Computerized Technical Drawing (Week 7)

SHAPE MODES & MANIPULATE TECHNICAL DRAWING WITH PEN TOOLS 

Hi guys, in this week lesson, I learnt how to manipulate technical flat template by using Adobe Illustrator. Well, for those who do not know what is technical flat drawing, here is the description about technical flat drawing.

Technical Flat is a black and white fashion technical drawing that shows a garment as if it were laid flat to display all the seams, topstitch, and any other fashion details. Drawing a technical flat is not just draw a garment, instead, we need to know how to draw the details, as well as which is overlap with each other, and etc. For instance, if we want to draw a collar, notched collar or high stand collar, we must draw the collar sit on the shoulder, so that it does not look strange. Therefore, knowing how the garment's details are the first step to understand for decent technical flat drawings.

Well, in my opinion, drawing technical flat in Adobe Illustrator by using Pen Tool is not as hard as what I think. Unless you do not really know how to use pen tool, then I think it gonna be quite difficult. Here is what I did during my Computerized Technical Drawing class!

First thing first, I did use technical flat drawing template at the first layer, and I add another layer to draw on it with pen tool. 

Basically, before you start drawing technical flat with Adobe Illustrator, it is a must for you to understand what is the function of Shape Modes in Pathfinder. I will talk about the function of each of the Shape Modes, which consist of unite, minus front, intersect, and exclude. Each mode has 2 ways on how to apply it, which is:

a. Select the shapes and directly click unite. 

b. Select the shapes then press Alt and click unite.

Open Pathfinder from Window - Pathfinder (Shift + Ctrl + F9)

1. Unite 

Here I'll do the first way by just select and directly click unite. (a)

First, I drew two different shapes with different fill color and arrange them overlap with each other because it is easier to look what is happening after we apply the shape modes.

Second, select both shapes by using Selection Tool (V). Click and drag your cursor to select both shapes in once or click one of the shape then, press Shift and click on the other shape. 

In this step, click Unite and see that both shapes being merge together and the red square changed into yellow color following the star's color. 

After you click unite, then you can see that the shapes were merge together and when you move the shape, both of it will move together. 

Here is the explanation of the other way of applying unite, which is select shapes and press Alt + unite. (b)

Again, the same step with previous one, draw 2 shapes and fill in the color and then select both shapes by using the selection tool (V).

After selecting both shapes, press and hold Alt while clicking unite. As you can see the difference, by pressing Alt you still can see both selected shape even though it was merged. 

After you merged the shapes, try to double click on the shape. Then, you can see the word Compound Shape at the top of your canvas (the one that I draw a red square).

After you double click at the merged-shape, then click on one of each shape. In my case, I clicked the star then it means that I'm working on the star, not the square and move the star wherever you want overlapping the square. 

Lastly, after you arrange the position, click Expand which is in the pathfinder column, then you will see both shapes are merged together and will move together if you move each of the shape. 

In conclusion, if you press Alt + unite, you will be able to rearrange the shape's position even though you already merged the shape and press Expand to officially merge both shapes, so that you can't rearrange the position anymore. 

2. Minus Front 

(a) By directly clicking unite mode.

 

First, create 2 shapes and fill in with different colours, then select both shapes.

In this step, directly click the minus front mode and here is the result. Minus front mode is a mode which the shape in front will disappear and also deleting the part which is overlapped. In this case, the polygon is in front so it disappeared and cut out some of the circle.

(b) By pressing Alt + Minus Front mode

In this step, press Alt + Minus Front mode and you can still rearrange the shape's position.

Then lastly, click Expand to apply the minus front mode without able to move the each of the shape.

3. Intersect

For intersect, it eliminates all part of shape which is not overlapping with each other, while the overlap part stay still.

4. Exclude

In case of Exclude mode, it can be said that it is the opposite of the Intersect mode. Unlike intersect mode, exclude mode deleting the part which overlapping with each other. 

Well, for Alt + Shape Modes (unite, minus front, intersect, exclude), the method are all the same like what I did for both unite and minus front mode. In short, it just adding Alt before you click the Shape Modes, then lastly press Expand.

Next, for drawing technical flat with pen tool, it requires lots of practice, so that you will get used to it and find it very easy. Therefore, I did some practice with using technical flat template which I searched from google, then drew it with pen tool. The are two things which is the most important in this method:

1. Always remember to change your fill in colour with "No colour", which means transparent.

2. Always remember to draw on the second layer if you are using template. 

Well, this is the end of today's entry

Thank you!