Lessons from the workbook questions. HELP!!

[Michael Tronn]

I am following the instructions on the workbook on pg 110. I am able to create the glow and shadow but I do not understand how to eliminate the extra part of the white glow that is not used to make the shine atop the ball.

As a result when I try to replicate this illustration, all of the excess white "balls" interfere with the rows of pool balls. 

I have tried all of the boolean tools but none have privided a solution.

I have also tried doing this by moving the white glow in the layers panel, but I cannot replicate mine to the way the screenshot here from yours shows. My white ellipse won't move. Can someone please give me instructions?

Also, Affinity Design staff, you know what would be amazingly helpful? Step by step videos or even written instructions to recreate the projects. While the book is great, it does not contain step by step instructions which would be very helpful.

Thanks!!

Mike

[walt.farrell]

The instructions on that page start "With the red ellipse still selected..." but it looks to me as though you did not have that ellipse selected. If it were selected, then its layer would have an fx icon on the right side, but that's missing in your screenshot.

[Michael Tronn]

Thanks but that addresses the Inner Glow, which I'm not having an issue with.  I would LOVE to know how to avoid the issue I described with the glow layers interfering with the balls in the rows behind the front one. Can you help me please?

 

[walt.farrell]

Sorry, I misunderstood.

It sounds like you're trying to recreate that part of the example from scratch, and are on page 108 and wondering how they created that upper ellipse that is transparent except where it overlaps the red ellipse, where it's white?

If so, excellent question. I need to do more research, or perhaps someone else will come up with the answer for you.

[walt.farrell]

Here's one way:

1. Draw the red ellipse.
2. Ctrl/Cmd+J to duplicate it, and make that copy white.
3. Ctrl/Cmd+J to duplicate the white ellipse, make it transparent, and move it up so it overlaps ellipse 2 where you want the glow to be.

At that point you'll have this layer structure:

Now, drag ellipse 2 up to nest it under ellipse 3, clipping ellipse 2. That gives this layer structure:

and this appearance:

Here's the .afdesign file:

ellipse-nesting.afdesign

 

 

[Michael Tronn]

Thank you. I too tried that before but then the reflection created by the white ellipse does not go to the very top of the red ball because of the gaugasian blur levels indicated in the book. Here are some screenshots. On pg 111 in the book, the white part goes to the top edge of the ball. I am following the instructions exactly as they are in the book, yet it is not giving me the same result as shown. Here are some screenshots of the issue. Obviously I've not shaded the ball, am only working on the shine so far. Thanks for your help!

ellipse-nesting.afdesign

[MEB]

Hi Michael Tronn,
You have the order of the white circles incorrect. Check the attached/fixed file. I've added the label MEB to the layers I changed (only have fixed the first ball in first plane). Basically what you have to do is the following for the first ball only:

ellipse-nesting (MEB).afdesign

[Michael Tronn]

WOW!! You did it. Can you please send me the instructions?

[MEB]

Hi Michael Tronn,

• change the order/position of the white ellipses in the Layers panel - the one without the fx (currently clipped) must be the one that is outside's serving as the clipping object; the other currently with the FX applied should be clipped inside the first one (so the opposite of what you have now)
• now remove the white fill colour of the ellipse that is now the parent layer (the one that doesn't have FX)
• set the one with the fx (which is now clipped inside) to white

Done for the first ball in front. Repeat for the others.

[Michael Tronn]

Thank you. It seems I have to gain a better understanding of clipping and layers. I will review in the book. However, in the SS below, I was able to replicate the effect I am after, though in the layers panel the formula for the original red ball is one way, and the way I replicated it in the pink ball is different. This I do not understand. I welcome your thoughts. Thanks. 

[MEB]

What you are doing is a more efficient way to achieve the same result as what's suggested in the tutorial, applying the fill colour (ball colour) directly to the clipping ellipse. To achieve this with the original red ball layer structure shown in your screenshot above this post, drag the white ellipse with theFX applied  - Ellipse 3 (MEB) - over the red ellipse in the Layers panel and delete the remaining white ellipse.

[Michael Tronn]

Thanks!! Good to know. I appreciate your help. 

[MEB]

You're welcome.