Linked copies / instances
I need linked copies / instances - copies that follow the transformation of the original object (or vice versa).
A lot of times I do copy paths, groups or other objects in place, and just change the stroke width, apply an effect, or change the colour. Afterwards a change the size or position just slightly, AND THAN THE HASSLE STARTS. From there on I need to do the exact same change to the "original" path too. Too much work, too much time lost.
Do you want to program that, or should I start a plugin.
Philipp Jordan
shared this idea
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Renan Barros
commented
Thanks! I wasn't aware of the direct selection color change. Interesting.
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Renan, while creating a symbol, you can choose if it should be a dynamic or a static one (you can also change this in a chosen symbol’s options later, using the command in the Symbols panel’s menu).
If a symbol is dynamic, you can pick Direct selection tool, click into any object within a symbol’s instance (and use Shift to select several, or just marquee — easier to do when isolated) and change their appearances. You can even apply effects, that is the appearance can be complex, not basic.
You can read more about it here: https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/symbols.html
Please try it and comment back. -
Renan Barros
commented
How do I change the color of the instance of the symbol?
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Renan, symbols work just like that.
The problem with the current Symbol solution is that it’s limiting the object structure. A symbol has to be basically a group, nothing can be interlaid between its parts, it can’t span across several layers, etc..But other that this it’s pretty much the same thing I read in your comment. Symbols can be flipped, scaled, transformed... recolored partially even, if it’s a dynamic symbol.
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Renan Barros
commented
I came in checking for a similar request, and after reading your comment Egor, a way to improve is that you might want to have an instance of your object that can be affected by other things.
For example, if I want to do a water reflection of a specific object. I'd like to be able to edit the original object, and have the one object that it's under the water layer, flipped change as well.
I'm also assuming instances might have better render performance, as they usually do in 3D softwares.
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Philipp, Illustrator offers two ways to deal with this problem:
1. Symbols — requires planning beforehand
2. Select > Start Global Edit (or the 'Start editing similar shapes together' button in Control panel) — this one tries to search for copies (taking size, rotation, and appearance differences into consideration, if chosen in a dropdown in the Control panel), making temporary symbols out of them.Have you tried Global Edit? Does it work for you? If it does not — why exactly? If yes — what would you like to improve?
