Stepped Gradient over multiple objects

[Yodel]

Hello all,

i am trying to archive a stepped gradient in Affinity (Photo or Designer) I have seem this feature in Resolume and really like the flexibility of it. It is actually not a gradient anymore because the color borders are 100% hard. and here comes the tricky part: I would like to apply it to several objects. I was trying to group some circles and apply a gradient on the group, but thats not the solution. 

In other words: Its like a color palette applied on several objects. The advantage for me is that i can create shapes and patterns and can easily change the color in whatever stage of the process. I hope you know a trick to get there.

 

 

[WKansepa]

4 hours ago, Yodel said:

Hello all,

i am trying to archive a stepped gradient in Affinity (Photo or Designer) I have seem this feature in Resolume and really like the flexibility of it. It is actually not a gradient anymore because the color borders are 100% hard. and here comes the tricky part: I would like to apply it to several objects. I was trying to group some circles and apply a gradient on the group, but thats not the solution. 

In other words: Its like a color palette applied on several objects. The advantage for me is that i can create shapes and patterns and can easily change the color in whatever stage of the process. I hope you know a trick to get there.

 

 

Hi Yodel

Maybe a video to illustrate the feature from Resolume would help.

[GarryP]

As WKansepa suggests above, a video of how the other software does what you want may be useful (not all of us have used that other software so we don’t know what it does).

A visual example of the type of design you are trying to use would also be useful (“group some circles” is too vague for us to know what it looks like or how the parts of the design relate to one another).

In the meantime I’ve added a screen-grab which shows one possible method – use the gradient editor to make the Positions of the different colour stops the same value, e.g. Red stops at 25%, Yellow starts at 25%.

[Yodel]

Thank you GarryP, thats exactly what i am trying to do.

There is one problem with this method: When i reorder the elements in the group - the position of the gradient doesnt change.

Its static, like printed onto the group members and doesnt allow to adjust the objects inside the influence of the gradient

Please have a look here, this explains the stepped mode gradient.

 

 

[WKansepa]

Just now, Yodel said:

Thank you GarryP, thats exactly what i am trying to do.

There is one problem with this method: When i reorder the elements in the group - the position of the gradient doesnt change.

Its static, like printed onto the group members and doesnt allow to adjust the objects inside the influence of the gradient

Please have a look here, this explains the stepped mode gradient.

 

 

Thank you for the video Yodel.

You can achieve this in Affinity:

1. Create a shape and fill it with any colour
2. Group the shape and keep it selected
3. Go into Layer Effects dialog box
4. Select Gradient Overlay and edit gradient to taste
5. Exit the dialog box
6. Now double click the selected shape (group) to edit the group
7. Draw any shape(s) and the new shape(s) will become part of the group and adopt the gradient fill
8. Move the new shape(s) around and you will notice that the gradient will also shift accordingly
9. Exit the group by just clicking on an empty space

 

[Yodel]

7 hours ago, WKansepa said:

Thank you for the video Yodel.

You can achieve this in Affinity:

1. Create a shape and fill it with any colour
2. Group the shape and keep it selected
3. Go into Layer Effects dialog box
4. Select Gradient Overlay and edit gradient to taste
5. Exit the dialog box
6. Now double click the selected shape (group) to edit the group
7. Draw any shape(s) and the new shape(s) will become part of the group and adopt the gradient fill
8. Move the new shape(s) around and you will notice that the gradient will also shift accordingly
9. Exit the group by just clicking on an empty space

 

This is it! Thank you very much WKansepa

[WKansepa]

My pleasure.

You can even go back into the Layer Effects dialog box and spice it up some more by adding an outline effect to the group.

[Yodel]

Yes, i am just about to explore all this.

Its just a bit strange that this is only possible with the Layer effects and not with the gradient tool upon the group?

The tool gives a bit more flexibility because you can directly see what you are doing while you use it.

Anyway, you helped me a lot WKansepa - thank you again.