What is the purpose of the Shape Builder tool?

The Shape Builder tool is primarily designed to combine and subtract overlapping shapes, making it an essential feature for creating complex designs from simpler geometric forms. When you have multiple shapes that overlap, the Shape Builder tool allows you to easily merge, subtract, or isolate the sections you want to keep or remove, streamlining the process of shape creation and manipulation in your design workflow.

Using this tool enhances efficiency and precision by allowing you to visually see the areas where shapes overlap and decide on-the-fly which parts to keep or discard. This interactive and intuitive approach permits designers to experiment and explore variations without needing to resort to more complex path operations or layers, thus fostering creativity and ensuring a seamless flow in the design process.

By facilitating the combination and subtraction of shapes, the Shape Builder tool enables users to customize their designs with greater ease, paving the way for intricate compositions and unique graphics without the need for additional steps or tools.