Gradient Swatch :: changeable / global ?

[thomaso]

Is there a way to alter colors of a gradient swatch.
It appears I have to assign the gradient swatch to an object, then alter its colors there, then save the gradient as a new swatch.
Instead I would expect gradient options when using "Edit fill" in Swatches panel for a selected gradient swatch.

Also I wonder: How to save a gradient as global swatch – ideally with including its type and midpoints?
When I hit in Swatches panel the icon "Add current color ... as a global" then nothing happens, if the current color is a gradient.

[dominik]

22 hours ago, thomaso said:

Is there a way to alter colors of a gradient swatch.
It appears I have to assign the gradient swatch to an object, then alter its colors there, then save the gradient as a new swatch.

Indeed, it is missing a direct link from the Swatches panel to a gradient editor. But: if you switch to the gradient tool first with no object selected and then click on a gradient swatch, this will load this gradient into the grandient tool's context toolbar. From there you can edit it and then save it as a new gradient.

 

22 hours ago, thomaso said:

Also I wonder: How to save a gradient as global swatch

I think the concept of 'global gradient swatches' does not exist.

d.

[Lorox]

On 6/9/2019 at 2:14 PM, dominik said:

if you switch to the gradient tool first with no object selected and then click on a gradient swatch, this will load this gradient into the grandient tool's context toolbar. From there you can edit it and then save it as a new gradient.

I tried this but the gradient is actually loaded in the gradient tool's context tool bar only when e.g. the Rectangle tool or the Pen tool is selected afterwards. Until then you won't have anything popping up to edit.

On 6/9/2019 at 2:14 PM, dominik said:

I think the concept of 'global gradient swatches' does not exist.

Sadly so, I'd say. This is quite annoying!

[dominik]

23 minutes ago, Lorox said:

I tried this but the gradient is actually loaded in the gradient tool's context tool bar only when e.g. the Rectangle tool or the Pen tool is selected afterwards. Until then you won't have anything popping up to edit.

We seem to do things differently. Here's what I do:

• Create a blanc document in APhoto. Make sure nothing is selected e.g. the background.
• Switch to the gradient tool and in the swatches panel click on a gradient of your choice.
• In the gradient tool's toolbar (top left) you can then edit the gradient.
• Finally switch to the rectangle tool and create one. It get's automatically filled with the just modified gradient.

BTW, I'm on Windows.

d.

[Lorox]

Hi dominik,

at first I thought this different behaviour might be because I was in Designer and you apparently in Photo.

However, if I switch to Photo (on Mac) it's exactly as I wrote before: there's nothing in that ”Fill" area in the context tool bar before I select some vector tool to which a fill (of any kind) might be applied.

In Photo I could – on a pixel layer – just create the gradient I clicked on before, but why should I do so BEFORE having it edited to my needs?

Maybe this is handled differently on Windows after all?

[thomaso]

2 hours ago, dominik said:

• (...) Make sure nothing is selected (...)
• Switch to the gradient tool and in the swatches panel click on a gradient of your choice.
• In the gradient tool's toolbar (top left) you can then edit the gradient.

Can you show screenshots how it works for you to get the gradient editor with no object selected / no color assigned ?

I think it would work in any Affinity app. At least on mac I don't get this way access to edit a gradient. As @Lorox pointed out, I first need to apply the gradient to an object, keep it selected to become enabled to edit the gradient.

With no object selected the toolbar fill options are deactivated – even though the Fill tool AND a gradient are currently selected:

The Color Panel as a relevant UI spot for defining colors does display a gradient – but doesn't offer access to an gradient editor:

Same for the Swatches Panel and its various UI option windows to define a color – but not a gradient:

At least at 1 of the pink marked spots I would expect an option to access a gradient editor.

 

[loukash]

Select the Node tool, guys.

From there you can create gradients in the context toolbar à go-go, add them to your swatches etc.:

 

 

Edited February 25, 2024 by loukash
replaced *.mov with *.mp4

[thomaso]

1 hour ago, loukash said:

Select the Node tool, guys.

From there you can create gradients in the context toolbar à go-go, add them to your swatches etc.:

Good point, thank you! – This enables me to create / define a gradient without an object + add its swatch to the Swatches Panel.

Do you also see a way to edit an existing gradient swatch ?
Or is gradient swatch editing impossible + would be bypassed by deleting the old + adding the new swatch?

[loukash]

5 minutes ago, thomaso said:

Do you also see a way to edit an existing gradient swatch ?
Or is gradient swatch editing impossible + would be bypassed by deleting the old + adding the new swatch?

Two parallel threads on the same topic, as it seems…
See

 

[dominik]

7 hours ago, thomaso said:

Can you show screenshots how it works for you to get the gradient editor with no object selected / no color assigned ?

