AG Offset Tool
The AG Offset tool appears in Illustrator’s main toolbar (which must be in Advanced mode: View > Toolbars > Advanced), stacked under the Stylism tool. As with other stacked tools, click and hold on the top tool icon to display the tools stacked under it.
AG Offset Tool Location
The AG Offset tool’s cursor is a crosshair, except when previewing a new offset or adjusting an existing offset, in which case it appears as an arrowhead with a small group of parallel lines:
AG Offset Tool Cursors
AG Offset Tool Operations
As the AG Offset tool has many keypresses for certain operations, we suggest installing the free Astute Graphics plugin Astute Buddy, which creates a panel that dynamically updates to inform you of the various keys which can be pressed in the tool’s current context.
The AG Offset tool is works in conjunction with the associated AG Offset panel, which generally should be open and accessible. If you are using the free Astute Graphics plugin DirectPrefs, you can have the AG Offset panel automatically be shown when the AG Offset tool is selected.
The AG Offset tool offers a graphical method for both adding and editing AG Offset live effects.
Adding Offset Paths
When the tool is hovered close to or over an art object that can accept an AG Offset effect (but does not currently have one), it will automatically preview the offset as it would generally appear using the current panel parameters. The art does not need to be selected. The type of preview depends on the tool preference settings; the default preview is a full one, showing a complete trace of each offset path in the specified color (red by default, but can be changed). Previews are based on the shape of the base artwork, and will not reflect any existing live effects that might change that shape.
AG Offset Tool Preview
By default, annotated text by the cursor will show the offset’s distance (abbreviated as “D:”, or “DT:” if the Total parameter is enabled) and the step count. Easing, if enabled, will also be indicated. These annotations can be temporarily hidden by holding down the Option/Alt key. Clicking will add the offset effect to the art object (always placing the live effect below all strokes and fills in the object’s appearance), or the offset can be dragged first to adjust it in the same way an existing offset would be edited (see Editing Existing Offsets).
AG Offset Tool Click Apply
By default, the AG Offset tool creates previews of shadows for any artwork it is over, selected or not,
so care should be taken not to pass it inadvertently over unlocked artwork with high numbers of path segments, such as large blocks of text or objects with expanded Phantasm Halftone or Stipple effects, because calculating the offsets for these objects can take some time. In addition to keeping such art on locked layers, the preference Operate On Selected Objects Only limits the hover preview to selected objects only (see AG Offset: Preferences). If the AG Offset cursor is passed over an unlocked text object containing many characters, a warning dialog will be displayed:
AG Offset Lengthy Text Object Warning
Click Abort unless you are sure you want to put the effect on the text object and are prepared to wait.
Editing Existing Offsets
When the tool is hovered close to or over an existing offset path or the original object, the existing AG Offset live effect can be edited with the tool. By default, the cursor will show the distance/steps annotations, unless these have been disabled. Dragging with the tool changes the distance parameter. When the AG Offset has multiple steps, only one of the offset paths is kept under the cursor. When the Total parameter is enabled, the last offset is kept under the cursor; otherwise the first offset is kept under the cursor.
AG Offset Tool Drag Edit
While dragging to edit an AG Offset effect, a number of keypresses may be used:
Option/Alt: Constrains the distance parameter to “nice” values (integers, at 400% zoom or less).
Up Arrow/Down Arrow: Increments or decrements the Step parameter.
Left Arrow/Right Arrow: Changes the Easing parameter by 1%.
1–9: Sets the Easing parameter to 10% through 90% respectively.
A: Toggles the annotation readout on or off.
B: Toggles the Both Sides parameter on and off.
C: Changes the preview color, cycling through red, blue, magenta, green, black and grey.
D: Sets all parameters to their default values.
E: Toggles the Easing parameter on and off.
G: Toggles the Treat Groups As Compound Shapes parameter on and off.
L: Toggles the loops mode between Invert and Cut.
Q: Toggles the offset preview type between Full and Fast (see AG Offset: Preferences).
R: Available if the Step count is set to 2 or more. Toggles the Randomize Distances parameter on and off.
T: Available if the Step count is set to 2 or more. Toggles the Total parameter on and off.
U: Temporarily disables Smart Guides, if they were enabled when the drag started.
The AG Offset tool works on a single offset effect at a time, and at the highest group level. In other words, if an object is given an offset, and then grouped with another object, then normally the tool will not be able to edit the offset that is inside the group, but will instead offer to add a new offset at the group level. To edit the inner offset, either isolate the grouped object (in which case the tool can be used) or edit the offset numerically using the panel. To edit multiple offsets simultaneously, use the panel.
