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ADwin: Variable text frame with nodes


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First I complained the unflexible text frame (changes only horizontal or verical possible). But it is very simple to achieve a very very flexible text frame.

 

Take the form tool and make a form (for example a rectangle). At next convert this form to curves. In the third step convert it to a text frame. Then you can fill it with your text. You can change the form with the move tool as before, but (as a curve object) you can create now with the node tool any forms you want. The text will follow the form (see attached files). It’s great how it works. The advantage is also, that you can change the (curve-) form at any time.

 

Is it possible, that the menu “layer” gets an addition point: “convert to curve and text frame”? Or is it possible, that the point “convert to text frame” makes this automaticaly (first convert to curves and then convert to text frame)?

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Win10 HP i7 - AD (Win), AP (Win), APub (Win), AD (iPad), AP (iPad),
Affinity Photo for iPad Pro - the best app I ever had
excuse my bad English

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Hi Koby,

The command Layer ▸ Convert to Text Frame already perform both operations simultaneously (convert the shape to curves and turn it into a text frame) [EDITED: please check Dave's reply below].

 

Alternatively you can also select the Text Frame Tool, place the cursor over any shape/closed path (the cursor will change to a "T" inside a polygon) and click to start writting using the shape/closed path you clicked on as a text frame.

 

@Fixx

No, currently you can't turn an original text object created with the Artistic or Frame Text Tools into a text frame you can edit with the Node Tool.

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For a shape that already has handles that can be changed with the Node tool, like a Donut or a Rounded Rectangle , it would be bad to convert it to curves automatically because you'd lose the ability to reshape it parametrically. I also don't think it's worth adding another menu option just as a short-cut for two existing menu items, for a combination I really don't think is that common.

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Thank you MEB, thank you Dave,

usually I beginn writing within a simple rectangle. Later I see sometimes the need of little changes of the form. With the frame text tool I don't know how to do this. Therefore I think it is useful at the beginning, to create the possibilities for subsequent changes = first convert the rectangle to curves and second convert it to text frame. Then any changes are possible with the node tool.

 

MEB: "The command Layer ▸ Convert to Text Frame already perform both operations simultaneously (convert the shape to curves and turn it into a text frame)."

This I cannot understand. I tried it again (converted a rectangle to a text frame), but then I cannot change the form (apart from the usual options of encreasing horizontal or vertical). When the shape is automatically converted to curves it must be able to use the node tool. But this is not possible.

Win10 HP i7 - AD (Win), AP (Win), APub (Win), AD (iPad), AP (iPad),
Affinity Photo for iPad Pro - the best app I ever had
excuse my bad English

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Hi Kobu,

I was wrong about the Convert to Text Frame issue. It only converts it to a text frame but doesn't convert the shape to a path you can edit with the Node Tool. I'm sorry.

As Dave explained (parametric) shapes are not converted to curves so you can keep editing their parameters from the context toolbar. As such you have to convert the shape to a path first and then convert it to a text frame as you were describing.

 

 

@ Thanks for pointing this out Dave.S

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When we convert a "parametric" text frame to a path, shouldn't we convert just the shape leaving the text as editable text (filling the converted path)?

 

That would certainly be more flexible. You could always select the text separately for conversion to curves, if that's what you wanted.

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Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for Windows • Windows 10 Home/Pro
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for iPad • iPadOS 17.4.1 (iPad 7th gen)

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My dream: to draw with the frame text tool a rectangle, that is automatically a curve (and can therefore be changed with the node tool, if desired).

Win10 HP i7 - AD (Win), AP (Win), APub (Win), AD (iPad), AP (iPad),
Affinity Photo for iPad Pro - the best app I ever had
excuse my bad English

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