How to view degrees of an angle?

[slowmotion]

Ok, so I have this 8 pointed star that is a raster image and I traced it with the pen tool. Now I have a pretty good trace of the object. What I need to know is how to make the new vector image I made perfectly symmetrical and all of the angles perfect. Is there a way to do this?

[slowmotion]

http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/7109/examplejq8.jpg

[kazbear]

I cant see you image cause its blocked from my workplace, but if you want a perfect 8 pointed star, you can use the star tool. Click once and enter in the number of points and such. Inside and outside radius can be entered.

[slowmotion]

well the problem is, the star has to be exactly the same as the image that I matched it to, and some of the points are further away than others, and I don't know how to mesure distance between two points or from one point to the center of the object without putting a ruler up to my monitor lol.

[slowmotion]

Here is the original image

http://lasertagseminars.com/img/nav/logo.gif

[veganboyjosh]

since the star isn't symmetrical from the center all the way around, you can't really use the star tool without stretching the result, and without some close up work nudging anchors back and forth.

it looks like if you made one quarter of the thing, and then reflected it, you'd have half. then reflect it again, and you'd have the whole. i'd start with that.

[veganboyjosh]

well the problem is, the star has to be exactly the same as the image that I matched it to, and some of the points are further away than others, and I don't know how to mesure distance between two points or from one point to the center of the object without putting a ruler up to my monitor lol.

are the points different distances in the original? it sounds from this post that you've got two challenges:

1. make your art the exact same as the original.
2. make sure your art is symmetrical.

if the original isn't symmetrical, then you can't have both of the above at the same time.

[micke]

If you want it to be symmetrical, and I'm sure it should be, it's easy. I did this in less than 5 minutes. Place your jpeg on a layer and make it a template layer. Set ruler guides through the vertical and horizontal centers.

Analyze the design… there are just 2 triangles to draw with the pen tool.
Use the reflect tool [O] (don't forget to option click on the where your guides cross the set the point of origin) and copy and the Pathfinder>Add to Shape>Expand. Easy! :)

After I saw your last post, I inverted the stroke and color [shift - X], increased the stroke size, outlined the stroke and gave it a gradient fill.

micke

Sorry, I can't get the file size down small enough to attach, even with a low quality jpg.

[TORCH511]

You can also skip all this copy/paste/reflect.

Turn on Smart Guides and you can click on points and reference previously made points by hovering over them to align them as you draw.

[kazbear]

Another option, as always:

1. Place your image as a template.
2. Draw an 8 point star with the star tool.
3. Transform to best match your original (I ligned up the top, bottom, left and right points).
4. Mark the center with some guides.
5. Direct-Select corresponding points (Ones the mirror each other vertically and horizontally) and use the scale tool, making sure that you use the center of the object as the reference point. This will make sure that all your angles get the same treatment.

[meganchi]

On that star, why don't you draw only one half of it, reflect it, then join the points?

Another thing you can do is average the points at the top and bottom. Using the hollow arrow tool, select the top point and bottom point, then hold down option + command key and press "J" at the same time. A dialog box will pop up and you can align the center of those two points vertically.