Combining Objects and Paths Questions and Answers Flashcards

What does the 'Divide' Pathfinder operation produce?

Answer: Separate filled shapes for every region created by overlapping edges

Divide splits all overlapping shapes at their intersections, creating individual closed, filled shapes for every distinct region formed by the overlapping edges.

How do you create a hole in a shape using the Compound Path technique?

Answer: Place a smaller shape on top and choose Object > Compound Path > Make

Creating a Compound Path from two overlapping shapes makes the overlapping region transparent, creating a genuine hole through which background content is visible.

What is the purpose of the 'Trim' Pathfinder operation?

Answer: It removes hidden portions of overlapping filled objects based on stacking order, leaving only visible areas

Trim removes the parts of objects that are hidden behind objects in front of them, keeping only the visible filled portions as separate paths.

How does the 'Exclude' Pathfinder operation handle overlapping shapes?

Answer: It keeps non-overlapping areas and makes overlapping areas transparent, toggling with each additional overlap

Exclude keeps the areas where shapes do not overlap and makes the overlapping regions transparent, with even numbers of overlaps becoming filled and odd numbers becoming transparent.

What happens when you release a Compound Shape back to its component shapes?

Answer: Each original shape is restored as an independent editable object with its original attributes

Releasing a Compound Shape (via the Pathfinder panel menu) restores all the original component shapes as separate, editable objects with their original fills and positions.

How do you join two open paths into a single continuous path?

Answer: Select both endpoints with the Direct Selection tool and choose Object > Path > Join

Selecting the two endpoints to connect (or selecting both open paths) and using Object > Path > Join (Ctrl/Cmd+J) connects them with a straight line segment.