Spacing objects out by a certain amount

[DigitalChickster]

Hi all! I build charts for a company. The charts are generated online. But I download them and make them look better and fit into a specified space.

I find myself moving things one by one... and I'm wondering if there is a way to seperate a line of objects by a certain amount. For instance, I have 30 items spread out horizontally (and evenly) over 20". I want those items spread out over 10". But I don't want them smaller. I want them to remain the same size... just have less space between them. 

Is there a way to do this? 

The objects are not connected... or grouped, but the way. 

Thanks! 

[pixxxelschubser · Accepted solution]

Have you tried the Align Panel?

align with an base object

 

[Jacob Bugge]

Digital Chickster,

The Align>Distribute Spacing shown by Hans-Jürgen is the obvious way to get the new even spacing.

Especially if the (30) charts have different widths to complicate the determination of the Spacing value, you can let Illy (job description Adobe Ilustrator) help you do it exactly, first by an initial Distribute Spacing with the value 0 to establish their total width (W in the Transform panel) and subtract that from the desired total width (10"), then just insert the difference (the value of 10" - W) divided by (/) the number of spacings (29) as the Spacing value in the final Distribute Spacing.

[DigitalChickster]

Thank you both so much! I haven't perfected it yet, but I'm able to get the items squeezed up so that they take up less space... so then I can just drag the first one and last one to their respective locations... and then distribute them evenly. That itself saves me a ton of time. I'll work on getting it down even more precisily per your recommendations. Thanks again! 

[Jacob Bugge]

For my part you are welcome, Digital Chickster; I hope you will report your findings.

If all the charts have the same width, you can also simply set the Spacing to the desired spread minus sum of widths, divided by their number less one.