#Free adobe illustrator cad patterns software#
#Free adobe illustrator cad patterns series#

Illustrator uses layers just like Photoshop. Now here is the real beauty of Illustrator-the ability to copy over and over without losing previous work. I locked the guides (View > Guides > Lock Guides) so they would not move while I was drafting and moving the sleeve seams around. In Illustrator, to pull a guide your rulers have to be visible and you simply click on the ruler and drag downward or inward and a guide appears:ДЇor example, on this sleeve pattern, I pulled in guides to mark the bicep line and the shoulder notch position.

#Free adobe illustrator cad patterns software#

Most Adobe software use guides in some form and they are really helpful for lining pieces up, finding exact corners, or maintaining a control point. Guides are non-printing lines that you can pull into your document. This plugin makes tasks like walking and checking notch placements on my bra patterns so much easier! Using Guides (DWP means вЂњDistance Within PointsвЂќ, which is the actual curve measurement along that red line.) So for example, I can measure just the front part of a sleeve cap: Vector Scribe allows you to measure segments of curves and lines, rather an an entire line. Unfortunately another company bought it out, repackaged and amped the price but IвЂ™ve gotten so used to the tool that I had to bite the bullet once I upgraded Illustrator. Years ago this plugin was called SnapMeasure. The second tool I use for measuring lines is a plugin called Vector Scribe. When a line is selected, this information window will give you an exact measurement of your line down to fractions of inches, millimeters or centimeters. The Document Info window has an additional dropdown menu for вЂњObjectsвЂќ. If this is not visible, click on вЂњWindow > Show Document InfoвЂќ. First I select the armscye line with the вЂњDirect SelectionвЂќ tool (shortcut: вЂњAвЂќ key). The simplest is through the вЂњDocument InfoвЂќ window.ДЇor example, letвЂ™s say I want to measure an armscye. You can add anchor points to any line by clicking on the вЂњAdd AnchorвЂќ tool (the shortcut in Illustrator is the + key). The more anchors the more complex a curve can get. These points have handles that can be pulled out to create curves. Get to Know Anchor PointsДЄnchor points are little dots that вЂњanchorвЂќ a line or curve into a particular spot. Play around with it until you get used to the motions with your mouse or trackpad. When I first started using Illustrator I created documents and made a bunch of random shapes freehand with the pen.

YouвЂ™ll also use the Line tool, which allows you to draw straight lines and transform them into curved ones later on. This is the most basic tool and when drafting youвЂ™ll use it over and over again. If you are brand new to using vector software of any type, I recommend spending some time playing with the pen tool. So letвЂ™s dig inвЂ¦ Learning the Pen and Line Tools IвЂ™ve included some resources at bottom if this is your interest.

#Free adobe illustrator cad patterns series#

If you are interested in making sewing patterns for sale, there are many issues to consider and these are worthy of a tutorial series or course on their own. IвЂ™m also assuming that you are a hobbyist drafting for yourself.

Now just to warn you, I am not writing a tutorial on вЂњhow to draft in IllustratorвЂќ, nor am I trying to exhaust the subject. Today as promised IвЂ™d like to share a few of my favorite Illustrator tools for drafting patterns. I want to put you all in a room together so we can geek out on subjects like bone structure, sleeve caps, and pattern puzzles. This subject definitely brings the patternmakers out of the woodwork! That makes me happy because I love patternmaking minds. After my last post about pattern drafting I got so many great comments about the various programs you use, whether as a hobby or professionally.