Adobe Illustrator for Windows - GIS to Illustrator

Author

GIS to Illustrator

Amy_Ellison@adobeforums.com

2006-08-02, 12:24 pm

Good Day,

I am a Cartographer and a lot of what I do is take GIS information out of ArcMap and create a map in a graphics program. I export files as .ai and when I have brought them into FreeHand, I was able to x,y register them without a problem...with Illustrator
, I have all these stinkin' bounding boxes that I don't need and it won't import all layers the same. FreeHand had a "cut contents" feature that allowed me to basically "ungroup" my real data from those boxes. Does Illustrator have a feature like that? I
can't seem to make my lines (like roads and streams)individuals, it's all one huge item.'

Additionally, I can't cut any lines with the knife tool, what is that all about? I can't use the "expand" feature on my roads and streams. Why can't I just pick a line and cut it?
I can't believe that Adobe purchased Macromedia and they're not picking up the "user-friendly" FreeHand tools and features (i.e. a knife tool that cuts, right-click mouse magnification, easier layer changing, etc.).
HELP! :) Thanks in advance!

Stephen_Fish@adobeforums.com

2006-08-02, 12:24 pm

Amy:

Illustrator has a lot of nifty features, but is kind of clunky. Also, it is hard to switch to a new program. There are some map makers who come here that might have some suggestions, but for now-

The group commands are on the Object menu- Ctrl + G groups, Ctrl + Shift + G ungroups. Pay attention to the Layers and Appearance palettes to keep track of what is grouped.

Hide bounding box is in the View menu- Ctrl + Shift + B (it is a toggle).

Illustrator doesn't have a good tool for cutting paths. The Knife Tool works on filled paths (if the fill is showing), but you will have to use the Scissors Tool to cut a straight path (click it).

I didn't understand your XY positioning problem. Give more info.

steve

Fraxinus Excelsior

2006-08-02, 12:24 pm

Hi Amy,

Fellow cartographer here, I do a lot of ArcMap > Illustrator exports. Those bounding boxes that you refer to, those are clipping masks. ArcMap create one of those for each layer, look into the layers palette, and the groups to see that. Select one of them
, and then do a Select>Same>Fill & Stroke and delete them. You might want to save one of them though, it makes it easier to re-import and add things layer, and then align them.

I would recommend that you take a peek at <http://www.cartotalk.com> for more tips on using Illustrator with ESRI software (and Freehand, and other GIS software).

Amy_Ellison@adobeforums.com

2006-08-02, 12:24 pm

Thank you guys for the great tips!
The one issue is still when I don't clip things to a "box" in ArcMap and just export out of my view, and then I bring it into Illustrator, I get lines that go outside of the "bounding box", hence it is hard to align them (using the x and y values) in Illu
strator. Not sure if there is a workaround for that.

I know both ArcMap and Illustrator could use a little more work! I had to download something called XTools for ArcMap (http://www.dataeast.ru/Eng/Software/xtoolspro.asp) to make a lot of the functions I used in ArcView 3.3 possible. Not sure if you guys h
ave heard of this, but it is an ESRI partner and a great extension!

Thanks also for the tip on Cartotalk...I've heard of it, now I need to visit! (boy I miss FreeHand!):(

Fraxinus Excelsior

2006-08-02, 12:24 pm

Amy -- what I frequently do is export a little bit more than I need from ArcMap, and then clip (using the pathfinder) or define clipping masks for a smaller area that I need for the final map. When I need to align things with images that I bring in from P
hotoshop etc, I usually try to do that by hand.

Jack_Lasker@adobeforums.com

2006-08-02, 12:24 pm

Those clipping masks can be useful, but:

I export my layers separately to .ai, then group all layers in the new ai file and give this new layer a unique name. I can then begin to join the layers from the individual .ai files to a new composite file containing all of the individual layers (.ai fi
les).

I use the x/y coordinates of the clipping masks to properly locate each layer as I paste it in.

If you really want to temove all of them.

From the Illustrator menu choose Select > Object > Clipping Mask
With these selected, choose Object > Clipping Mask > Release (Ctrl + Alr + 7)

They will be still selected: Now you can simply hit the delete key, or in the layers pallet, hit the delete icon.

The release of the mask causes surronding objects previously not visible to appear. You may want to remove these.

Instead of deleting the masks in the last step above, with them all still selected, you can convert them to guides temporarily (View > Guides > Make Guides (Ctrl + 5))

These guides now indicate what to delete. The path nodes will usually break at this point as well.

envirographics@adobeforums.com

2006-08-12, 6:38 pm

Hi Amy , fellow cartographer using FH9 here and I have access to ESRI ArcGIS but rarely bring electronic data in from it, preferring to keep things pure and all created in FH to avoid gremlins, though there may be times for speed I need to import data rat
her than draw it.
Why are you not with Freehand still though, you say you miss it ? Just today reading differences of FH v Illy its obvious any transition is going to lose some very useful easy tools and functions, but I must experiment to see quite whats involved. I have
no intentions of using an inferior program for cartography.
Unable to cut lines you say, strewth !...thought I read of someone saying scissor for straight line will work, cant see that now as I type !..I have bendy lines called roads though !
Envirographics

Ben_Wieseman@adobeforums.com

2006-08-25, 7:01 pm

Amy, not sure if you are still reading this forum, but if so. I use Arc, Auto cad and illustrator on a daily basis. The single best program I have bought to easily move shape files into illustrator and back into GIS is a plug in called Map publisher. I am
not a map publisher rep or anything, and it does have some bugs... but it allows me, while in Illustrator to access a pull down command that loads in shape files, which I can then set to scale and view area, of course from gis the import function keeps t
he data's geo system and type (line, point, polygon) which are all usasble forms and easy to minipulate in Illustrator ... I can push new lines points or polygons back to GIS, but generally my graphics by this time have surpassed what GIS can do, and GIS
renders the elemnets with just standard default symbols, that do not compare with Illustrator graphics.

Hope that helps... if at all.