 

9 hours ago, Lorox said:

However, if I switch to Photo (on Mac) it's exactly as I wrote before: there's nothing in that ”Fill" area in the context tool bar before I select some vector tool to which a fill (of any kind) might be applied.

I try to show you in three screenshots how it works for me on Windows. Is there a chance that there is a difference between Mac and MS?

@thomaso : please note in the first screenshot the current colour swatch is set to white, not a gradient. I did not mention this in my screentshot.

 

 

 

Can you replicate this?

That way it is possible to edit and modify and prepare a gradient swatch before applying it to an object. It needs to be saved as a new swatch since there is no 'update swatch' function at the moment.

d.

[loukash]

40 minutes ago, dominik said:

Can you replicate this?

Nope, the color button on the context toolbar is grayed out on Mac.

Now…
Which one is the "feature" and which one is the "bug…? :D

[dominik]

3 minutes ago, loukash said:

Nope, the color button on the context toolbar is grayed out on Mac.

It looks like there is a difference between Mac and Windows. Let's see what other forumsters contribute.

d.

[thomaso]

1 hour ago, dominik said:

Can you replicate this?

That way it is possible to edit and modify and prepare a gradient swatch before applying it to an object. It needs to be saved as a new swatch since there is no 'update swatch' function at the moment.

Replicate: No, I can't on mac. See my first screenshot above, the color well in the toolbar is inactive.

Edit a swatch: Actually you don't edit the swatch (like you can edit a non-gradient swatch) but rather use a swatch as start gradient to create another gradient. Then saving it as swatch is an optional and additional action and different to editing a swatch.

17 minutes ago, loukash said:

Which one is the "feature" and which one is the "bug…? :D

I don't care. Now I know that the Fill Tool on mac doesn't allow this workflow I use the Node or a Shape tool. It wouldn't help if the Fill Tool would work, too, as long none of the methods do really allow to edit a gradient swatch.

[garrettm30]

On 4/16/2021 at 4:57 PM, loukash said:

Nope, the color button on the context toolbar is grayed out on Mac.

I have also tried this out in Photo 1.8.4 on macOS 14.4.6 10.14.6, and the button on the toolbar is grayed out after step 2 also in this older version of Photo. 

[loukash]

Just now, garrettm30 said:

macOS 14.4.6

Say what? Are you Marty McFly on his way from 2023? :)

[thomaso]

8 minutes ago, garrettm30 said:

button on the toolbar is grayed out after step 2

After or in or before step 2? (after 2 would be step 3)
Not in step 1 already? (… as it is to me, regardless what swatch type is selected in the swatches panel, either plain or gradient swatch).

[dominik]

9 hours ago, thomaso said:

Edit a swatch: Actually you don't edit the swatch (like you can edit a non-gradient swatch) but rather use a swatch as start gradient to create another gradient. Then saving it as swatch is an optional and additional action and different to editing a swatch.

I agree on the difference between 'edit and save back as the original swatch' and 'edit and save as a new gradient swatch'.

I personally do not mind not much but I can imagine that a user who needs to organize the palettes in a more systematic manner (than I do) might prefer the first way.

d.

[garrettm30]

On 4/16/2021 at 5:25 PM, thomaso said:

After or in or before step 2? (after 2 would be step 3)

After step 2, or as the screenshot is annotated, it is during: after clicking on a gradient swatch, the contextual toolbar is grayed out on mine in contrast to what the step 2 screenshot indicates.

[thomaso]

13 minutes ago, garrettm30 said:

After step 2, or as the screenshot is annotated, it is during: after clicking on a gradient swatch, the contextual toolbar is grayed out on mine in contrast to what the step 2 screenshot indicates.

So you do get on mac the situation of Dominik's "step 1": with fill tool selected a plain color is shown in the context color well?

To me it's different: As soon I choose the Fill Tool (with no object selected) the color well + "Type" menu aside are inactive / grayed out, regardless of my swatch selection. I need to select a layout object to activate them for the Fill Tool.

 

[garrettm30]

14 minutes ago, thomaso said:

So you do get on mac the situation of Dominik's "step 1": with fill tool selected a plain color is shown in the context color well?

To me it's different: As soon I choose the Fill Tool (with no object selected) the color well + "Type" menu aside are inactive / grayed out, regardless of my swatch selection. I need to select a layout object to activate them for the Fill Tool.

My experience is parallel to yours. I noted step 2 because the original steps pointed out in step 2 that I should then see the gradient in contextual toolbar. I did not look for a color at step one. Nevertheless, there is no color or gradient in the contextual toolbar when nothing is selected.