Gradient Overlay effect stops working

[Jim Monson]

In case the mess above is confusing, I here paste the text alone for easier reading. I'll paste the examples in a separate post that follows. 

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I have been creating gradient overlays for years with no problem at all. As recent as three weeks ago I made example 1 below with various gradient overlay effects (ovals, long rounded rectangles and vertical red rectangles. The red vertical rectangle in example 1 below has zero opacity on both sides of the center red which allows the red to fade beautifully into the underlaying background colors which is also an underlying gradient overlay. My settings are seen in examples 2 and 3. Note that 3 shows black on both sides in the top preview but no color in the lower spread since both sides are zero opacity.

In a recent iteration of the same document my overlays continue to appear as they should, but last week the red vertical overlay rectangle has become solid (example 4). None of the gradient overlays had been edited. Thinking it might be a layer issue (which I did not find), I moved the red rectangle layer to a completely new layer. The problem persisted, even when I copied the good red rectangle from my earlier doc and pasted it in this later version of the same doc. Example 4, a closer snap, but the same exact rectangle size in my doc.  I also made a completely separate rectangle document but could not replicate the zero opacity on both sides of the center red.

Thinking that the problem might be that this red rectangle is an overlay gradient on two other gradient overlays, I deleted the blue oval, but nothing changed. Example 5 shows the setting for this solid red rectangle = zero opacity on both sides of the center red, the same as example 3 above!

Why would the gradient overlay work fine throughout my current doc, and this red vertical rectangle not maintain its opacity on both sides? I Has something changed in Publisher and Designer?

To double check my procedure I've searched for a specific Affinity video on creating a gradient overlay effect but as yet have not found one.

[Jim Monson]

Five snaps for my earlier post. I hope their names come through so you can connect them to my text above.

[MEB]

Hi @Jim Monson,
Do you mind sharing the file to be inspected please? I can provide an upload link if you wish to keep the file private - just let me know.

[Jim Monson]

Thanks, MEB. Here are three docs I'm attaching.

1_Doc to MEB =  Parts of my present AffPub doc related to the problem. I would like to have red in the center and no color (zero opacity) on either end. In this doc note that going into the effects and clicking on the "Gradient" box shows that I should be getting this effect.

2_What I see onscreen = A screen snap of doc as I see it on my screen

3_Doc to MED_ from 220102b = Note the effect I created in this doc from a few weeks ago. When I move the "4000 Chart" layer *above* the "Timeline" layer, I lose the effect. Also, when I cut and paste this correct effect into a totally new AffPub doc, I also lose effect since it is a top layer. It appears that something is going on in the layers and sublayers.

Could you also comment on the procedure for creating this effect from scratch? I believe that one should first assign a color to the rectangle and then add the effect. If not, I cannot get a color to appear in the effect. Does Affinity has the black/white come up at first in order to get the effect desired, and then one can alter the colors in the effect. I cannot find an answer to this online.

Much appreciated, MEB!

1_Doc to MEB.afpub 3_Doc to MED_ from 220102b.afpub

[lacerto]

Change the blend mode of the group layer from "Passthrough" to "Normal", and you should get what you have in the other image:

 

[NotMyFault]

Hi Jim,

just a question: using a layer fx is quite handy in many cases, but why not simply using the same gradient fill applied directly as fill to the rectangle, instead of going indirectly via layer fx?

you can save the fill as swatch, allowing a 1-click re-use which is not possible via layer fx.

 

 

[Jim Monson]

Thanks, Largato! That solved it. Using "Normal" is sort of counter-intuitive, however, since I would think that "Passthrough" applied in this case. Much appreciated!

Also, a great idea, NotMyFault! Why didn't I think of that? Works well, also. Thanks!