Convert to Text Path still shows Path

[af-user]

Hi,

one thing that I always wondered was, why is the Vector Path still shown (colored) after converting it to a Text Path?

This is only happening in Publisher, regardless if I create a new document within Publisher Workspace or i Publisher within Designer Workspace.

 

This is NOT happening in Designer or Photo, there the Path is hidden after converting it to a Text Path.

 

Thanks and keep up the great work

 

 

[walt.farrell]

40 minutes ago, af-user said:

one thing that I always wondered was, why is the Vector Path still shown (colored) after converting it to a Text Path?

This is only happening in Publisher, regardless if I create a new document within Publisher Workspace or i Publisher within Designer Workspace.

 

This is NOT happening in Designer or Photo, there the Path is hidden after converting it to a Text Path.

Publisher provides the Text Frame studio panel (View > Studio > Text Frame) which allows you to control the stroke and fill of a Text Frame, or of a path/shape that has been converted to Path Text or Shape Text.

Designer and Photo don't provide that panel.

Therefore, Designer and Photo remove the stroke/fill because otherwise the user would have no control over them. If you want to retain them in Designer/Photo you have to duplicate the path/shape, then convert one of them. But Publisher doesn't need to remove the stroke/fill because you can simply remove them using the Text Frame panel if you don't want them.

[af-user]

Aaah thank you very much for the detailed description!

Yes if I wanted to retain them I did it exactly like you said, I duplicated it and converted only one.

 

But it was more, that I had the extra step in Publisher to hide it. Even if I am in the "Designer" Workspace, that was what felt wrong, I expected it to behave the same as when I would use Designer.

 

 

[Eddy-2]

Ignoring that "text on a path" gives no results in Publisher's Help file Search box (nor in Designer's), the topic does exist and says the following:

"When a line, curve or shape is converted to a path to accommodate text, the original object is discarded. If you wish to retain the original object, we recommend duplicating it first."

Why isn't the original shape not automatically discarded when artistic text is put onto it (as it is in PagePlus and Designer) and why is it not discarded even when the shape is converted to a Text Path from the Layers menu?

[walt.farrell]

3 hours ago, Eddy-2 said:

Ignoring that "text on a path" gives no results in Publisher's Help file Search box (nor in Designer's), the topic does exist and says the following:

"When a line, curve or shape is converted to a path to accommodate text, the original object is discarded. If you wish to retain the original object, we recommend duplicating it first."

Why isn't the original shape not automatically discarded when artistic text is put onto it (as it is in PagePlus and Designer) and why is it not discarded even when the shape is converted to a Text Path from the Layers menu?

The search term you need for the built-in Help is "path text", though "text on a path" will also work if you use the online Help (https://affinity.help/publisher). The online topic is here:

https://affinity.help/publisher/English.lproj/pages/Text/pathText.html

That text is correct. The original object is discarded. You start with a path or a shape, and end up with Path Text or Shape Text as shown in the Layers panel. The difference between Publisher and Designer (and Photo, in 1.9) is that the new object retains the original object's stroke and fill in Publisher, but they are not retained in Designer/Photo.

 

[lepr]

In my opinion, the apps should behave identically and allow the user to control the original path/shape's appearance. I can't think of a good reason to not do that, other than to encourage Designer users to also purchase a Publisher licence.

The Layers panel could have the curve/shape and a nested child text object whose thumbnail has a little icon overlay in the corner to indicate the text is following the path.

[Eddy-2]

Thanks Walt.

I got to the help article, which happens to be 'Text on a path' using the term you suggested but not using that exact term via the Search box.

However, the original shape is not discarded in Publisher and that's the issue. I can delete the fill and stroke using the Text Frame panel but since it isn't a Text Frame in the first place, should I have to?

[Eddy-2]

4 hours ago, anon2 said:

In my opinion, the apps should behave identically

I agree. One of the problems with PagePlus and DrawPlus was that you had to don your thinking cap when switching between the two due to them doing the same thing in a different way.

[walt.farrell]

28 minutes ago, Eddy-2 said:

the original shape is not discarded in Publisher

Yes, it is. But the new shape that is created inherits the stroke and fill from the old, discarded shape.

It's a subtle point, but a correct one, I believe.

[garrettm30]

I ran into a brick wall on this one just now. I was working with text on a path in the Designer persona in Publisher. I think the difference of behavior between Publisher and Designer is too subtle to the point of confusing, especially when working in the Designer persona in Publisher.

Furthermore, after I read this thread, I still struggled for a little while, because even in the Publisher persona there is no button for the text frame studio as I am accustomed to when working with a frame. That together with the fact that I am dealing with a text path and not a text frame led me to believe that the text frame studio was not the answer. If not for Walt’s answer that suggested the contrary (thanks @walt.farrell), I might never have tried opening the text frame studio directly.

I hope this experience can be cleaned up to be a little less confusing and more intuitive. I probably will forget this whole post the next time I come across the same issue.

[walt.farrell]

4 hours ago, garrettm30 said:

Furthermore, after I read this thread, I still struggled for a little while, because even in the Publisher persona there is no button for the text frame studio as I am accustomed to when working with a frame.

You might want to report that as a bug. In the Publisher Persona the Text Frame button is on the Context Toolbar for the Frame Text Tool and the Artistic Text Tool as soon as they're selected. And it's there when working with Frame Text and with Shape Text and with Artistic Text.

There's no good reason for it to be missing when working with Curve Path Text that I can think of, especially since it's still applicable in that situation.

[garrettm30]

On 10/8/2020 at 7:23 PM, walt.farrell said:

You might want to report that as a bug.

Sorry for the delay, but I have now reported the issue. I reported it in the Mac bugs section. I assume from your response that you do have the button as intended on Windows.

 

[walt.farrell]

1 hour ago, garrettm30 said:

I assume from your response that you do have the button as intended on Windows.

No, it's missing on Windows, too. I just did not feel like reporting it, and since you'd raised the issue I decided to suggest you report it.