Angle

Moves, or offsets, the selected artwork in a random way. There are two different ways to specify movement: by distance and angle, or by horizontal and vertical components.

1. Angle type selector

When randomizing movement using distance and angle, the angle may be specified either as an absolute value or a value calculated by starting at a specific point and passing through a point relative to the art. When the angle is Absolute, all the objects will move in the same direction (though by differing amounts). When the angle is Relative, each object will, in general, move in a different direction. Relative angles are useful for causing art to appear to move towards or spread out from a certain spot. 

Randomino Move Relative Angles

2. Relative Angle start point

The coordinates may be entered manually, or specified by clicking the small point setter icon to the right of the coordinate inputs, which enables a tool that allows you to click at the point’s position.

3. Relative Angle end point

May be specified as either the art’s bounding box center, the art’s first anchor point (for paths only), or the art’s last anchor point (for paths only).

4. Parameter checkboxes

When randomizing movement using horizontal and vertical components, the components may be enabled independently by ticking or unticking the corresponding checkbox.

5. Objects/Patterns checkboxes

Similar to Illustrator’s native Move dialog, movement randomization can be independently applied to patterns within the objects.

Length/Radius Specification

Allows you to numerically specify the length (for linear gradients) or radius (for radial gradients) of the selected gradients.

Gradiator Panel Change Length Example

By default, the length is adjusted from the origin (i.e., the left side, for linear gradients with no rotation). To adjust the length from the middle of the gradient, enable the preference Adjust Linear Gradient Lengths From Center (see Gradiator Preferences).

Note that Illustrator places lower limits on the length of a gradient. Specifically, it cannot be less than 0.1% of the default (fitted) length. A warning message will be displayed if the gradient length could not be changed to the length specified.

Fit to Path Button

The Fit to Path button resets the length (and origin) of each gradient to the default values that Illustrator assigns whenever the path’s geometry is edited, causing linear gradients to precisely stretch across the entire bounds of the path.

Gradiator Panel Fit to Path Example

For radial gradients, the default fit is more complicated: its radius is set to half the hypotenuse of the bounding box divided by the square root of 2.

Angle Specification

By default, the Gradiator panel angle control is in Absolute mode; i.e., the value you enter becomes the gradient’s new angle (the same as the native Gradient panel). However, either through the preferences or by Option/Alt-clicking on the angle icon, you can change this mode to Relative. In this mode (indicated by a change in icon), the value specified is added to the current angle of each gradient when the now-visible Change button is clicked.

Gradiator Panel Relative Angle Section

Holding Shift when clicking the Change button has the effect of reversing the sign of the angle value (thereby causing the gradient to rotate in the opposite direction).

Aspect Ratio Specification

This control is only enabled when a radial gradient is present in the selection. Unlike the native gradient panel, you can change the aspect ratio of all selected radial gradients even if there are linear gradients also present in the selection.

Angle Cap is an Astute Graphics live effect for stroked, open paths that allows for angled end caps, where the flat end of the stroke runs at an adjustable angle to the perpendicular of the path. The angle can be fixed at a certain value (for example, always horizontal), or can be relative to the path’s angle.

As with most live effects, Angle Cap appears in the main menu, under Effect > AG Utilities. It can also be applied directly from the Appearance panel using the “Add New Effect” button at the bottom of the panel.

Angle Cap Live Effect Example

Angle Cap Parameters Dialog

After applying the live effect using the menu item (or when clicking on the existing effect in the Appearance panel to edit it), the parameters dialog will appear: 

Angle Cap Parameters Dialog

1. Start

The Start checkbox enables or disables modification of the stroke cap at the start of the path.

2. Start Angle

Specifies the angle of the end of the stroke’s cap. In Absolute mode, this angle is fixed (does not depend on the path angle) and can range from –360° to 360° using the normal Illustrator convention of angles (0° is to the right):

Angle Cap Absolute Mode

In Relative to Path mode, the angle is relative to a line drawn perpendicular to the path at its tip, and can range from –90° to 90°, where 0° means no change from the normal perpendicular angle:

Angle Cap Relative to Path Mode

3. Start Absolute/Relative

Specifies the mode of the start cap angle (see Start Angle).

4. Link Start & End

Clicking on the icon toggles its state. When “linked,” making changes to either the Start or End parameters will simultaneously affect the opposite side.

5. End

The End checkbox enables or disables modification of the stroke cap at the end of the path.

6. End Angle

As per the Start angle, but for the end (last anchor point) of the path.

7. End Absolute/Relative

Specifies the mode of the end cap angle (see Start Angle).

8. Extension Limit

Similar to the native miter limit for corner joins, the Extension Limit is necessary to keep an angled cap from extending out infinitely as the cap’s angle gets closer and closer to the path’s tangent angle. The value represents the maximum length of the cap as a multiple of the path’s width, and can range from 5 to 500.

Angle Cap Extension Limit

9. Informational area

Shows a brief description of each control when the cursor is being hovered over it.

10. Preview

As with all live effects, when enabled, changing a parameter will immediately update the artwork while the dialog is still open.

11. Help Button

Opens the help documentation in the Astute Manager. If this does not automatically appear, please ensure your Astute Manager is running first.

Angle Cap: Inside, Outside, and Variable Width Strokes

Because these types of strokes are actually converted to closed, filled paths inside the live effect mechanism, Angle Cap cannot be used with them.

Angle Cap: Dashed Strokes

When Aligned dashes are used, the dashes at the start and end of the path are generally converted to separate open paths inside the live effect mechanism, and thus will receive angle caps of their own, producing unexpected results. To put angle caps on each dash, use the Astute Graphics Dashify live effect instead of a dashed stroke. 

Angle Cap with Dashes

Angle Cap: Strokes with Gradients

A plugin cannot actually change a stroke’s caps in Illustrator, so the Angle Cap live effect simulates them by placing an appropriately-shaped polygon at the end(s) of the path. This may be seen by expanding the live effect: 

Angle Cap Expanded View

If the stroke has a gradient applied (the normal, “within the stroke” type — gradients along or across the stroke are converted to meshes inside the live effect mechanism and will not work with Angle Cap), Illustrator’s method of auto-positioning gradients will typically result in the caps visually not being seamless with the stroke. One way to remedy this is by placing the Angle Cap effect within the stroke and adding (directly above it) a native Pathfinder Add effect and an Astute Graphics Segment Removal effect (to change the path, which becomes a closed path after the Add effect, back to open).

Angle Cap with Gradients

Note that with this method, because the native Add effect can change the starting point of the path, it may be necessary to adjust the Pattern/Initial Skip value in the Segment Removal effect to target the correct segment to remove: 

Angle Cap with Gradient - Segment Removal Example

Angle Cap: Strokes with Round or Projecting Caps

Angle Cap handles these types of existing caps by simply extending the cap polygon(s) to cover them.

Angle Cap with Round Caps