Making text read towards the centre of a circle

[d_tekt]

I need to get multiple lines of text to read from the outside edge of a circle in to the centre. Every single line will need to be at a different angle - so they fan out or radiate or whatever you want to call it.

I don't want the text distorted so I can't use the warp or envelope effects. Also, some of the text is 3 lines, some 4 and some 5 so I can't just mirror things.

See the attachment for what I've started off with. It's for a unit calculator that has a smaller disc on top with an opening to show the units for each drink when you spin it round.

Anyone got any ideas how to do this reasonably quickly? Sorry if I've missed a tool or setting, I don't use Illustrator that often. I guess I'm hoping Illy's got a more powerful tool than the repeat/reflect option in Freehand (which could do some of this but not all).

Cheers, D

[alcbevtesting@alltel.net]

Check out this thread and see if it helps: http://www.illustratorworld.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1684


By the way it looks like you are trying to create a Radar (or Spider plot) for beverages from your example. I do analysis of alcoholic beverages and make spiders all the time. Care to share more about your intentions in case I might be able to assist in anyway?

Gary.

[d_tekt]

Only just had a chance to check back - thanks for that. The first technique looks like the way to go. Hopefully I can draw the lines for one segment of 3-line text, one for 4-line... then copy and paste each of them.

The only issue I've had is getting the rotate origin point to stay in the corner so they rotate accurately. When I go to type in the value it reverts to the centre.

I like the second method too but Illustrator CS doesn't seem to have 'Effect > Transform'. Makes sense if it's only come in since the Adobe/Macromedia takeover since it's a very FreeHand-like tool.

It's funny if you're working in the alcohol/unit testing field. I'm with an area Health Board in Scotland doing a localised version of a national 'radar' (didn't know that's what you called them!). They actually tried to send me the artwork but I only have Quark 5 running in Classic and it couldn't open any of the files.