Home > Illustrator > Plug-ins > Multitoolbox plug-ins

Andrew's Vector Plug-ins 4 'MultiToolbox'     US $15 DOWNLOAD   Plug-in toolkit for Illustrator® Set includes two plugins. One plug-in contains 13 sub plug-ins to manipulate paths / images / symbols (text) in 1000s and 1000s of ways. The plug-ins include grid tool / paint tool / spiral generation tool / circular tool / random path noise tool / frame tool / drag tool and many more - literally billions of designs can be created using this highly interactive and hi-impact plug-in tool. Comes with a massive selection of color options, trace features for smudging and more, repeat options, pattern features and more. The other plug-in is for paths and points and can manipulate and warp and distort paths in 1000s of different ways to create unique shape designs or subtly alter an existing shape. A square can be turned into the weirdest of designs in seconds. A truly powerful combination of design tools for all your design needs.   Windows Vista + Windows XP + MAC OS X 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Adobe ® Illustrator® CS4 CS3 + CS2 + CS1 + 10   PC demo * (the demo is currently not for CS4) OS X demo *  (the demo is currently not for CS4) PDF Manual Gallery

Plug-ins included

Tools included in the plug-in set are as follows. All are used in the same way. Select the items and then drag the cursor to the required range / distance and release, paths etc are generated based on the start and end distance.

Rows and columns plug-in: Create a grid of selected paths based on the selected paths + checkerboard and pattern designs as well as different scaling of paths and much more. Flash SWF examples The plug-in now also includes an additional lock feature based around the golden rectangle. The plug-in also has a bounding box feature to enable the creation of grid themed pattern swatches. The plug-in comes with many additional application methods to create 100s of unique grid designs. Tiling features are included along with trace (blurring and painted effects) settings. The plug-in can be used with selected paths as well as selected images or selected gradients or selected symbols (you can use text this way so an entire paragraph or page of text can be used in grid designs)

Drag tool: Create a zoom / multiple copies of the selected path (s) or images or symbols or symbols text Flash SWF examples. The plug-in comes with lock features to limit the direction of the dragged line; as well as facilities to modify the number of generated shapes as you drag; features to re-color the designs in many ways (the paths can be set to alternate between the color and black or the color and white or alternate between the color and a swatch or just apply the path with a random color or have the color fade away to white or black as well as many other colorful options (also the stroke can be manipulated in a similar way); tiling options to create unique and wow line designs; trace features to create painted and blurring of lines and designs. There are many options available to you, these can be accessed via the sidebar palette (with CS4) or via a dialog in earlier versions

Soft center tool: A variant of drag tool working on the selection of multiple paths and a singular center

Framed tool: Create a frame based on selected paths. Many variant frame designs. The frame plug-in comes with color options, pattern features, layering, rotation settings, path jitter, trace features and many more to create stunning frame designs. Flash SWF examples

Rim random tool: Paint tool / brush creator, grain and noise and backgrounds. Plug-in re-sizes and randomizes the positions of the selected paths to create localized jumbles of paths (or symbols or images). This tool is very useful for creating noise brushes that can be saved into the brushes palette. Millions of great designs can be created using this plug-in. The plug-in also can be re-applied to create ever more complex design. Combine this with Illustrator's pathfinder feature to create truly awesome shapes and paths. Flash SWF examples

Circular / windmill tool: Rotation and circular effects on selected paths and symbols and images. The plug-in comes with many features such as matching cursor angle, color options, patterns and tiling features, repeat applies, different apply methods, different layering of path settings and many more Flash SWF examples Plug-in also now includes additional gap features to create even more wow designs in seconds. The plug-in comes with trace options to create awesome swirls of paths and designs. The plug-in can also be re-applied with the selected designs to create ever more complex circular path designs. As with all the plug-ins, the plug-in set can be used with paths as well as with images (placed) or symbols (here you can use text such as entire page of text in a circular design)

Scaledown tool: Use to scale a selected path and repeat settings for twists and turns + blur effects and much more. Select a path or paths or symbols or images and reduce or increase the size of duplicated elements. Use different apply modes, color settings, patterns and much more to create 1000s of different designs. Use this tool to create unique gradient / decreasing path designs in seconds (such as using circles and decreasing radii designs). The path can be re-applied repeatedly with the selected paths to create stunning and unique grid designs as well as 3D like designs in seconds. Flash SWF examples

Bounce along tool: Repeats and bounces and pulse effects. Similar to the scaledown tool but this plug-in comes into its own with pulse and warping line and grid designs

Spiral tool: Spirals created out of selected paths. The spiral plug-in comes with the same selection of color settings as the other plug-ins enabling the creation of truly stunning colorful spiral designs, in either directions, with varying decay designs and more

Checkerboard tool: A variant of the duplication tool but misses alternate paths.

Paint tool: Select a path and paint in a variety of ways, great with the pattern / tile feature. The plug-in also comes with pressure features so you can manipulate the designs in subtle ways (does require an artpad for the pressure option)

Tile tool: Create basic patterns in seconds and define a pattern swatch

Background tool: Creates a background based on drag size or frame in seconds. Use the designs as overlays, as textures, noise backgrounds, frame designs, combine, modify and much more.

+ bonus Points toolbox plug-in: Manipulate points of a path in 1000s of ways. The points plug-in works on the path's anchor points and direction points and stretches the path based on the movement of the mouse / pen and many different type of point combinations. The plug-in is packed with many different options to randomize values, interpolate points, create abstract designs via trace, layer / animation and much more. Flash SWF examples

Updates

For updates to CS4, please e-mail support@graphicxtras.com with serial numbers/purchased product details and I will send on the new links to the updates for PC / MAC OS X (as of November 2008)

* DEMO - the demo is outline only. As soon as you release the mouse any changes made will vanish. Fill / stroke are ignored for outline demo

Version

4.4 Update to CS4 for PC  + MAC OS X November 1st 2008

Multitool tutorial 1: blurring vector shapes

1) Select the path

2) Select the multitool (found in the toolbox of Illustrator®)

3) Select the sub-plugin 'scaledown'

4) Double click the plugin icon to display options

5) Select the 'to white' color option, set the scaling to 101%

6) Remove any 'stroke' as this is not 're-colored' in the current version.

7) Set the beneath to true / checked (this creates the shapes below the initial selected shape)

8) Set the copies to 30 or more

9) Drag in the desired direction (can be in any direction or basically no change of position)

10) Release the mouse to create the 30+ 'blurred' dynamic vector paths

Multitool tutorial 2: diagonal landscape

1) Create a path (such as a circle)

2) Create multiple paths in different locations throughout the document

3) Re-color the paths via the fill palette / swatches

4) Select all the paths

5) Goto the multi-tool

6) Select the GX4 Drag tool

7) Double click the tool to display the options for the drag tool

8) Set the copies to 20

9) Set the fill options to 'to swatch'

10) The swatch field will be enabled, enter a number (say 15.. this is orange in the swatches palette). The number is the position in the swatch palette for the document

11) Set the pattern mode to 'use original path'. The pattern tiling will be based on the original / start path position for each path.

12) Drag diagonally (you can drag in different directions to generate a different angle of path tiling