I know this topic has been asked to death but i cant figure out how to
accomplish it in my particular scenario. So... i have about 4 squares
that are stacked on top of one another and mostly overlapped. Each one
is a different color too. They are all rotated so that it looks 3-D
and id like to make it so that you can sort of look thru all of them
and see the background layer which has a pattern. Id like to make the
'hole' in the shape of small elipse that goes thru all of the squares.

Ive tried every combination of compound path, clipping maks, and
pathfinder that i could think of and all of them do something wrong.
Compound path worked but only if i use 1 square to see thru. As soon
as i added more than one - it makes it so that they are all the color
of the lowest in the stack. Pathfinder - trim almost works but in
addition to cutting a hole, it trims more than just the circle.

This must be easy but i just cant find the answer.
Thanks in advance if anyone can help.
sg

This might work: Draw a path on top of your objects to make the "hole."
Make sure it's the top object and that it's the currently seleted
object (don't select the objects below)....From the "Object" menu,
choose "Path" and then "Divide Objects Below." At first it will
appear than nothing happened. Now, select the area around the path you
made for the "hole" and delete (you might have to do this multiple
times)...I tried it and it worked on my end....good luck!

Brilliant!!!!
Thank you so much!
It works beautifully.

On 5/17/06 12:30 AM, slimick@gmail.com commented:



Another way to do it and leave your objects untouched would be a clipping
mask.
Draw a rectangle (topmost) that surrounds your rotated rectangles,
Now draw the ellipse on top of the rectangle where you want it to show
through to the back ground,
Select the large rectangle and the ellipse and Object>Compound Path>Make
(command-8)
Select the new compound path and your rotated rectangles and Object>Clipping
Mask>Make (command-7)
Now if you want/need to you can still edit/move your rectangles, move the
ellipse around, whatever.
Also, when you're completely satisfied, you can Release the Clipping mask,
and with the compound path and rectangles still selected, click the Crop
button in the Pathfinder palette. his does the same thing as the Divide
method above, basically.
After the procedure you should Object>Path>Cleanup

This other simple method would depend on your final output needs:
Make your ellipse filled with solid Black.
Select it and your rotated rectangles
In the Transparency palette click the flyout menu at top/right and select
Make Opacity Mask. Done.
This isn't appropriate for some instances (look up opacity
masks/transparency), but it's again Releasable. I like using methods that
allow me to still edit components and can be Released if needed. I can
commit to it later when I'm satified.

inez

On 5/16/06 2:34 PM, in article
1147804474.107340.299150@u72g2000cwu.googlegroups. com, "scott23"
<sgarber@gmail.com> wrote:


I have a newsletter that gives a bit of information on making compound paths
through multiple items here:
http://www.wizardofdraws.com/main/newsletter.htm
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino

Cartoons with a Touch of Magic�
http://www.wizardofdraws.com

More Cartoons with a Touch of Magic�
http://www.cartoonclipart.com

>>Note: The author of this message requested that it not be archived. This message will be >>removed from Groups in 4 days (May 24, 10:53 pm).

Hey iehsmith... pls be kind to turn off the above option, cos it would
help many who read posts after sometime. If one of the posts is missing
in the middle of a discussion, it'll looks like a mess... I already saw
few, where some posts r mising in the middle, and those might be yours.
Pls change this option not to be archieved ever, so that youe post will
be there forever...

May be your not aware of this scene, and now you are... : )

this worked perfectly. wish you could work for Adobe to write their instructions, which i always find to be useless. you are a frikkin' genius.