that doesn't seem to work either.

Very grateful for any advice on how best to achieve the doughtnut with 366 sections! thank you 🙂

Draw and design

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Correct answer Ton Frederiks

After you create a your filled Polar Grid:

Choose Object > Live Paint > Make

Choose Object > Live Pant > Expand

Select All and drag with the Alt key depressed with the Shape Builder tool (Shift M) over the center to delete it.

I the Layers panel you will see 2 groups, one with only strokes and one with only fills, maybe you ennd only the filled one and give the filled one a stroke (and delete the stroke only one).

Ton Frederiks

Correct answer

Community Expert

After you create a your filled Polar Grid:

Choose Object > Live Paint > Make

Choose Object > Live Pant > Expand

Select All and drag with the Alt key depressed with the Shape Builder tool (Shift M) over the center to delete it.

I the Layers panel you will see 2 groups, one with only strokes and one with only fills, maybe you ennd only the filled one and give the filled one a stroke (and delete the stroke only one).

H

heysharonaAuthor

Known Participant

Thank you Ton! Live Paint gave me the shapes i was looking for! yay thank you

Ton Frederiks

Community Expert

Good to hear that helped!

Jacob Bugge

Community Expert

Sharon,

It may get you out of trouble if you go back to the start, then select only the radial divider group and scale up by just a few percent, then try again.

Or, presuming you are using a new independent concentric divider on top of the polar grid, you can try to only select the new divider, then Object>Path>Divide Objects Below, then use Alt/Option ClickDragging with the Direct Selection Tool and Delete to remove the unwanted inner parts.

H

heysharonaAuthor

Known Participant

Hi Jacob, thank you very much for the reply. I've read your reply a few times and I'm struggling a bit, sorry. When you say scale up by a few percent do you mean make the polar grid little bit bigger? And I am using a brand new separate elipse to try to divide so yes independent from the polar grid.

I tried your suggestion of object - path - divide objects below (with no fill on the polar grid and then a fill on the polar grid) and neither option worked unfortunately.

Here are my dimensions: Polar grid 485mm by 485mm, radial dividers 366. No concentric dividers (unless that works better for this, I've tried it and couldn't make it work, but obviously I can be doing any part of this wrong) and no fill (although again I've tried with a fill too)

On top of this a central elipse of 197mm diameter. I want to deduct the centre elipse or concentric divider to end up with 366 wedge shaped (but with four corners each) sections. Like a massive very precisely cut doughnut.

Curiously I tried with a simpler polar grid, 20 radial dividers, and no problem, so maybe my number of radial dividers is causing a problem.

Thank you so much for your help, I am trying everything and I must be doing something simple wrong.

Doug A Roberts

Community Expert

You should be able to use Divide, then delete the inner sections.

Or use the shape builder tool. Select your shapes then alt-drag around the inner sections.

H

heysharonaAuthor

Known Participant

Hi Doug, thank you for your reply. Like I say, divide from pathfinder is not working so I'm doing something wrong. I'll try the shape-builder tool instead. I haven't used it before but I'll have a go 🙂

Doug A Roberts

Community Expert

What is Divide doing instead? Are you using the Pathfinder panel or the effects menu?

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