AG Splatter Live Effect

The AG Splatter live effect does not have a modal parameters dialog, but is instead edited using a panel, which can be shown and hidden using the menu item found in the main menu at Window > Astute Graphics >AG Splatter. When at least one selected object has the AG Splatter live effect applied, the panel controls will update to reflect the parameters of those effects, which can then be edited. A value field which is blank or (for checkboxes) with a dash indicates that the parameter has different values in the selection. These can be unified (made the same) by entering a new value.

AG Splatter Panel

1. Flyout menu

See AG Splatter Panel: Flyout Menu.

2. Panel banner

The help button on the right opens the help documentation in the Astute Manager. If this does not automatically appear, please ensure your Astute Manager is running first.

3. Density

Controls the relative number of splatter “droplets” that are created along the path; it can range from 0.1% to 99999.9%. A value of 100% (the default) nominally produces 100 droplets along a 1000 pt long straight path, so therefore a Density value of 800% would produce 800. However, as with all parameters, the actual count will randomly fall within a Gaussian (normal) distribution around this value. Additionally, if the path has tight curves and the Curvature Bias parameter is set to a high value, then the count will be increased, potentially by tenfold or even more.

AG Splatter Density Examples

If the Density is set to a value that would produce a very large number of droplets (on the order of 100,000), a warning dialog will be displayed:

AG Splatter Long Processing Time Warning

Pressing the Abort button will stop execution of the live effect, allowing you to lower the Density without waiting for the effect to finish processing. If the Don’t show again checkbox is enabled, the dialog can be re-enabled using the Reset Warning Dialog menu item in the panel’s flyout menu. 

4. Size

Controls the approximate size of the splatter droplets. However, splatter Size is not absolute but randomly assigned and also dependent on both the throw distance and the angle from the path; long distances produce smaller splatters, as do higher angles. Size can vary from 0pt to 500pt, with a default of 6pt. 

AG Splatter Size Examples

5. Throw

Controls the average distance that the splatter droplets are shifted from their point of origin along the path, from 0pt to 1000pt and a default value of 16pt.

AG Splatter Throw Examples

6. Spread

Controls the range in angles that the splatter droplets are “thrown” away from the tangent angle of the path at the point of origin, from 0% to 100% with a default value of 50%. 

AG Splatter Spread Examples

7. Angle

Controls an overall change in the throw angle of the splatter droplets, from –90° to 90° (where positive values rotate the splatters counterclockwise). This can be used to put the splatters more towards one side of a path instead of equally on both sides, which is the default.

AG Splatter Angle Examples

8. Parameter Profile Buttons

Specify how the respective parameter changes as the splatters are created from one end of the path to the other. There are five options:

AG Splatter Parameter Profile Types

When a parameter increases, it moves linearly from zero to the value that is specified, and when it decreases, it does to zero. Thus, for example, an Increasing then Decreasing Size set to 40pt would create splatters with size zero at the start of the path, increase to size 40pt at the midpoint of the path, and then decrease to zero again at the end of the path. The default profile is Constant.

9. Curvature Bias

Specifies how much sharp curves on the path act to increase the number of splatters. A value of 0% means that curved sections of the path are treated no differently from straight sections. Higher Curvature Bias values will make more splatters appear at curved sections of the path, with sharper curves getting more splatters. The default value is 50%.

AG Splatter Curvature Bias Examples

10. Averaging

When Curvature Bias is enabled, Averaging uses a moving average of the path’s curvature rather than its instantaneous value at any spot. This can help stop unwanted high numbers of splatters from being created when effects such as Roughen (which cause the path the bend sharply) are applied above the AG Splatter effect in the Appearance panel. The default setting is on.

AG Splatter Averaging Examples

11. Shape

Controls the mix of splatter droplet shapes, with 0% representing rounded droplets on the left, to 100% representing narrow, teardrop-shaped droplets on the right. The default value is 30%.

