Photo 2.3: Rasterised text immune to filters?

[Kim Ahmad]

Please forgive me if this is simple; I briefly skimmed the FAQs, but I'm not a daily user for more than basic things, and I may be missing many elementary concepts.

I'm doing some work in a file with two layers. Both are pixel layers that have been Rasterised. One contains a section of an image that I've manipulated a bit. The other contains some text. The text was originally created with the Artistic Text Tool, but I've right-clicked the layer in the Layers list and chosen "Rasterise". I've also tried selecting the text object, right-clicking it, and selecting "Rasterise".

The text layer seems absolutely impervious to manipulation. I can change the layer blending from Normal to other options and see the result. But if I select the layer and try to apply any filter, it has no effect. Also if I switch to the Liquify Persona and attempt to warp the mesh, again nothing happens. 

What do I have to do to turn the text into an ordinary raster/pixel object that can be manipulated?

[loukash]

19 minutes ago, Kim Ahmad said:

The other contains some text. The text was originally created with the Artistic Text Tool, but I've right-clicked the layer in the Layers list and chosen "Rasterise".

My question here is:
Why did you rasterize it in the first place? There's no immediate need or benefit to do this, unless you know what you're doing and thus you're doing it for a very specific reason. Affinity apps are designed to work non-destructively, and so most of the functions will also work with live text objects/layers.

[Kim Ahmad]

1 minute ago, loukash said:

Why did you rasterize it in the first place? There's no immediate need or benefit to do this, unless you know what you're doing and thus you're doing it for a very specific reason. Affinity apps are designed to work non-destructively, and so most of the functions will also work with live text objects/layers.

It was an an attempt to be able to apply filters and so on after they didn't work. If rasterising isn't necessary, then read the question without that step and it still remains? What's required to apply filters, liquify persona, or really any other effect other than layer blending options to text?

[loukash]

Just now, Kim Ahmad said:

What's required to apply filters

Use the live filters instead. 
https://affinity.help/photo2/en-US.lproj/pages/Layers/livefilters.html

2 minutes ago, Kim Ahmad said:

liquify persona

E.g. the Liquify or the Mesh Warp live filters, whatever suits you best.

[Kim Ahmad]

5 minutes ago, loukash said:

Use the live filters instead. 
https://affinity.help/photo2/en-US.lproj/pages/Layers/livefilters.html

Thank you; This did work. The goal was ultimately not to use the liquify persona; That was just an example of something that wasn't working. I wanted to apply a Gaussian Blur. So, using this function did work. Thanks for that!

I'm curious: Why does selecting the layer and using the Filters menu *not* work? 

[loukash]

Just now, Kim Ahmad said:

Why does selecting the layer and using the Filters menu *not* work? 

The filters in the Filters menu are destructive and as such only applicable to pixel layers. That's the intended use.
Also, some of these filters are only available destructively, not as live filters. This is likely because their math might be too complex to be applied non-destructively, slowing the app down to a crawl.

[Old Bruce]

8 minutes ago, Kim Ahmad said:

I'm curious: Why does selecting the layer and using the Filters menu *not* work? 

It should. 

The only way I can get it to not work is to not have the approprate layer selected. Meaning if I select a layer other than the one that is the rasterized text. This is if I use Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur

There is another way to not have it work and that is to use Layers > New Live Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and have the Protect Alpha checked.

Could you make a file that demonstrates your problem and post it here?

[loukash]

2 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

It should. 

@Kim Ahmad was talking about the filters in the Filters menu. Those work only on pixel = rasterized layers.

[Old Bruce]

Rereading the original post I realized the problem is most likely due to the selection being a pixel selection.

1 hour ago, Kim Ahmad said:

One contains a section of an image that I've manipulated a bit.

That will prevent the filter from working simply because the Text which has been rasterized is most likely outside that selection. 

Select > Deselect, or Select > Select All, and try again. Again making sure that the Rasterized text layer is the one that is selected in the Layers panel.

[Kim Ahmad]

On 12/28/2023 at 1:07 PM, loukash said:

The filters in the Filters menu are destructive and as such only applicable to pixel layers. That's the intended use.
Also, some of these filters are only available destructively, not as live filters. This is likely because their math might be too complex to be applied non-destructively, slowing the app down to a crawl.

Right, which leaves the question as to why they didn't work on Pixel layers.

[Kim Ahmad]

On 12/28/2023 at 1:20 PM, Old Bruce said:

Could you make a file that demonstrates your problem and post it here?

I wish I could.  I was thinking, "Sure, I still have the file!", but after I got the problem solved by using the live filters, I went and did a bunch of other work with it, and now everything works properly. I tried redoing a similar process and it still works properly. So... random glitch? But not something I can seem to reproduce now.

Feel free to shrug at this point, since I can't reproduce something to show.

[HVDB Photography]

As already mentioned, the TEXT pixel layer must be selected (= thumbnail click => blue background). Otherwise, the Filters\Blur options are not clickable (grayed out).

Another possible cause is that if a pixel selection is active (e.g. on the other layer) and "menu: View\Show Pixel Selection" was not checked, you will not see any change because the text is not within that hidden selection.

[loukash]

Also, there is a bug in v2.3 (on Mac, at least) where the canvas display doesn't update unless you briefly zoom in/out. Usually that affects only images that were just opened though.