1.9.4.2 bug: Cropping a container layer rasterizes vector content on export

[loukash]

MacBookPro9,1, El Capitan
Tested with 1.9.4.2, also affects current betas of APu and APh.

ADe/APu/APh 1.9.3 are not affected.

Cropping a container like group, layer etc. with another vector object rasterizes vector content of the container on export to a format like PDF. That affects newly created content as well as e.g. opened or placed PDFs which are usually cropped by a page box: all content of the page box will be also rasterized on export. In case of an opened and thus interpreted PDF, the bug can be worked around by deleting the cropping page box; just disabling the crop object is not enough, it must be removed from its nested layer stack position.

Also affects the Vector Crop tool.

Steps to reproduce:

1. create one or more vector objects
2. group them, or place them in a layer
3. crop the group/layer with another vector object or the Vector Crop tool

Cropping a single vector object doesn't rasterize it.

Watch the video, first part is from 1.9.4.2, second part from 1.9.3:

 

[RM f/g]

Hi

I noticed you have Layer 1 set to ‘Passthrough’.

Try changing it to ’Normal’. I had the same sort of experience and that did the trick.

[loukash]

16 minutes ago, RM f/g said:

I noticed you have Layer 1 set to ‘Passthrough’.

That's not the point. It shouldn't happen at all, whether it's "Passthrough" or not.

18 minutes ago, RM f/g said:

Try changing it to ’Normal’. I had the same sort of experience and that did the trick.

Thanks! That's at least a good workaround for the time being.

[loukash]

1 hour ago, RM f/g said:

set to ‘Passthrough’.
Try changing it to ’Normal’.

Interestingly, this "trick" fixes a longstanding problem I was having with applying layer effects to a group container:

• if the group is set to "Passthrough", all content will be rasterized when adding e.g. an Outer Shadow to the group layer – which usually shouldn't even affect the group content in the first place
• if the group is set to "Normal", group content will remain vector when adding Outer Shadow to the group

That affects both 1.9.3 as well as 1.9.4.2 beta.
Not sure if this is supposed to be "by design". I'm aware that all other blend modes will rasterize, but why does "Passthrough"?

[Sean P]

Hi loukash,

Thanks for letting us know - I'll get this passed on to development.

[loukash]

On 6/1/2021 at 12:20 PM, loukash said:

placed PDFs which are usually cropped by a page box: all content of the page box will be also rasterized on export

For the record, I just checked in Publisher 1.9.4.1076, and it only seems to affect interpreted placed PDFs, not passthrough placed PDFs.