# Transform Methods

The Transform method is used to change the positioning, rotation, shear-angle, and scaling of document art according to Illustrator UI's Transform dialog feature as well as the Transform Panel.

The transform method not only embodies all the actions one can perform with Illustrator's Transform dialog or the Transform Panel (basic/non-shape options), it allows for sending properties related to different variations of the Transform dialog/panel all in one column. For instance, the Move command's parameters could be sent in along with some parameters of the Rotate dialog.

Note: As the Darty-Ai tagging mechanism allows for setting the same tags on multiple items, this method effectively simulates Illustrator's "Transform-Each" dialog except for the "Random" parameter at this time.

# Transform - Positioning

The following parameters are used to change an object's position on the artboard explicitly by setting the coordinate through data:

Transform

Note: Artboard-specific positioning coming soon...

# Positioning Example Spreadsheet


star
transform
x	y	anchorPoint	changeStrokePattern	scaleStrokes	changeFillPatterns	transformObjects:true

50	50	CENTER	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE
		CENTER	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE
50	50	TOPLEFT	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE
		TOPLEFT	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE
50	50	CENTER	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	FALSE
		CENTER	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	FALSE

# Transform - Translation

These parameters are used to move an art-item relative to its current location in the document. All parameters not involving rotation angle in this sub-set of transform parameters are change-values which will calculate against the object's current measurements.

Move

# Translation Example Spreadsheet

star
transform
deltax	deltay	angle	distance	anchorPoint	changeStrokePattern	scaleStrokes	changeFillPatterns	transformObjects:true

50	50			CENTER	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE
		72	50	CENTER	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE
50	50			TOPLEFT	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE
		72	50	TOPLEFT	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE
50	50			CENTER	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	FALSE
		72	50	CENTER	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	FALSE

# Transform - Rotation

The parameter rotation turns the art object about itself.

Rotate

# Rotation Example Spreadsheet

star
transform
rotation	anchorPoint	changeStrokePattern	scaleStrokes	changeFillPatterns	transformObjects:true

72	TOPLEFT\|TRUE		TRUE	TRUE
72	CENTER\|TRUE		TRUE	TRUE
72	TOPLEFT\|FALSE		FALSE	FALSE
72	CENTER\|FALSE		FALSE	FALSE
72	TOPLEFT\|TRUE		TRUE	TRUE	FALSE
72	CENTER\|TRUE		TRUE	TRUE	FALSE

# Transform - Shear

These parameters skew the art item with a specified angle.

Shear

# Shear Example Spreadsheet

star
transform
shearh	shearv	anchorPoint	changeStrokePattern	scaleStrokes	changeFillPatterns	transformObjects:true

10	10	CENTER	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE
20	20	CENTER	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE
10	10	TOPLEFT	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE
20	20	TOPLEFT	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE
10	10	CENTER	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	FALSE
20	20	CENTER	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	FALSE

# Transform - Scaling

These paremeters control the scale of the art item.

Scale

# Scale Example Spreadsheet

star
transform
scaleH	scaleV	keepProportions	widthDiff	heightDiff	width	height	scaleStrokes	anchorPoint	changeStrokePattern	changeFillPatterns	transformObjects:true

50		TRUE					FALSE	CENTER	TRUE	TRUE
	50						FALSE
			1"				TRUE	TOPLEFT	TRUE	TRUE
		TRUE		100pt				CENTER
						300	TRUE	CENTER	TRUE	TRUE
		TRUE			2cm		FALSE	CENTER	TRUE	FALSE	FALSE
		TRUE			2cm		TRUE	CENTER	TRUE	FALSE	FALSE
			50	50			TRUE	CENTER	TRUE	TRUE
					20	60	TRUE	CENTER	TRUE	TRUE	FALSE

# Transform - All Properties

These properties are applicable to any transform operation. They modify the visual transformation process to produce unique results according to the kind of artwork being affected and instructions being sent in.

Parameter	Description
anchorPoint	This is the art-object's bounding box coordinate to transform from.
keepProportions	The `keepProportions` parameter enforces a proportional scaling operation in the cases where a height or width are not both specified (if only height was specified at 50%, the omitted width would be automatically filled-in with 50%). If both height and width (any of these or their vertical counterparts: `scaleH`, `width` or `widthDiff`) are specified and `keepProportions` is set to `TRUE`, the width-based parameter is accepted as the value to proportionally fit the height.
x	The x-coordinate on the artboard. The object will align to this horizontal axis point.
y	The y-coordinate on the artboard. The object will align to this vertical axis point.
deltaY	Moves the object on the vertical axis.
deltaX	Moves the object on the horizontal axis.
angle	When the `distance` parameter is used in conjunction with `angle`, the item is translated that distance amount at the angle specified, while maintaining the original artwork's intrinsic rotation. Use the `rotation`* parameter to additionally rotate the object about itself if required.*
rotation	Rotates the art object about itself. Note: This is not the same as the `angle` parameter that controls the angle of the item's translation when using the `distance` parameter.
shearH	Horizontal shear angle.
shearV	Vertical shear angle.
scale	Scale.
scaleH	Horizontal scale.
scaleV	Vertical scale.
scaleCorners	Whether or not to scale corners.
width	Value to set the item's width to.
height	Value to set the item's height to.
widthDiff	Scale the item's width to 100% of its current width plus this value.
heightDiff	Scale the item's height to 100% of its current height plus this value.
usePreviewBounds	Bases the transform on art-objects' bounds as defined by strokes and effects protruding out of the underlying vector shape.

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