Let’s have a look at the functions of the keys in the second row of the Pathfinder Panel.
To get a better look at each of the functions of the keys, let’s create 3 shapes.
Now we have three Polygon overlapping one another. There are three distinct paths that define the shape of each circle. Fill the area shown below with a yellow colour.
It can’t be done easily. This is where the divide icon comes in handy.
Choose all the three circles and press the 'divide' icon.
All the overlapping areas will become distinct regions and distinct paths. We can now edit them individually. Before the divide operation there were 3 filled shapes, now there are 5.
With the direct selection tool, now you can do adjustments to any of the 5 new shapes. You can move, change fill colour, change stroke width etc.
Let’s go back to the initial 3 circles figure. If we select all three and click on 'trim' icon, all the overlapping areas of the circles will disappear.
You will end up with the following image:
The stroke of each resulting shape and the stacking order of the initial shapes will change.
Now we are moving back to the Rectangle shape. Choose all three and then click on the 'merge' icon.
All three Rectangles will be merged together with the stroke removed.
Again go back to the initial 3circle shape. Add another shape on top. I used a star.
Choose all the shapes and click on the 'crop' icon on the pathfinder panel.
Everything will lie underneath the star or whatever shape you have placed on top of the stack. The stroke is removed again.
Everything outside the star is removed.
Again go to the 3 circle shape. Pick all three and click on the outline icon.
The fill colour has been applied to the stroke and all the overlapping segments of the circle paths have been trimmed. Therefore, you can move each individual segment and edit it.
Try to move each of the segments and see the result. For clarity apply a black stroke of 2.
Choose the first two shapes from the initial 3 Shapes and click on the 'Minus back' icon.
This operation subtracts the back shape from the front one (in the stacking order), and the result can be seen below.
This acts the opposite way of opposite way the 'Subtract from shape area' icon does.
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