Compound Paths Made Easy

Don't Compound the Problems By Not Knowing How To Use Compound Paths

Compound (verb)  - to compound a problem, difficulty, or mistake means to make it worse by adding to it.

Compound Paths is different from Grouping shapes.

BENEFITS OF USING A COMPOUND PATH

1. Allows an effect or function to be SHARED ACROSS ALL SHAPES
2. Allows a HOLE  to be cut into a shape

HOW TO CREATE A COMPOUND PATH

1. Select the shapes you want to make into a compound path and then right-cllck on them and select Make Compound Path.
   
   NOTE: You can also use Object > Compound Path > Make or press CMD/CTRL + 8
2. Select the shapes you want to make into a Compound Path and in the PathFinder panel, select Minus Front.
3. Select the shapes you want to make into a compound path and in the ShapeBuilder panel, hold down the ALT/OPTION ke and select the area you want remove.

OTHER FACTS ABOUT A COMPOUND PATH

1. If you release the Compound Path (Object > Compound Path > Release), the shapes will return to their original shape.
2. Text is already a Compound Path. However, if you convert it to an outline, letters that have a hole in them (e.g., A,B,D,O, P,Q,R) will have a Compound Path. If you release the path, you will see the shape that made the hole in the letter. See the Layers panel for the layer <Compound Path).
3. You can reverse the direction of a compound path??