Path Zipper Preferences
Double-clicking the Path Zipper tool in the toolbox, or pressing the Enter key when the tool is selected, will bring up the Path Zipper preferences dialog:
Path Zipper Preferences
1. Diameter
The diameter of the active area of the Path Zipper tool, from 0.25 pt to 200 pt. The value may also be changed using the keys assigned to Decrease Diameter and Increase Diameter in the native Keyboard Shortcuts dialog (the left and right square brackets keys, respectively, by default, for English language keyboards).
2. Preview Thickness
The thickness of the annotations that indicate potential and existing zippers, from 1 px to 12 px. The default thickness is 4 px.
3. Preview Opacity
The opacity of the annotations that indicate potential and existing zippers, from 25% to 100%. The default opacity is 67%.
4. Treat Points Less Than ___ Apart As Coincident
Allows points which are not truly coincident, but are actually separated by a small distance, to act as coincident for the purposes of allowing zippers to be created. The default tolerance is 0.002 pt, but can range from 0 pt to 3 pt.
5. Extend Potential Zippers To Adjacent Sections
When enabled (the default), and a potential zipper (section of two paths that have coincident points at both ends) is adjacent to one or more other potential zippers, then placing the tool above any section will display all the sections together as a single potential zipper. This saves having to click on each section individually to zip a long section of path which already shares many anchor points. However, when using the averaging method of zipper creation, interior coincident points in the merged zipper will generally not be retained in their original positions, and points may be added or removed. To toggle the preference on the fly when using the Path Zipper tool, while holding the mouse button down, press the E key.
Path Zipper Potential Zipper Extension
6. Extend Across Existing Zippers
Available when Extend Potential Zippers To Adjacent Sections is enabled. When Extend Across Existing Zippers is enabled (the default), a consolidated potential zipper may span sections of path that are already zipped.
7. Ignore Potential Zippers Where...
When zipping a closed path, there are two ways a zipper could be created between its two coincident points: one running along the path direction, and one against it. Because both edges of a potential zipper must lie under the cursor, specifying which of these zippers is the desired one is usually not an issue. However, there are instances in which “wrong way round” potential zippers will be previewed and even block the creation of a zipper endpoint (necessitating the use of the Shift+Option/Alt override). In the following example, the two paths already contain a zipped section; placing the cursor over the unzipped section at lower right will instead preview the potential zipper that connects the coincident points over the top of the closed purple path and along the bottom of the closed yellow path:
Path Zipper Undesirable Zipper
To help “weed out” potential zippers which are clearly undesirable, two independent tests are, by default, enabled. The first relies on the fact that paths that make sense to be zipped typically already run fairly close together. It therefore checks the sides of the zipper (before it is zipped) against the path section that would be created using the averaging method. If the length of either of these sides compared to the zipped section exceeds the specified tolerance ratio, then the zipper will be ignored. The default tolerance ratio, which can vary between 100.1% and 400%, is 110%.
Path Zipper Ignoring Zipper Based on Length
The second test checks the angle between the two zipper sides as they leave the coincident points which form each zipper’s endpoint. If the angle at either end exceeds the specified value, then the zipper will be ignored. The default tolerance angle, which can vary between 0.1° and 180°, is 120°.
8. Show Ignored Zippers
When enabled, potential zippers that are ignored will still be displayed, but in a less prominent manner: the zipper sides are not annotated, and the zipper itself is drawn in light gray. When Show Ignored Zippers is enabled, the zipper can still be forced to be created by holding the mouse button down and pressing the F key. This temporarily removes the Ignore constraints. If the mouse button is then released, the zipper is created as normal.
9. Remove Duplicate Paths From Zippers
This option is mainly for use when recreating the centerline of an outlined path. When enabled, and two entire paths with the same style are zipped together (creating one duplicate path atop the other), one of the duplicates will automatically be removed. A transient notification will appear at the top of the screen.
10. Informational area
Shows a brief description of each preference control when the cursor is being hovered over it.
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.