Make Sides Equal Button In Polygon Transformation Properties

[Ghulam Mohyuddin]

In the process of equalizing the side lengths of a polygon, the side aligned with the shortest dimension of the bounding box determines the final length to which all sides will be equalized. Consider a hexagon where the top and bottom sides measure 35.58 mm, and the remaining four sides measure 29.25 mm. Which side will be used to equalize all the sides, and could you please provide a detailed explanation of this concept with this or another example?I have attached an example.

[Ghulam Mohyuddin]

"Could someone please provide an answer to this question?"

[barbara_a]

Illustrator is not very accurate when equalizing the sides.

In your example, it would seem from the tool tip that each side would end up measuring 29.25, but that is not the case. All the sides resize and none equal 29.25; all the sides are shorter than that.

This link may be helpful: https://www.deke.com/content/precisely-sizing-any-polygon-in-adobe-illustrator

[Monika Gause]

Please provide a detailed explanation and sample files to explain how this detail is crucial for your real world workflow.

[Ghulam Mohyuddin]

I am requesting only the information.

[Monika Gause]

What do you need that for?

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

The rectangle that contains your entire object is the bounding box. Illustrator is telling you that it will use the height of the shortest side of the bounding box side to calculate the size of the segements to make it proportional.

If you, say, had a 7-sided polygon, it would use the shortest bounding box side.

 

[Ghulam Mohyuddin]

Dear Brad @ Roaring Mouse,

I hope this message finds you well. I’m encountering an issue with a polygon in Adobe Illustrator that I would appreciate your guidance on.

Specifically, I have a polygon with one side aligned to the shortest side of the bounding box, which measures 22.04 pt. However, when I adjust the polygon so that all sides are equal, the side length changes to 18.64 pt instead of remaining at 22.04 pt.

Could you please advise why the side length does not stay at 22.04 pt when all sides are made equal? I’m unsure what is causing this discrepancy.

Thank you very much for your assistance.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

I should have drawn it like this: 

 

 

Normally when you draw an object using the polygon tool, it's drawn proportionally. If you have stretched it in any way, what the Equal Sides command is doing is bringing it back to the original proportions. Illustrator just chose to use the short side dimensions as the reference. It could have used the opposite, but it's just down to one or the other. You will notice all the segments on the short side will have the same "height"; Illustrator calculated how it had to scale the polygon to make all the segments equal length.