Operation Manual

Working with Objects 59
Replicating objects
Duplicating an object means making just one copy at a time. The Replicate
command lets you create multiple copies in a single step, with precise control
over how the copies are arranged, either as a linear series or a grid. You can
include one or more transformations to produce an interesting array of rotated
and/or resized objects. It's great for repeating backgrounds, or for perfectly-
aligned montages of an image or object.
To replicate an object:
1. Select the object and choose Replicate... from the Edit menu. To
arrange copies in a straight line, select Create line. For an X-by-Y
grid arrangement, select Create grid.
2. Specify Line length (the number of objects including the original) in
the arrangement, or the Grid size. Note that you can use the Line
length setting to include an odd number of objects in a grid.
3. Set spacing between the objects as either an Offset (measured between
the top left corners of successive objects) or a Gap (between the
bottom right and top left corners). You can specify Horizontal and/or
Vertical spacing, and/or an angular Rotation. To set a specific
horizontal or vertical interval, check Absolute; uncheck the box to
specify the interval as a percentage of the original object's dimensions.
4. Click OK.