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Help with trimming shapes

New Here ,
Apr 05, 2021 Apr 05, 2021

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Hello Everyone,

I have drawn a flower shape that is quite complex, I want to layer multple flowers on top of each other (see screenshot), then be able to trim so that I'm left with a whole blue flower, a teal flower with the outline of the blue flower cut out in its top right hand corner and the pink flower having the outline of the blue and teal flower cut out from it. 

I've expanded my shapes, group them, then trim, the problem comes after when I need to ungroup to move the blue flower away and it's all in bits - is there a better way to do this or to make the flowers objects that are fixed so they don't ungroup?

Thanks in advance for any help

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Draw and design , Tools

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Adobe
Community Expert ,
Apr 05, 2021 Apr 05, 2021

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defaultms,

 

As I (mis)understand it, you can just create a Group of the paths forming each flower and then have the blue one on top of the teal one and the teal one on top of the red one, in the stacking order . You can do that by ClickDragging in the Layers panel, or by selecting the teal flower Group and then hold Ctrl/Cmd while pressing X and then F to put it on top, and then do the same for the blue flower Group.

 

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New Here ,
Apr 05, 2021 Apr 05, 2021

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Each flower is groupd individually - the problem arises when I use trim, the flowers need to be grouped together then trimmed then ungrouped, but when you ungroup it releases all the parts of each individual flower and it becomes a mess

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Community Expert ,
Apr 05, 2021 Apr 05, 2021

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I'm not really sure why you are trimming anything. Doesn't putting one on top of the other accomplish what you want? I would perhaps go a step further and create a symbol out of the flowers if they are complex, so that your file size doesn't get too large as you continue to work.

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New Here ,
Apr 05, 2021 Apr 05, 2021

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I'm trimming because I want to move them and create space in between the flowers after. Creating a symbol? I'm not sure what that does but I'll google it and test

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Community Expert ,
Apr 06, 2021 Apr 06, 2021

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You want space between them?

Applying a white border around each flower wouldn't be an opton?

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New Here ,
Apr 06, 2021 Apr 06, 2021

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Yes, I want space as I don't want the space to be uniform and I want the cut out shapes - this is so tricky, I can't seem to find help anywhere on the internet

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New Here ,
Apr 06, 2021 Apr 06, 2021

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I have expanded my shapes, groupes them, but when I minus front it's removing part of the shape behind it with it 🤷🏼‍:female_sign:

Screenshot 2021-04-06 at 11.49.37.png

Screenshot 2021-04-06 at 11.49.27.png

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Community Expert ,
Apr 06, 2021 Apr 06, 2021

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Groups and the pathfinder panel don't work together in the way you expect them to.

What you could do is copy the bottom shape (it's the only one youactually need to subtract) and then use it to punch the other shapes.

 

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New Here ,
Apr 06, 2021 Apr 06, 2021

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I've tried that too, it doesn't work 🙃

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Community Expert ,
Apr 06, 2021 Apr 06, 2021

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"doesn't work" doesn't help a lot unfortunately.

 

You use "Subtract", right? Or which pathfinder do you use?

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New Here ,
Apr 06, 2021 Apr 06, 2021

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Sorry, I'll be clearer, this is what happens when I subtract

Screenshot 2021-04-06 at 14.42.02.png

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Community Expert ,
Apr 06, 2021 Apr 06, 2021

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LATEST

To my mind you are having 2 issues:

- the groups don't go well with Pathfinder functions

- you are subtracting the complete group (instead of just the outer shape).

 

I would build this using white shapes to first create the gaps by covering up. When you're done with the design you can use the pathfinder "Merge". Then delete what you don't need. Done.

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Community Expert ,
Apr 05, 2021 Apr 05, 2021

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The Trim function breaks any groups that are included, and forms a single group of all the resulting elements. You can use the Group Selection Tool to select (and then group)the various pieces of each flower, or ungroup the whole then use the Selection Tool to select (then group) the parts of each flower.

 

On the other, or at least another, hand, you can use the Minus Front function in the Pathfinder panel something like this:

 

1) Be sure that each flower is a group, so three separate groups.

 

2) Select and copy the blue and teal flowers.

 

3) Select all, click Minus Front, then Paste in front.

 

4) Select and copy the blue flower.

 

5) Select the blue and teal flowers, Click Minus Front, then Paste in Front.

 

Each flower, appropriately trimmed, should now be a group that can be selected and moved.

 

Peter

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New Here ,
Apr 06, 2021 Apr 06, 2021

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Hi Peter,

Thanks for this suggestion - for some reason it makes them all disappear even though they are all grouped separately!

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