Illustrator Joining paths

[Tristen Shaw]

Hey guys,

I have another thread going but since this is a specific question I thought I should make a new one.

I have a shape in my Illustrator right now. What I want to do is draw a line down the middle and then change the fill color of the top half.

In flash, all I would have to do is grab the end of the line and hook it to the edge of the stroke on the shape and it would snap together like nothing. I would then be able to select the fill from the half I want to change and there ya go.

In Illustrator, I've spent the better part of an hour trying to figure out how to do this.

I used the Pen tool to draw the line I want, but now it's sitting there as it's own object and no matter what I do I can't get it to connect to the outside edge of the shape.

I tried the direct selection tool and the pen tool.

This is just so frustrating knowing that I just do this in 2 seconds flat if I were in Flash, but I can't achieve the end result because I need the Illustrator features. . .

 

[George Peirson]

Hi, you need to use Live Paint Bucket. Here is a demo:
Draw a circle object
Next draw a line from the top to the bottom of the circle.
The line will be a separate path from the circle
The look will be a circle divided by a line into two parts, left and right
Now using the Direct Selection Tool select both paths
Then select the Live Paint Bucket Tool from the Tools panel
Choose your fill color and click inside one of the sides, this will convert the paths into a Live Paint object and that side will be filled with your chosen color.

Another way,
Draw your circle object
Draw your line above the circle
Select the line and from the Object Menu:
Object Menu,Paths/Divide Objects Below

This will divide the circle into 2 parts using the line as the cutting device.
You can then fill each new object as you like.

George

 

[Tristen Shaw]

Thank you!

That is very helpful!

Let me tell you, it's not easy to learn this stuff after you are so used to Flash lol.