Expand/Add/Divide not working on one file

[ChristopherTD]

A while ago I asked about how to convert a vector to a set of regions that could be coloured in in the Pixel persona. I was given the magic incarnation of Expand Stroke, Add, Divide. I say magic because I don’t really understand what it does, but it does work and I have used it ever since with great success. Until now. This one file behaves differently and I can’t see what I have done that might have caused this.

When I do Expand Stroke, then Add, the Add seems to also do a Combine step, and then when I do Divide everything disappears. Looking on the layers there is just one thing there, no longer individual curves.

Can anyone help explain what is happening here? I have attached the file.

blob-05.afdesign

[DM1]

Is there any specific reason for using pixel mode to colour?

[DM1]

I did the following: expand stroke and Add. File attached.

 

blob-05-1.afdesign

[ChristopherTD]

4 hours ago, DM1 said:

Is there any specific reason for using pixel mode to colour?

Thanks for the feedback! I was trying to use Pixel Mode because I like some brushes there, and to make the entire shape opaque (for use as a sticker). This pattern has worked before, it’s very odd that it is just this one drawing that the Divide Shapes misbehaves!

here is a previous example where this has worked  

 

korok-2.afdesign

[DM1]

8 minutes ago, ChristopherTD said:

I was trying to use Pixel Mode because I like some brushes there, and to make the entire shape opaque (for use as a sticker).

A great reason.

The file I reattached I was able to colour using pixel brushes even though the layers were combined. It should do what you want. 

[ChristopherTD]

Thanks for that file. I tried looking at the history to see what you did but the historical record is truncated. Did you just do Expand Stroke and Add? Or did you do something else? I am sure when I tried that the region wasn’t selectable, just the outline? It might be time for me to hit the tutorials in depth to try to understand these tools!

[DM1]

Initially I selected everything and did a Convert to curves followed by expand strokes and an add. Then I reread your post and realised you hadn’t used the convert to curves so I undid the actions and followed up with just the expand stroke and add functions.  Perhaps I didn’t go back far enough to undo the convert to curves.

Either way it shouldn’t make a lot of difference. You can add pixel layers and place them under the vector layer. Then paint on the pixel layers..