From picture frame to path

[fabio_vac]

To make a free picture frame I usually make a path with the pen tool and then I click "convert to picture frame". Is it possible to have the opposite operation? I want to be able to edit the shape of a picture frame freely like with a path.

Thanks

[walt.farrell]

1. Layer > Convert to Curves (which, for some reason, will still leave the Picture Frame showing as a Picture Frame in the Layers panel), and then
2. Switch to the Node Tool and you can adjust the nodes of the frame individually,.

[fabio_vac]

@walt.farrell Convert to Curves is disabled, what do I make wrong?

[walt.farrell]

It's not disabled for me:

[fabio_vac]

 

Edited August 7, 2021 by fabio_vac

[Garmo]

Worked for me. Make sure the frame is selected and the picture frame tool or move tool are selected, otherwise convert to curves is greyed out.

[fabio_vac]

@Garmo have you seen the GIF I have posted?

[iconoclast]

"Convert to Curves" is greyed out, because it is already a curve.

Sorry, I missed a step.

[iconoclast]

But you can modify the nodes of the picture frame if you select a node and click in the contextbar of the Node-Tool , in the section  "Convert", on "Convert to Smooth" or "Convert to Smart". You get handles then. And you can insert new nodes with handles by doubleclicking on the curve.

[walt.farrell]

20 minutes ago, fabio_vac said:

have you seen the GIF I have posted?

Here's what is happening on my PC:

• If you start with a Picture Frame (as I did), and look at the Context Toolbar and the Layers panel, both say "Picture Frame". If you then use Layer > Convert to Curves, the Context Toolbar and Layers panel continue to say Picture Frame (bug, I think), but you can switch to the Node Tool and edit the Nodes as it is really a Curve layer.
   
• On the other hand, if you start with a Curve (as you did), the Context Toolbar and Layers Panel say "Curve". If you use Layer > Convert to Picture Frame they continue to say "Curve" (bug, I think). But it does still have the properties of a Curve, so if you switch to the Node Tool the nodes are editable. In other words, you don't need to do any further conversion.

[walt.farrell]

10 minutes ago, iconoclast said:

But you can modify the nodes of the picture frame if you select a node and click in the contextbar of the Node-Tool , in the section  "Convert", on "Convert to Smooth" or "Convert to Smart". You get handles then. And you can insert new nodes with handles by doubleclicking on the curve.

If I have a Picture Frame (identified as such in the Context Toolbar and the Layers panel) I cannot select a node using the Node Tool.

[iconoclast]

12 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

If I have a Picture Frame (identified as such in the Context Toolbar and the Layers panel) I cannot select a node using the Node Tool.

Interesting! It's the same to me: if I create a picture frame with the picture frame tool, I can't select any node. But I can convert it to a curve. After that I can't convert it back to a picture frame.

If I create a picture frame outof a curve, I can select nodes of the picture frame and modify them. I can't convert it back to a curve.

I agree with you that there seems to be a bug.

Edit: A picture frame that was converted to a curve can be converted to a text frame. After that it can be converted to curves and after that to a picture frame. Crazy!😁

[R C-R]

3 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

On the other hand, if you start with a Curve (as you did), the Context Toolbar and Layers Panel say "Curve". If you use Layer > Convert to Picture Frame they continue to say "Curve" (bug, I think).

On my Mac, if I convert a curve to a picture frame it changes to "(Picture Frame)." If I start with a picture frame & convert it to curves, it also still says "(Picture Frame)" in the Layers panel.

3 hours ago, iconoclast said:

Edit: A picture frame that was converted to a curve can be converted to a text frame. After that it can be converted to curves and after that to a picture frame. Crazy!

I see the same thing.

[iconoclast]

6 minutes ago, R C-R said:

On my Mac, if I convert a curve to a picture frame it changes to "(Picture Frame)." If I start with a picture frame & convert it to curves, it also still says "(Picture Frame)" in the Layers panel.

Exacty the same on Windows.

[Dan C]

On 8/7/2021 at 3:32 PM, walt.farrell said:

If you start with a Picture Frame (as I did), and look at the Context Toolbar and the Layers panel, both say "Picture Frame". If you then use Layer > Convert to Curves, the Context Toolbar and Layers panel continue to say Picture Frame (bug, I think), but you can switch to the Node Tool and edit the Nodes as it is really a Curve layer.

As far as I understand it, the layer name should retain 'Picture Frame', as the object is now both a picture frame and a Curves object. (although perhaps there is some room for improvement here for the sake of clarity)

Selecting this object with the Move Tool will show the context toolbar options for a picture frame, allowing you to replace and rescale the image inside as usual. Selecting the object with the Node Tool will show the editable nodes of the Curve, and allow you to edit the shape of the Picture Frame as required.

On 8/7/2021 at 3:32 PM, walt.farrell said:

• On the other hand, if you start with a Curve (as you did), the Context Toolbar and Layers Panel say "Curve". If you use Layer > Convert to Picture Frame they continue to say "Curve" (bug, I think). But it does still have the properties of a Curve, so if you switch to the Node Tool the nodes are editable. In other words, you don't need to do any further conversion.

I do not see this behaviour, when creating a Curve and converting this to a Picture Frame, the layer name becomes (Picture Frame), yet the layer still has the Curves properties, as confirmed above

[R C-R]

6 hours ago, Dan C said:

As far as I understand it, the layer name should retain 'Picture Frame', as the object is now both a picture frame and a Curves object. (although perhaps there is some room for improvement here for the sake of clarity)

Personally, I think showing "(Picture Frame)" in the layers panel is fine because even though after conversion the shape of the frame can be altered with the Node Tool, it is still a picture frame & retains the usual size, rotate, & translate controls if clicked on with the Move Tool.

[walt.farrell]

4 minutes ago, R C-R said:

Personally, I think showing "(Picture Frame)" in the layers panel is fine because even though after conversion the shape of the frame can be altered with the Node Tool, it is still a picture frame & retains the usual size, rotate, & translate controls if clicked on with the Move Tool.

I am tempted to agree, though:

1. That makes it unlike any other object that is converted to curves; and
2. It offers no clue that the nodes would be adjustable if you used the Nodes Tool.

Drawing an analogy to Path Text, Curve Text, Shape Text, etc. I think it would be better if the Layers panel noted it differently, perhaps as "Picture Frame Curve" or "Curve Picture Frame".

[walt.farrell]

7 hours ago, Dan C said:

I do not see this behaviour, when creating a Curve and converting this to a Picture Frame, the layer name becomes (Picture Frame), yet the layer still has the Curves properties, as confirmed above

Sigh. Today I do not see the buggy behavior for this case (Curve -> Picture Frame giving wrong layer label) either.