Blend Panel

The Blend panel, opened from the Effects - Blend or the Panel - Effects menu, provides a quick access to the creation of blend effects, and th selection of blend effect options. When a blend object is selected (the object containing the transitions), the blend panel will show the current options of the blend effect.

The Blend panel provides access to the following options:

• Steps - Select the number of steps used to create the intermediary objects. The steps can be:
  • Fixed - Set a fixed number of intermediary objects in the numeric field.
  • Distance - Set the distance between intermediary objects.
  • Smooth - Set the smoothness of the color transitions.
• Color - Select the color mode used to create the color transitions.
• Align - Select a shape style, preset or object reference with a Shape role as the blend path. The blend path is used to position the original and intermediary objects.
• Blend Shapes - Enable or disable the blending of parametric shape properties for matching shapes. This option is disabled by default, resulting in the blending of shape curves. When enabled, matching shape type transitions are created, by transitioning the shape properties.
• Weighted - Enable or disable the use of curve lengths when blending paths. When enabled, path transitions are created by uniformly matching positions along each path based on the distance between positions.
• Clockwise - Enable or disable clockwise color blending direction in color modes containing a hue channel.
• Rotate Path - Enable or disable the rotation of intermediary shapes based on the direction of the blend path. This option has an effect only when a blend path is used.

The Blend panel icons provide access to the following options:

• - Creates a new blend effect between the selected objects.
• - Opens the Blend Options view to access all options of the blend effect.
• - Expands the selected blend object into a group of the intermediary objects, and removes the blend effect.
• - Swaps the order of the original objects in the blend effect.
• - Sets the selected path as the blend path of the selected blend object.
• - Reverses the direction of the blend path.
• - Removes the blend path of the selected blend effect.
• - Removes the blend effect from the selected objects.

Additional blend effect options are available from the Blend panel menu:

• Create Blend - Creates a blend effect between the selected objects.
• Blend Options - Opens the Blend Options view to access all options of the blend effect.
• Remove Blend - Removes the blend effect from the selected objects.
• Expand Blend - Expands the blend effect into a group of intermediary objects, and removes the blend object.
• Linked Path - Enables or disables the linking of the blend path to the object used to select the path.
• Select Path - Sets the selected path as the blend path of the selected blend object.
• Remove Path - Removes the blend path of the selected blend effect.
• Reverse Path - Reverses the direction of the blend path.
• Reverse Blend - Swaps the order of the original objects in the blend effect.
• Edit Blend Mapping - Activates the blend mapping editor.

The blend mapping editor is used to create custom transitions between locations of two shapes. The Blend Tools section contains a detailed description on how to use the blend mapping editor.

• Clear Mapping - Removes all blend mapping locations.
• Clear Transfer - Removes all transfer functions used to control shape or style.
• Invert Source - Reverses the shape direction of the starting object of the blend effect.
• Invert Target - Reverses the shape direction of the ending object of the blend effect.
• Weighted - Enables or disables the use of curve lengths when blending paths. When enabled, path transitions are created by uniformly matching positions along each path based on the distance between positions.
• Match Direction - Enables or disables the automatic matching of closed shape directions.
• Match Empty - Enables or disables matching shapes of one end to empty shapes of the other end.
• Always Pair - Enables or disables using the same shape from the ending object multiple times to match with shapes from the starting object.
• Blend Shapes - Enables or disables the blending of parametric shape properties for matching shapes. This option is disabled by default, resulting in the blending of shape curves. When enabled, matching shape type transitions are created, by transitioning the shape properties.
• Clockwise - Enables or disables clockwise color blending direction in color modes containing a hue channel.
• Rotate Path - Enables or disables the rotation of intermediary shapes based on the direction of the blend path. This option has an effect only when a blend path is used.