Little Warp

[GDPR-354025]

I tried to add a meshed warped name to an animal's hat (name changed to protect doggie's privissy). I do this often for friends. But because I can't edit the text after warping it, it never looks natural. See steps I took below.

Is there any way to edit text AFTER mesh warping it? Once you Warp text, you cannot edit it, and I do not and never will understand what Raster means, so please explain in terms for the photogenically-challenged .

What are those circles and squares (black and white squares), and where can I find out what they mean? Thank you!

[markw]

Hello American,
The black & white squares and circles are the control nodes and handles. Black when selected, white when not.
Additional nodes can be added by double clicking at desired positions within the warp area.
The Circles are the bias control handles for adjusting how a spline enters/leaves a node.

[GDPR-354025]

@markw Thank you! I don't quite understand what "how a spline enters/leaves a node" means, but I can figure this sort of thing out. 
"

[markw]

Sorry for that
By spline I mean the strait white lines that you see connecting the squares that make up the warp mesh. Each square node can have 2 or 4 lines/splines entering it.

[GDPR-354025]

8 hours ago, markw said:

By spline I mean the strait white lines that you see connecting the squares that make up the warp mesh. Each square node can have 2 or 4 lines/splines entering it.

Thank you so much. I imagine clicking or double-clicking on a square node will add a spline... which might, alone, help. 

[Alfred]

9 minutes ago, markw said:

By spline I mean the strait white lines that you see connecting the squares that make up the warp mesh. Each square node can have 2 or 4 lines/splines entering it.

The squares are nodes and the circles connected to those nodes by straight lines are control handles. A spline in this context is actually a mathematical function rather than a line. 

6 minutes ago, American said:

I imagine clicking or double-clicking on a square node will add a spline... which might, alone, help. 

As Mark explained (or ‘ex-splined’?) clicking on a square node will select it, and double-clicking between two existing nodes will add a new node. Every node has one or two control handles, but if their distance from the node is zero you won’t see them.

[SrPx]

4 minutes ago, Alfred said:

or ‘ex-splined’?

My gosh 

[GDPR-354025]

Uhoh... Look.Who.It.Is. You know--you just know--I have to call you 'Fredo. You may not know why, but with an explanation like "if their distance from the node is zero you won’t see them"...  Yes, 'Fredo it is. Or MacFredo. 

(Do I look like Eliza Doolittle? 'Spline that to me.) 

[Alfred]

5 minutes ago, American said:

Yes, 'Fredo it is. Or MacFredo.

Why “MacFredo”? That sounds like cold fast food!!

[thomaso]

13 minutes ago, Alfred said:

Why “MacFredo”? That sounds like cold fast food!!

Or like an honorable Sire, Scotland, who, this hours, mentally deals with perfect contract formulations for a b-Rex-it

[GDPR-354025]

8 hours ago, Alfred said:

Why “MacFredo”? That sounds like cold fast food!!

Oh, so you're not as Scotch   as you would have us believe. Look, tim'rous beastie, I might be heading your way for my next DDTT Coven Conference, or Parliament's reconvening, whichever comes first. And then-- We three shall meet again, and Alfred the Scot, and Alfred the American, will explain to me how to edit warped text. Very, very warped... 

[GDPR-354025]

8 hours ago, thomaso said:

Or like an honorable Sire, Scotland, who, this hours, mentally deals with perfect contract formulations for a b-Rex-it

There you go! Beat me to it!

[Alfred]

2 minutes ago, American said:

Oh, so you're not as Scotch   as you would have us believe.

Why do you choose to believe that I’m Scottish? (‘Scotch’ is for whisky, or eggs, or adhesive tape.) I just happen to live here!

5 minutes ago, American said:

Alfred the Scot, and Alfred the American

I’m actually more American than Scottish. 

[markw]

Love the way these threads sometimes spiral into other realms

[GDPR-354025]

@Alfred  I knew it I knew it I knew it. Took me ten+ years, but they don't call me the Photo-Editing Detective for nothin'.

