AD.2.5 can't mask curve with gradient and FX

[kat]

AD.2.5 can't mask curve with gradient and bevel/emboss FX. Doesn’t work because the bevel doesn’t give me a clean mask. I'd like to mask a curve so I can put 1 image inside and part outside instead of using 2 images. The curve with gradient & bevel/emboss FX need to stay live so they can be changed. I have 8 artboards in the AD.

Suggestions?

Explain circle.afdesign

[firstdefence]

I think you are doing it the best way you can, every other way is either as complex or more so.

[GarryP]

16 hours ago, kat said:

Suggestions?

As an alternative, you might like to try this method which requires no masking at all if the subject in the photo is already isolated.

1. Create a Circle, set its Stroke Width as necessary, Align Stroke to Outside and add Effects as necessary.
2. Create a Rectangle which is the same width as the Circle, with its bottom where the bottom of the Circle is and its top higher than the top of the Circle.
3. Set the bottom corners of the Rectangle to be Rounded at 50%.
4. Drop the image into the Rectangle and position as required.

See attached video where I reveal, bit-by-bit, the parts of the construction (the coloured background is only there to show that there are no ‘tricks’).

It probably won’t work in all situations but, when it does, it’s much easier than faffing around with masks.

(You can use different shapes other than a Circle and Rectangle as long as the part of the image you want to ‘cut off’ is the same on both shapes.)

Edited August 17, 2024 by GarryP
Added more details.

[kat]

This is awesome, @GarryP

A bit more help please. The bottom is not perfectly aligned with the circle, both strokes set to outside. Suggestions please?

[GarryP]

This problem comes about because you have vector curves (mathematically calculated) ‘intersecting’/’cutting across’ the image which is made of squares (pixels), and then displaying the result on a monitor which can only display pixels (squares).

Because of this, there will be areas where the curve does not ‘match’ the square outline of the pixels and the software needs to figure out which colour to make each pixel, and it doesn’t always do what we think it should.

You might be able to mitigate this a little by changing the Blend Options of the image but, in your case, that might be more tricky to do since you have placed a document rather than using a basic image.

Another possibility could be to put something under the placed document to ‘fill in’ the gap.

There could be various ‘fixes’ but we might need the document (or a cut down version of it) to experiment with to be able to come up with a good solution.

Edit: I’ve attached a (quickly drawn) mock-up showing the basics of what’s going on. In it you can see part of a blue circle and part of a red donut, while the squares are the on-screen pixels. The problem is where the two shapes go ‘through’ the pixels, the squares with question marks in them. What colour should each of these pixels be and how should the software choose between the two?

Edited August 18, 2024 by GarryP
Added more details.

[firstdefence]

12 hours ago, kat said:

This is awesome, @GarryP

A bit more help please. The bottom is not perfectly aligned with the circle, both strokes set to outside. Suggestions please?

You might want to look at round numbers to the size of the circles and the strokes and also their alignment on pages. It might also be the scale of the images being fairly small.

[kat]

@GarryP "There could be various ‘fixes’ but we might need the document (or a cut down version of it) to experiment with to be able to come up with a good solution."

Here are the AD and AP 2.5.3 files. Thanks so much for the offer to take a look and see

pierce_body.afphoto inside Circle_large 2.afdesign

[firstdefence]

While you wait for Garry to answer I took the liberty of taking a look and in my last post I was talking about being accurate in your measurements and sizes.

There are a few non-integer issues and your circles are actually ovals, albeit very slight I don't know if this was deliberate or by accident but because it is very slightly out I'm going to say it was meant to be circular, so, I looked at the 4500 x 5400 framework.

The X: Y: W: & H: are all non-integer and would benefit from adjustment.

Lets edit the curve ellipse first, so editing the numbers to integers.

Then editing the rounded rectangles numbers.

Gives us this result.

I think you need to start over and make sure co-ordinates and sizes are accurate before making the symbol and work from there.

 

[kat]

Sorry, the 4500 x 5400 was actually an oval and I mushed it back to a circle, obviously inaccurately, attaching. All the other artboards should have circles.

non-integer means precise #s, e.g. 4500 vx 4500.123?

[firstdefence]

4 minutes ago, kat said:

non-integer means precise #s, e.g. 4500 vx 4500.123?

integer = whole numbers, not fractional i.e. 4500

non-integer = fractional numbers i.e. 4500.585

[kat]

@firstdefence "integer = whole numbers, not fractional i.e. 4500

non-integer = fractional numbers i.e. 4500.585"

Other circles still remain non-integer but if I change them it will affect all as they are symbols. 

I think that's ok. The 4500 x 5400 artboard is for print and the rest are web. Looks pretty good.

[firstdefence]

That's great to hear Kathleen, it's always better to get the original files and work on them, as they say a picture paints a thousand words  and with Garry's neat trick you get to learn as well.

