Pentool and drawing a line through a completed object?

[deeznutz]

I'm new to illustrator and what I'm trying to do is draw a line from one anchor point (i think, the little squares on the lines) on the same layer as the shape. It seems like after i complete the shape with the pentool i can add anchors but cant connect the anchors in the shape to the other anchors.

Could someone please tell me the way i go about doing this? ive tried dealing with them being on a seperate layer (which im trying to avoid) and drawing the line through it then trying to "join" them but since its a completed shape im trying to "join" it with it wont work.

Help would be much appreciated, thank you.

[Kotik]

I can see you have been working with photoshop prior to illustrator. First of all I'd like to tell that Illustrator doesn't work with layers, works with paths (ie one layer contains different paths individually within a layer and can have separate effects on each of them).

I'm not entirely sure what effect you are aiming for but if it is, let say, 2 squares made by the pen tool that you want to overlap each other without having to deal with the strokes overlapping each other you can simply make them a Live paint group with Live Paint tool (K) and then select whatever unwanted borders/strokes/areas and delete them.

Here is an example.


Oh and by the way, you cannot make a live paint group if the selection is already grouped. You'll have to ungroup the paths and make them live paint group from there.

[deeznutz]

What i wanted to do would be something like paint the place where the squares are overlapping one color and the other sides of the square where they arent overlapping different colors.



Only way i was able to keep them on the same path was to start at the top draw counter clock wise stop at the bottom right add another anchor, select the top and complete the path to the anchor i added along the middle of the bottom, then click on the bottom right and "connect" it to the top.

I just want to connect the top to the X anchor point so i can fill each section with a different color.

Currently the only way i can think of doing that to make it exact is copy parts of the line i want to use and control+shift+v (i believe that was the way to paste it directly on the original position) but thought there was an easier way, involving a shortcut i didnt know like the shift, alt, and control ones with tools.

Sorry i didnt think of showing a picture.

[Kotik]

Pen tool tool paths can't have two different closing points. The walk around in your case would be to simply to draw a curve/line from the top to the X point on a new path. Then make a selection of all paths in subject and make them Live paint group and use the live paint bucket (must be a live paint group) and just fill the closed paths with the colors you wish.

[deeznutz]

Yea thats what i figured when i tried to "join" a closed path and it wouldnt even let me select the option. Thank you.

[deeznutz]

I have a new question now. Is there a way to tell its snapping directly over an intersection/path without using the view "smart guide" option selected? I thought it would snap to things on different "layers" but i noticed sometimes it would be over/under where i wanted it to go. I thought it would automatically do this with the "Snap to point" checked, but i guess not? I have no problem with using the "smart guide" though, it just seems tiresome drawing a little off of where i want it to connect to (so i can select the right anchor), cntrl+u, then praying it doesnt snap to the 45/90 degree angles. I didnt really think it was needed to make guides on every thing i want to do, but maybe thats why everything harder than it should be?

[Kotik]

Use the group selection tool to move around anchors to the exact points you want them to be. You can even move around their "angle bars" (Dont know the exact name).