I seriously was invited to Albion last night. I should warn you, Alfred, I'm getting a little prickly in my old age. 

So wrangle me one o' them-thar friends of yours at Affinity to 'spline how to edit warped text.

I'm kind of thinking I should do a gradient and Opacity adjustment on the Text layer before Warping it. It would at least look less artificial. 

Pet-hats and pet-coats are good things to personalize for the holidays. Even if your pet's a tim'rous beastie.

[thomaso]

3 minutes ago, American said:

Pet-hats and pet-coats are good things to personalize for the holidays.

Wow. To make America great again? (or maybe a Merica?)

[GDPR-354025]

Actually, my first oeuvre was a gilet-jaune chaton. Gratuitement. 

Anyhoo, I worked on the Opacity idea, and the effects are not bad at all. I tried to make the Text layer a Gradient, but that, too, seems to rasterize the Text layer. American brains can solve only so many of the world's problems... 

8 hours ago, thomaso said:

Wow. To make America great again? (or maybe a Merica?)

 

[markw]

Consider text as being a vector object, always sharp no matter how big you make it and it’s attributes are always editable later on.
But sadly at the moment AP, nor the other two Affinity apps, have a vector warping function, so text or any other vector object has to be converted to a pixel image, i.e rasterised, first before AP’s Mesh Warp tool or Persona can be used on it.
Consequently you need to be certain of the "look” of your text and sure you will not want to edit it again before converting it to pixels.

[GDPR-354025]

@markw  God bless your heart, and I am 100% serious here, I know you answered my question. It would take a brain transplant for me to understand "vector warping," and so I (seriously) am giving you the trophy, even though the part of my cerebellum devoted to abstract concepts is like Homer's. (Hence, my avatar.) 

Thank you! 

 

[Alfred]

26 minutes ago, markw said:

Consider text as being a vector object, always sharp no matter how big you make it and it’s attributes are always editable later on.
But sadly at the moment AP, nor the other two Affinity apps, have a vector warping function, so text or any other vector object has to be converted to a pixel image, i.e rasterised, first before AP’s Mesh Warp tool or Persona can be used on it.
Consequently you need to be certain of the "look” of your text and sure you will not want to edit it again before converting it to pixels.

Given that we have to work with pixels to achieve this, I would do it with the ‘Displace’ filter (which will automagically make the text follow the contours of the hat). Keep a hidden copy of the original text layer in case you need to go back to it.

[GDPR-354025]

8 hours ago, Alfred said:

Given that we have to work with pixels to achieve this, I would do it with the ‘Displace’ filter (which will automagically make the text follow the contours of the hat). Keep a hidden copy of the original text layer in case you need to go back to it.

Dear Alfred, why didn't you say this before I almost turned off the Forums? I reread @markw 's response and sorta kinda get it. I hope there is a tutorial on Displace online. I know you weren't responding to me. 

[Alfred]

11 minutes ago, American said:

Dear Alfred, why didn't you say this before I almost turned off the Forums?

Sorry!

11 minutes ago, American said:

I hope there is a tutorial on Displace online.

11 minutes ago, American said:

I know you weren't responding to me.

Although I quoted Mark, I was really posting for your benefit.

[markw]

Actually I was just looking for a video you could link to.
But then I got distracted and sucked down the rabbit hole that is the internet!
Hear you go: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=10&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjrme700dDkAhWTN8AKHSsyCZMQtwIwCXoECAwQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DdotZFewPsvk&usg=AOvVaw3B0cyH2DXUzBRt_gnjikBn

[GDPR-354025]

8 hours ago, Alfred said:

Sorry!

Although I quoted Mark, I was really posting for your benefit.

Thank you! I already watched it, and also another non-Affinity Displace Filter video, and this is exactly what I was asking for. I'll give you a trophy too. (I'm American, after all. .)