Width Selector Panel
The menu item to show and hide the Width Selector panel can be found in the main menu under Window > Astute Graphics > Width Selector. When the Width Selector tool is not in use, the panel displays only a “Click to select” message; clicking anywhere on the panel selects the tool and displays all the controls, which affect the next use of the tool.
Width Selector Panel
1. Flyout menu
See Width Selector Panel: Flyout Menu.
2. Panel banner
The Width Selector panel banner has a help button on the right which opens the help documentation in the Astute Manager. If this does not automatically appear, please ensure your Astute Manager is running first.
3. Select All Markers Button
Selects all the width markers on any path which has at least one width marker selected.
4. Taper Stroke Button
Available when at least one end marker is selected, typically on an open path. The first time the button is clicked, the end marker is changed to zero width and an additional marker is added (if necessary) to create a taper with the length specified in the preferences dialog (by default, 10% of the length of the path). Each additional click lengths the taper by 10% of the remaining distance to the other end of the path. Each additional Shift-click shortens the taper in the same way.
Width Selector Taper Stroke
When both ends of the path are tapered at the same time, distance values apply to half the path only.
5. Average Widths Button
Available when two or more markers on a path are selected. When clicked, the widths of all selected markers are set to the average width of all the selected markers on the same path. If the marker is non-centered, then the ratio of left to right widths is retained.
Width Selector Average Widths
6. Smooth Widths Button
Smooths the widths of the selected markers by combining components of the widths of surrounding markers, similar to using Gaussian blur on pixel data in a image.
Width Selector Smooth Widths
If the Shift key is held down when the button is clicked, the amount of smoothing will be significantly increased, just as increasing a Gaussian blur’s radius increases the amount of blur:
Width Selector Smooth Widths Plus Shift
The button has an alternate function when the Option/Alt key is held down when it is clicked. In this case, the selected markers (which must be contiguous) are evenly distributed along the path, i.e. their spacing is made equal.
Width Selector Distribute Markers
7. Delete Markers Button
Deletes the selected markers (except for the markers at the start and end of the path, which are required to be present by Illustrator). To remove all markers and make the path uniform width, use the panel flyout menu item Convert Selected Paths to Uniform Width.
Width Selector Delete Markers
8. Specify Width
This control is visible if the flyout menu preference Display Left/Right Widths is not enabled. It specifies the overall width of the selected marker(s), from 0 pt to 1000 pt. If multiple markers are selected and they have different widths, the value will be blank. If a selected marker is non-centered (its left and right widths are different), then changing its width using this control will keep its left/right ratio constant.
9. Left Width
This control is visible if the flyout menu preference Display Left/Right Widths is enabled. It specifies the left width of the selected marker(s), from 0 pt to 500 pt.
10. Link Icon
This control is visible if the flyout menu preference Display Left/Right Widths is enabled. Clicking the control changes the mode. In linked mode, changing either the left or right width will also change the opposite side width proportionally (thereby keeping the left/right ratio constant). In unlinked mode, the left and right widths can be adjusted independently.
Width Selector Unlinked vs. Linked Widths
11. Right Width
This control is visible if the flyout menu preference Display Left/Right Widths is enabled. It specifies the right width of the selected marker(s), from 0 pt to 500 pt.
12. Total Width
This control is visible if the flyout menu preference Display Left/Right Widths is enabled. It specifies the overall width of the selected marker(s), exactly like the Specify Width control when the preference is not enabled.
13. Change Width
Controls the amount by which the selected markers’ widths are changed when the Increase Width and Decrease Width buttons are pressed (or the Increase Diameter and Decrease Diameter keys are pressed when the preference Use Increase/Decrease Diameter Keys is set to Change Stroke Width). The value can be changed from 0% to 1000%, with a default of 5%.
14. Increase/Decrease Width buttons
Increases or decreases the width(s) of the selected marker(s) by the amount specified in the Change Width control. For example, if the marker had a width of 60 pt and the Change Width value were set to 22%, then clicking the Increase Width button would add 60 pt × 0.22 = 13.2 pt to the width, for a final width of 73.2 pt. Clicking the Decrease Width button would subtract 13.2 pt from the width, for a final width of 46.8 pt.
Since widths cannot be negative, if the Change Width value is set to 100% or more, then clicking the Decrease Width button will change the marker width to zero.
15. Shift Selection Backward button
This control will not be visible if the flyout menu item Display Marker Count is not enabled. Shifts the selection to the previous marker(s), wrapping around from the start of the path to the end of the path when necessary. To select only the last marker of a closed path, click point zero of the path to select the first marker, and then click the Shift Selection Backward button.
16. Marker Count
This area will not be visible if the flyout menu item Display Marker Count is not enabled. Shows the number of selected width markers as well as the total number of markers on all unlocked paths with variable width focal strokes (if the preference Show Markers on Selected Paths Only is enabled, this will only include selected paths).
17. Shift Selection Forward button
This control will not be visible if the flyout menu item Display Marker Count is not enabled. Shifts the selection to the next marker(s), wrapping around from the end of the path to the start of the path when necessary.
Width Selector Panel Flyout Menu
The Width Selector panel flyout menu items are contextually sensitive and all items may not be available, depending on the current selection.
Width Selector Panel Flyout Menu
1. Select Inverse
Inverts the current marker selection (selected width markers become unselected while unselected width markers become selected).
2. Select Doubled Markers
Selects all doubled width markers. Doubled width markers are defined as two consecutive width markers that are coincident (appear at exactly the same spot along the path); they can be used to create an abrupt change in stroke width along the path. The markers at point zero of a closed path are not considered doubled markers when using this menu item.
3. Combine Selected Doubled Markers
Changes each selected pair of doubled markers into a single marker, using the width of the trailing marker. The markers at point zero of a closed path are not considered doubled markers when using this menu item.
Width Selector Combine Selected Doubled Markers
To combine a pair of doubled width markers while using their average width, select only the doubled width markers, click the Average Widths button, and then use the menu item.
4. Convert Selected Paths to Variable Width
Changes all selected paths which are not already variable stroke width paths to variable width. This results in centered width markers at the start and end of the path with the path’s current width. This can be useful for applying the Vary Width Markers... menu item.
5. Convert Selected Paths to Uniform Width
Changes the focal strokes on selected paths to uniform width (if they are not already). This removes all width markers; their width remains what was originally shown in the Control Bar or Stroke panel, which is equal to the maximum width among all the path’s width markers.
Width Selector Convert to Uniform Width
6. Display Left/Right Widths
When marked with a check mark (the default), the panel shows controls which allow specifying the left and widths of each marker separately. Otherwise only the total width can be numerically specified. If you never use non-centered width markers, you may want to choose the menu item to uncheck it.
7. Display Marker Count
When marked with a check mark (the default), an informational line showing width marker counts, along with the Shift Selection Backward and Shift Selection Forward buttons, will be shown at the bottom of the panel.
8. Width Selector Preferences...
Brings up the preference dialog (see Width Selector: Preferences).
