0

I have an illustrator file with many (~40) similar circles (just with different colors) but now I regret having chosen them as circles and want them as triangles instead. Is it possible to do this with Illustrator?

One option is to create lots of triangles and positioning them on top of the circles, individually color them like each circle and removing the circles. But I am wondering if there is a more automatic way to do this

Improve this question
3
  • 1
    Needs a programmer (I'm not one), but it's well possible that he has already worked it out. Check, if this link contains something usable. astutegraphics.com/blog/30-must-free-illustrator-scripts-2 At least one of these seems to search and replace shapes. If you read, speak and write well Illustrator's scripting language, you can modify something existing to handle more than one exact shape form or color at a time.
    – user82991
    Commented Jun 24, 2019 at 14:41
  • 1
    Possibly a duplicate... Check my answer there, I provided a solution for your problem.
    – Welz
    Commented Jun 24, 2019 at 15:11
  • 1
    I don't think this is a duplicate as I want to preserve the color and stroke of each original shape. I think @Danielillo's answer does that very well
    – gota
    Commented Jun 25, 2019 at 11:53

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
4

It depends what kind of triangles are needed.

An easy way with Illustrator's tools is:

A circle has four vector points, it's necessary to have only three.

  • Select all the circles
  • Go to menu Object → Path → Add anchor points (to get 8 points)
  • Go to menu Object → Path → Simplify and move the slider until get just three points per shape
  • Use the Direct Selection Tool to select the half of the vector points and press the Convert to Smooth icon and the Convert to Corner icon
  • Do the same with the other half

enter image description here

  • Select the triangles and go to menu Effect → Distort & Transform → Transform, rotate and scale until get the desire triangle shape

enter image description here

  • Expand Appearance to get the triangle's vector points

triangles

Improve this answer
1
  • 1
    Ah affine transforms to the rescue.
    – joojaa
    Commented Jun 24, 2019 at 19:28

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.