Dynamically adjust the Transform effect (Adobe Illustrator)

The Transform effect allows you to do a number of effects to an object at once, including duplicating, scaling, rotating, and moving. You can create nice designs like the curve of flowers. When you need to make any changes to a transformed design, you need to click on the Transform effect in the Appearance palette and make the necessary adjustments in the Transform dialog box.

A quicker method is to group the object you want to transform with a small, unpainted object like our circle in the upper left. Then, apply the desired Transform effect settings to the group. By grouping with an unpainted object, you gain an instant invisible button that you can select with the Group Selection tool. As you click and drag the circle, the Transform effect changes so you can compress or decompress the flower spiral at will. It's a handy way to make subtle adjustments to a design as your layout develops.