With one Objects on Path group selected and an object chosen with its
Select/Move widget, Detach in the Properties panel's Objects on Path
Options section takes that object out of the group
(`object.objectsOnPath.detach {member?}`). The object goes just above
the group in the Layers panel, stays where it is drawn and is selected
alone. The other objects move up the path in their order: Auto Space
spreads them evenly again, and a Space value and the start are kept.
The group and its path stay with one object or none left. Hidden or
locked objects and groups are refused, and Detach is one undo step.
When the group is itself on another group's path, the object goes
above the outer group so it does not join that path.
Docs: docs/mcp.md, docs/target-app-parity.md. Detach and its undo name
have rows in every catalog, and the new message in the complete-message
catalogs.
With one Objects on Path group selected, the Selection and Objects on Path
tools show a ring on each object's attachment point. A click chooses that
object while the group stays selected; dragging a ring along the path moves
its object to the nearest object's place, and the objects between move one
place toward where it was, in one undo step. Hidden and locked objects have
no ring and keep their places. On a closed path the drag goes on round
across the first anchor, and Escape cancels it.
- object.objectsOnPath.selectMember {member} chooses an object.
- object.objectsOnPath.moveMember {member, target, group?} moves an object
to another object's place; only the order along the path changes.
Docs: docs/mcp.md, docs/target-app-parity.md. Not yet: Detach.
With one Objects on Path group of two or more objects selected, the
Selection and Objects on Path tools show a square Space widget beyond the
last object, ahead along the path. Dragging it moves the last object
along the path, around its bends, as far as the pointer moves along it,
and the objects between follow evenly while the first one stays. With
Alt (Option on macOS) the objects spread from both ends toward or away
from the center of an open path, or of the first anchor of a closed one.
The distance between the objects shows next to the pointer in the
document's units; the drag is one undo step, and Escape cancels it.
- object.objectsOnPath.options takes spacing (points, or "auto", the
default even spread) and start (points from the first anchor). A
spacing the path has no room for is drawn smaller and kept, so a
longer path brings it back. Older files read as Auto.
- Moving the group, Pivot, Rotate, path edits, copies and saving keep
the Space. Scaling, rotating or shearing the group keeps the first
and last objects where the transform takes them on the new path, live
shapes included; a value that cannot be kept that way scales with the
path's length.
- The Rotate All widget follows the first object when Space moves it.
Behavior: https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/desktop/manage-objects/arrange-objects/rearrange-and-edit-objects-on-a-path.html
and https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/objects-on-path.html.
Double-clicking the Objects on Path tool opens Objects on Path Tool
Options: a nine-point Pivot grid, a Rotate field, Reset (the center and
0) and Save. Save sets the tool's options, which last across tool
switches and are saved with the preferences. The tool sends them with
each attach, and object.objectsOnPath.attach without pivot or rotate
uses them, so they apply to the objects attached next; groups attached
before keep theirs.
dotCooCoo