Proper Gradient Progression on Stroke

[gregspiral]

It seems that when applying a gradient to the stroke of a curve, the gradient has nothing to do with the beginning and end of the curve. Rather, Designer is applying some sort of overall shape gradient and ignoring the start and end of the stroke. It is a confounding Design choice to have it setup that way. Brush width/taper honors the curve as do so many other things. So I would assume a stroke gradient would honor the curve, not some other interpreted shape.

Proper gradient progression is essential for infographics. If I can't illustrate the progression of a path using a gradient, so many options go out the window. Initially I thought this was a bug, but I was told this was by design. Honestly it makes no sense to me. When applying a gradient to a stroke on a curve, I would expect the gradient to show progression from beginning to end of the path. When applying a gradient to a layer, I would expect perhaps the behavior that I'm seeing.  

Here is an example. After creating a path, I tried to use a gradient to show progression from beginning to end of the path. I would expect white to start the curve and black to end the curve. But this is not what happens. The curve begins and ends in the middle of the screen. Designer ignores the path progression and interprets some sort of shape mask over the curve. Effectively Designer is applying some sort of overall shape gradient rather than a gradient based on the start and end of the stroke. This is useless to show progression on a complex path. I would not have been surprised if this were a gradient applied as a layer effect; but the gradient was set as the stroke on the curve itself. 

Attached you can see a screen shot of a cross country trail I was marking. You'll notice that the trail begins and ends in the middle. The gradient is applied as the stroke color. Since the beginning and end of the curve are near each other and Designer doesn't start white at the start of the curve and go to red at the end of the curve, the result is unexpected and unhelpful. 

I would very much appreciate this minor change and I'm guessing a bunch of infographic designers would as well. Any technical process illustration could benefit from having a gradient honor the curve when it is applied as a stroke to that curve.

[telemax]

+1

This is a frequently requested feature.

Workaround:

Arrows.afbrushes Arrows.afdesign

[gregspiral]

Hi Telemax. Thanks for the response. This is a different issue. This is about the gradient on the stroke not following the stroke progression. If I were to create a stroke that went in a spiral, rather than the gradient beginning at the beginning and ending at the end of the line, Designer would simply have the right half of the left have to be different colors. That’s the issue I’m getting at. 

[telemax]

I understand it works that way.

[prophet]

How are you doing that @telemax? I experience what @gregspiral sees. In the video, when you have the curve selected, there is no gradient seen in the color panel's stroke color well. Something else has happened to that curve it seems.

[telemax]

3 minutes ago, prophet said:

How are you doing that @telemax? I experience what @gregspiral sees. In the video, when you have the curve selected, there is no gradient seen in the color panel's stroke color well. Something else has happened to that curve it seems.

Check out the brushes and the file I attached. This is a vector brush applied to a line, these are all vector brushes based on textures.

[telemax]

These lines can also be synchronized, but only in AP. 

Arrows2.afdesign

[Old Bruce]

17 minutes ago, telemax said:

These lines can also be synchronized, but only in AP. 

 

Once I opened the (saved in Photo) modified file I could still drag them around (synchronized) in Designer and Publisher (as a placed document to boot)

[prophet]

50 minutes ago, telemax said:

This is a vector brush applied to a line, these are all vector brushes based on textures.

Well sure. Makes sense. I've stayed far away from the so called "vector" brushes until they are changed/upgraded to be actual vector brushes. No real application in my work until everything is all vector.

[gregspiral]

Telemax thanks. The second video answered it for me!

[telemax]

This is a clarification of the color change. This brush can change color, but cannot have a transition to black or transparent.

[telemax]

Added two brushes that have a transition to black and transparent. 

Arrows.afbrushes

[gregspiral]

49 minutes ago, telemax said:

Added two brushes that have a transition to black and transparent. 

Arrows.afbrushes 351.94 kB · 0 downloads

 

Thanks that is awesome!

[telemax]

An updated and improved version is there: