The Anatomy of a Vector Illustration Part 3A

Composite Paths and Object Grouping and Combining

Deneba Canvas™, Adobe® Illustrator®, CorelDRAW and Macromedia® FreeHand® also share the following features...

Objects may be:

1. Grouped or
2. Formed into Composite Paths or
3. Combined into new objects

The Differences Between Composite Paths and Object Grouping And Combining

1. Object Grouping

Objects retain all their original properties and appearance when grouped. Grouping allows them to be selected with a single click and moved, resized, deleted, etc. as a single unit. Grouping has no other affect on the original appearance of the objects. Below are examples of object groups:

2. Composite Paths

Creating a composite path from separate objects makes it possible to make doughnut-shapes and knockouts where more than one path is required. It is how the letter "O" is made. A composite path does not alter the original objects and it can be split into its original objects with a single command. Below are examples of the effect of creating composite paths out of the same objects:

3. Combining Objects

Combining objects is a means of merging existing shapes into new shapes. With object combining, the original objects are altered. In some cases the original objects can be recreated from the new shapes by ungrouping or reapplying object combining again to these new shapes. In other cases, however, the effects of object combining is not so easily undone. Below are examples of the effect of combining objects into new shapes:

How Each Application Defines Composite Paths and Object Grouping and Combining

Grouping and ungrouping objects, making and breaking composite paths and combining objects is supported by all four applications. The terms "group" and "ungroup" are identical between them. Composite paths and combined objects are defined differently, however:

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