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

[heysharona]

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 🙂

[Doug A Roberts]

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.

[heysharona]

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]

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

[heysharona]

Hi Doug, thank you very much for your reply, I am using the pathfinder panel, I get various results - the closest to correct was I got about 5 radial sections as i wanted then a large grouped path, which i continually ungrouped until i wouldn't let me anymore, and i was left with four sections which were about a 5th of the doughnut each. I could use those paths to divide yet another elipse below but it got very confusing. I had to use about 30 elipses and keep dividing to make the path into the small 366 radial sections. And the further away from the correct process I go, the more I worry i might be making mistakes. 

thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate it.

[Doug A Roberts]

[Jacob Bugge]

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.

[heysharona]

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.

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

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).

[heysharona]

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

[Ton Frederiks]

Good to hear that helped!