MULTIPLE DROP SHADOWS

[konstantnnn]

Let me add many of them

[PaulEC]

Add the Drop Shadow to the object on a layer.

Group the layer (you can group a single layer).

Add another Drop Shadow to the group,

Repeat ad infinitum!

[konstantnnn]

18 minutes ago, PaulEC said:

Add the Drop Shadow to the object on a layer.

Group the layer (you can group a single layer).

Add another Drop Shadow to the group,

Repeat ad infinitum!

This is not a real solution, this is a quick patch.

I'm already doing this. Pro tip, use "New Layer" instead of "new group" to keep alignment.

[konstantnnn]

18 minutes ago, PaulEC said:

Add the Drop Shadow to the object on a layer.

Group the layer (you can group a single layer).

Add another Drop Shadow to the group,

Repeat ad infinitum!

Plus, a huge issue arises where I'm not only adding an aditional drop shadow to my original content (let's say a shape), but I'm also drop shadowing my shape+drop shadow, and the next round I'm adding a drop shadow to the shape+shadow+shadow, where things may start to get a little bit ugly. In reality, I need to add a shape+shape's shadow+shape's shadow+shape's shadow, not shape+shadow+shadow of shape and shadow, etc. Shadowing a shadow is resource intensive as well.

A real solution to all this is to duplicate an object, where you set "fill" to 0 and apply different shadows, but then you cant edit it. Then you have to use symbols, for example, which might be a solution, but at this point you are changing your workflow too much to accommodate somebody's lacking features and you might as well just run Photoshop.

But it must be said, Illustrator sucks at this. They "allow" you to add multiple shadows, but what they really are doing is they are adding a shadow to a grouping of the object+previous shadow, so its ugly. 

If Affinity were to implement this feature, each subsequent shadow must be the shadow of the original object only, ignoring any existance of other shadows and not adding them in the total shading, reducing resources and making it more pretty.

[PaulEC]

Sorry my post was of no help. To be honest your original post of "MULTIPLE DROP SHADOWS" – "Let me add many of them" didn't really give much information about exactly what you wanted to achieve! 😁

[Old Bruce]

On 8/7/2021 at 8:40 AM, konstantnnn said:

Let me add many of them

Add many from one object's multiple light sources or from one light source onto many objects and onto many objects?

I am thinking the latter from your clarification.

One problem with this sort of thing is that there is no real depth from a layer to another layer to another layer. We are going to have to edit masks so the shadow falls onto the near layer and then falls onto the far layer.

It is almost worthwhile to learn how to use some 3D app just for this sort of thing.

[konstantnnn]

2 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

Add many from one object's multiple light sources or from one light source onto many objects and onto many objects?

I am thinking the latter from your clarification.

One problem with this sort of thing is that there is no real depth from a layer to another layer to another layer. We are going to have to edit masks so the shadow falls onto the near layer and then falls onto the far layer.

It is almost worthwhile to learn how to use some 3D app just for this sort of thing.

I think its just, you know, *really simple*.

[Old Bruce]

19 minutes ago, konstantnnn said:

I think its just, you know, *really simple*.

Not sure what I am supposed to see... I was thinking about something like this

[Frozen Death Knight]

I agree, but personally I just want all the effects to be duplicated where it makes sense, not just the shadow effect. Photoshop allows you to add multiple of the same effect, so it would be great if Affinity added this as well.

[konstantnnn]

4 hours ago, Old Bruce said:

Not sure what I am supposed to see... I was thinking about something like this

The first thing I could find. 

No offense but like, I really dont know whats confusing about multiple drop shadows on a single layer lol, like, its, a single layer, like, "1" layer, and you apply, like, "more than one" drop shadow to it

[konstantnnn]

Hope the team makes the ability to add multiple effects of all kinds to a single object/layer!

[konstantnnn]

4 hours ago, Old Bruce said:

Not sure what I am supposed to see... I was thinking about something like this

That above is a cool effect, it is ever so easy achievable with clipping masks and 0% fill blend and such. But its like such a specific scenario, I would like never request a specific app button and feature to do that easily. But long drop shadows, tho, are like the basic of the basic, and especially multilayered effects like multiple glows and gradients, really a standingstone for nice and subtle effects. The single-shadows are quite rather harsh, arent they? Kinda also reminds me of turning on ambient occolusion in C4D when I was like 11 and being so amazed by the difference

Perhaps, I think the best way to see the difference is to look at the shadows from your document and then look at the shadowing of multi-drop-shadows on my first image! Quite profound 

[Old Bruce]

May be simply my eyes don't see it. All I see is one object and one dropshadow. Card on a grey background.  I do see that you have nested a bunch of things together with Effect layers in them. That is what you want to avoid correct? No need to nest together four or five copies?

[konstantnnn]

6 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

May be simply my eyes don't see it. All I see is one object and one dropshadow. Card on a grey background.  I do see that you have nested a bunch of things together with Effect layers in them. That is what you want to avoid correct? No need to nest together four or five copies?

Hey, ive tried to make it a bit more prominent. Isnt the difference big? Look at how the complex shadow touches and molds around the object in almost 3d space, the shadow on the left (basic one) almost looks like the object is elevated in random space with no context. 

[konstantnnn]

This multieffects stuff could be ever so useful. Im thinking back to my math homework from a few months ago, those sunny highlights would be so much easier to do.