AG Splatter Shape Examples

12. Positioning

Specifies the position of the splatter droplets in relation to the original path, from among Above Original, Replace Original, or Below Original.

13. Style

When the AG Splatter live effect is located below the fill and strokes of the artwork in the Appearance panel, the Style pulldown menu specifies how the fill color and opacity of the created splatter droplets should be determined:

• Use Original means the fill will be simply be taken from the original path (if the original path has no fill, then it is taken from its stroke). This fill can be a flat color, a gradient, or a pattern.

• Specify Color means the fill color of the droplets is specified using the Color control underneath.

• Specify Opacity means the opacity of the droplets is specified using the Opacity control underneath.

• Specify Both means both the fill color and opacity of the droplets are specified using the controls underneath.

14. Color

Available if the Style is set to Specify Color or Specify Both; it specifies the fill color of the splatter droplets. Clicking the color chip will bring up the standard color picker dialog. The default Color is black. 

15. Opacity

Available if the Style is set to Specify Opacity or Specify Both; it specifies the fill opacity of the splatter droplets. Low opacities can be used to create cloud-type effects.

AG Splatter Opacity Examples

16. Seed

Each random seed number leads to a different sequence of random values. Clicking the button picks a new seed, thereby changing the look of the artwork. To view or specify the seed number directly, Option/Alt-click the button. This lets you recreate a previously-generated look.

17. Apply Button

Click to apply the AG Apply live effect to the selected artwork, with the parameters set as they currently exist in the panel. If the button is not available, then either nothing is selected or the selection already contains at least one object with an AG Splatter effect. If the button is clicked with Shift pressed, the splatter droplets will be added and immediately detached, essentially creating them as editable artwork rather than as a live effect. However, this loses the ability to preview the effect first.

AG Splatter Panel Flyout Menu

The AG Splatter panel flyout menu items are contextually sensitive and all items may not be available, depending on the current selection.

1. Detach All Selected AG Splatter Effects

Changes the droplet paths created by all AG Splatter live effects in the selection into editable artwork, and removes the effect from the appearance(s). This is similar to using the native menu command Object > Expand Appearance, but is more flexible because it leaves the existing artwork (and other live effects which may be present) intact.

2. Remove All Selected AG Splatter Effects

Removes any AG Splatter live effects from the selection. (This can be done from the Appearance panel as well, but not if multiple AG Splatter effects are present with different parameters. In that case, the Appearance panel will simply display “Mixed Appearances” and the ability to select the live effect and delete it will no longer be available.)

3. Reset Warning Dialog

If the Long Processing Time warning dialog was suppressed with the Don’t show again checkbox, choosing this menu item will re-enable it.

4. Save Settings...

Captures all of the current parameter settings on the panel to a file, which can be instantly recalled later (either in the current file session or a later one). A dialog will appear through which the file name may be specified.

5. Manage Settings...

Brings up a dialog through which existing settings files may be renamed or deleted: 

AG Splatter Manage Settings Dialog

A. Settings List: Shows all user-saved settings. One or more settings files can be selected for use with the buttons at the bottom of the dialog by clicking on them in the list, with Shift pressed to select contiguously or Command/Ctrl pressed to select discontiguously, as normal.

B. Rename Button: If a single settings file is selected, allows it to be renamed, through a separate dialog. If the Cancel button is used, the original names will be restored.

C. Delete Button: Removes the selected settings file(s). The files are not permanently deleted until the OK button is clicked.

6. Settings Files

User-defined settings will appear below the built-in [Default Settings] menu item. Choosing a settings menu item will load the panel with the settings it had when the file was saved; the AG Splatter effects in any selected art will be updated to match.

The Stylism plugin adds the menu item AG Splatter Effects to the native Select menu. Choosing this menu item will select all unlocked art objects which contain at least one AG Splatter live effect.

The following operation can be recorded and played back as an Action:

1. The menu item Select > AG Splatter Effects.