April 26, 1998

Shapes Around a Circle

This tip is how to draw different shapes around a circle. Sure you can make a star similar to this with the Polygon tool, but can you make a gear or flower type of shape with it? Here's how to do it.

Version: Any

 
 
       

This technique draws any number of "teeth" around any size circle. Below, I'll take you through the steps to get some great effects.

1) In a new document, make sure you have Snap to Guides and Snap to Point turned on in the View menu. In the Preferences, turn on Join nontouching paths. Now, crisscross two guides anywhere on the page. Next, draw a circle from the intersecting point of these lines by holding down Shift+Option (Alt) as you draw.

2) While the circle is still selected, click on the Guides layer in the layer palette. This turns the circle into a guide. Next, draw a line from the intersection to the top edge of the circle.

WARNING

FreeHand for Windows may cause an error "Could not complete the command because an unknown command was encountered" when moving the cursor over the center of a circular guide path that is centered on the intersection of a horizontal and a vertical guide. This is a known bug from Macromedia.

The workaround:
To avoid the error message and continue working unhindered, while the circle is selected, choose Xtras -> Distort -> Add Points before moving the circle to the Guides layer.

 

3) Now it's math time. Divide 180° by the number of "teeth" you want and rotate the line by that amount. For this example I want 20 "teeth", so 180° ÷ 20 = 9. Select the line. With the Rotate tool, Option (Alt)+Click where the line starts at the guide intersection point. This sets the center point you'll be rotating from. In the Transform palette, enter the value 9.

4) Now clone this line. With the Rotate tool, Option (Alt)+Click where the line starts at the guide intersection point. Rotate it clockwise two times the previous value. Here it's 9 x 2 = 18, so enter -18 in the Transform palette. Select both of these lines and click on the Guides layer in the layer palette. This turns them into guides.

 

5) Now use the line guides to draw a "tooth". This can be any shape that will connect with itself. Above at right are other examples of shapes you can create.

 

6) Clone the "tooth" you've created.
With the Rotate tool, Option (Alt)+Click where the guides intersect at the middle of the circle. Enter the angle from Step 4 in the Transform palette, here we use -18.

7) Now Duplicate (Command+D / Control+D) as many times it takes to complete the shape.

 

Version Addendum

6-7) With the Rotate tool, Option (Alt)+Click where the guides intersect at the middle of the circle.

With the shape still selected double-click the Rotate tool to show the Transform palette. In the Rotation angle field enter the angle from Step 4, here we use -18. In the Copies field enter the number of shapes you want, here we use 20. Hit the Apply button and you'll have all the teeth you need in one easy step.

 

8) Now turn off your Guides layer. Select all the shapes and Join the elements together.

9) Now fill in the shapes and add some creative touches. If you want the original circle back from Step 1, show your Guide layer and double click on the circle guide. In the dialog box, click on the Release button.