Adding Art Text to a symbol

[LuvMyDesignTools]

I am trying to follow the tutorials to do this, but it just isn't working for me. I've got an artboard with 8 instances of a symbol. The symbol is currently only made up of a single layer (curve). When I open the container, I can see its content containing just that single curve.

If I have the container layer active and paste some art text, it is added as an independent layer above the container.
If I have the curve layer within the container of an existing instance of the symbol active and paste some art text, it is added as a component of that symbol with no orange line
If I have the curve layer within the container of a newly dragged instance of the symbol active and paste some art text, it is added as a component of that symbol with a dotted orange line

I want to be able to add art text to all instances of the symbol that are on the page. Sync is on, nothing indicates that it is detached.

Running version 1.6.4.104

[dutchshader]

i'm not sure if this is wat you want, move the text above the curve than ctrl-x, select the curve and ctrl-alt-V

[LuvMyDesignTools]

Thank you, that works!!! I don't understand why it has to be part of the curve and not just an element inside the container, but it works so that's what I'll do. The text goes to all the instances on the page and I even verified that I can change the color of it and have all instances change at the same time. This is a HUGE time saver for what I use it for! The orange line is still a dotted orange line, but it is doing what I want.

[lepr]

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[R C-R]

2 hours ago, LuvMyDesignTools said:

I don't understand why it has to be part of the curve and not just an element inside the container, but it works so that's what I'll do.

It can be a separate part of the symbol container, if that is what you mean. See for example this simple symbol container.afdesign example. Expanded, its Layers panel looks like this:

[LuvMyDesignTools]

see below instead

Edited April 3, 2018 by LuvMyDesignTools
replaced below with image

[LuvMyDesignTools]

4 hours ago, R C-R said:

It can be a separate part of the symbol container, if that is what you mean. See for example this simple symbol container.afdesign example. Expanded, its Layers panel looks like this:

 

The structure I can get working looks different than yours. You have your symbol expanded with two "equal" layers including the art text and the curve. If I do that, the art text doesn't get added to the symbol, and therefore it doesn't show up in the additional symbol instances on the page. However, if I move it to within the curve layer, it does go into the symbol. That is, where you have to expand your symbol to show your art text and curve layers, I need to expand the symbol as well as the curve which then has only the art text as a layer.

 

 

[LuvMyDesignTools]

5 hours ago, owenr said:

 

It is correctly given a dashed orange line (and appears in all instances of the Symbol) in AD 1.6.1 for macOS, so you've possibly found a bug in the Windows version.

 

 

 

Do the other methods work the same in your version and it is just this one that is different? Should a potential bug like this get reported in the forum or directly with support?

[R C-R]

13 minutes ago, LuvMyDesignTools said:

The structure I can get working looks different than yours. You have your symbol expanded with two "equal" layers including the art text and the curve. If I do that, the art text doesn't get added to the symbol, and therefore it doesn't show up in the additional symbol instances on the page.

Try this:

1. Draw a curve in the normal way. Give it a fill, stroke, whatever you want.

2. While it is still selected, in the Symbols panel, click the "Create" button to make it a symbol. Name it if you want.

3. Drag another instance of that symbol from the panel onto the canvas, so now you have 2 instances of it in your document.

4. Double-click on either instance with the Move Tool. This will select the curve child layer in the symbol.

5. Select the Art Text Tool & click once or click & drag to set the text size -- just make sure the curve layer is selected, & your text begins somewhere inside the curve (so you can see the results of the next step).

6. Type something. The text should appear in both instances of the symbol, in the same relative location above the curve, & with the same stacking order as in my example.

 

Alternately, instead of double-clicking in step 4, click the "Insert inside the selection" button on the toolbar, then single click on either symbol instance on the canvas. Do steps 5 & 6 as above. The results should be the same either way.

[lepr]

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