Regarding the other symbols not being integer values, you could always turn off sync, amend the circle and the rounded rectangle and then turn sync back on, just something to bear in mind.

Another thing to note is I think you are making needless work for yourself, use the option to export at various sizes, so you only need one square image and one rectangular image at the maximum sizes and then export that one say square image at 200 x 200, 350 x 350, 550 x 550 etc. Same goes for the rectangular image.

Here is an example export, just trying to help simplify your workflow  others may have better suggestions.

[GarryP]

14 hours ago, kat said:

Here are the AD and AP 2.5.3 files. Thanks so much for the offer to take a look and see

Thanks for sharing the files.

I think that most of the important things have been explained by other people above so, unless there’s something specific that’s still outstanding, I don’t think I need to add anything further.

[kat]

@firstdefence "Another thing to note is I think you are making needless work for yourself, use the option to export at various sizes, so you only need one square image and one rectangular image at the maximum sizes and then export that one say square image at 200 x 200, 350 x 350, 550 x 550 etc. Same goes for the rectangular image."

I've never considered this. Will need to learn more, maybe find a youtube tutorial. I use the same AD repeatedly. There are 8 files, some with a name plate, all for various uses. 

 

[firstdefence]

8 hours ago, kat said:

@firstdefence "Another thing to note is I think you are making needless work for yourself, use the option to export at various sizes, so you only need one square image and one rectangular image at the maximum sizes and then export that one say square image at 200 x 200, 350 x 350, 550 x 550 etc. Same goes for the rectangular image."

I've never considered this. Will need to learn more, maybe find a youtube tutorial. I use the same AD repeatedly. There are 8 files, some with a name plate, all for various uses. 

 

I'm always learning, like with Garry's method here, simple really. I'd say you could lose the 350, 200 and the 550 and just export the zoom version in various sizes. With the name plate turned on for the 500 size, you can click the icon arrowed in the image below to export individually.

 

All in all, I'd say you can get away with having just three images and three slices. It's a shame the size options don't recognise layer states, certain layers being turned off or on.

What does all this do? it reduces error margins, certainly reduces work; because I've seen what you do and you are prolific in your work  leaves more time for painting, always a win   and, makes a smaller file size too.

 

[kat]

On 8/18/2024 at 10:47 PM, firstdefence said:

That's great to hear Kathleen, it's always better to get the original files and work on them, as they say a picture paints a thousand words  and with Garry's neat trick you get to learn as well.

Regarding the other symbols not being integer values, you could always turn off sync, amend the circle and the rounded rectangle and then turn sync back on, just something to bear in mind.

Another thing to note is I think you are making needless work for yourself, use the option to export at various sizes, so you only need one square image and one rectangular image at the maximum sizes and then export that one say square image at 200 x 200, 350 x 350, 550 x 550 etc. Same goes for the rectangular image.

Here is an example export, just trying to help simplify your workflow  others may have better suggestions.

How do I rename the + slices the way you have?

 

 

[R C-R]

3 hours ago, kat said:

How do I rename the + slices the way you have?

Are you asking about double-clicking on the slice name in the Slices panel (like at about 1:05 in the video) to rename slices or something else?

[firstdefence]

6 hours ago, kat said:

How do I rename the + slices the way you have?

 

As R C-R explains simply double click on the slice name.

[kat]

Clarification on renaming plus slices within 1 slice

[R C-R]

35 minutes ago, kat said:

Clarification on renaming plus slices within 1 slice

I'm not sure what you mean about "plus slices" or slices(?) "within one slice."

What specifically is it are you trying to set the name of? Are trying to use variables and if so why do you need to use them?

[kat]

Each of my added slices go into its own folder (e.g., 350x350, 550x550) along with dozens of others. If added slices all say 550x550 it will confuse me, particularly if I need to do a search.

It's the blue name on the right bottom of my screenshot that I need to change.

[R C-R]

29 minutes ago, kat said:

It's the blue name on the right bottom of my screenshot that I need to change.

If I understand what you want to do, just type the name you want for the slice in the Path Components: field, with or without any of the predefined variable tokens. You can highlight any of the tokens you don't want included & delete them, or drag & drop them to change their order.

I would not bother trying to use the User Variables: section, but if you want to use something you created there then drag it up into the Path Components section.

[kat]

As near as I can tell I can resize (e.g., 2x, 3x, 4x…), but can't rename individual "+" add-ons or their specific folders.

So I'm stuck with the same name and folder used for the main slice.

Seems it would be better if I stick to my 8 slices each with individual names.

Oh well thanks for the help.

[R C-R]

1 hour ago, kat said:

So I'm stuck with the same name and folder used for the main slice.

As has been mentioned you can rename any slice by double-clicking on its name in the Slices panel:

You do not need to use the path section for that.

[kat]

I always rename main slices like Stirner_550x550. It is the slices inside Stirner_550x550 that I can't rename. Maybe I can put in a feature request for the next AD upgrade.