Can't select smart warp layer

[Jkoseattle]

I am trying to add a quad mesh to an image. I have created the vector layer, and ensured that every polygon is either a quad or a triangle, but when I go in to select the warp layer for the image, my mesh layer is not listed in the drop down. There is another totally unrelated vector layer in this project, and it IS listed, but the vector layer I painstakingly made for the quad mesh thing is not listed. I've tried saving it, moving it up and down in the Z-order, everything. I can't get it to show up. I had this problem in an earlier project as well but ended up not needing quad mesh after all in that case.

What am I missing?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A451h4 ... sp=sharing

[synthsin75]

Your mesh needs a fill for every polygon.

[hayasidist]

puddle mesh is NOT a smart warp layer (it's a plain vector layer).

without seeing it, this is guesswork BUT ...

if you select all shapes in puddle mesh and delete them -- that's Shapes and not paths / points -- then run the Scripts/ draw / fill quad mesh script - that should remedy the situation.

if not, then if you could upload the .moho ...

[Jkoseattle]

So I guess that brings up another question. What's the difference really? If I painstakingly create a detailed mesh layer and hook it up to an image, how it that different from creating a smart warp layer for the image? Obviously the methods for creating them are different, but once a mesh layer is finished and linked to an image, doesn't it basically do the same thing as a smart warp layer?

[hayasidist]

So I guess that brings up another question. What's the difference really? If I painstakingly create a detailed mesh layer and hook it up to an image, how it that different from creating a smart warp layer for the image? Obviously the methods for creating them are different, but once a mesh layer is finished and linked to an image, doesn't it basically do the same thing as a smart warp layer?

a smart warp has to have only triangles and/or quads that are filled shapes - and any vector layer that has just that will get the "smart warp mesh" icon in the layers palette. to see this, create a new empty vector layer, use the factory "draw shape" tool to create a triangle (autofill on) then set that as the warp layer for an image --- that will show up the layer icon as a triangulated "bean" -- but the same exercise with a star or an unfilled triangle won't.

As your screen grab showed puddle mesh as an "ordinary" vector layer, it must have failed the "only filled tris and quads" test ... a guess (and it is only a guess) is that you drew the outline, then broke it into quads -- but that didn't create new shapes.

Drawing from scratch means adding points and shapes in such a way as to ensure Shapes have 3 or 4 verts - e.g. drawing a rectangle, then adding an extra two points on one end to create a second rectangle which then gets filled is OK; drawing a rectangle and splitting it in the middle doesn't create the second shape.... and one remedy is to delete the shapes and run the fill quad mesh script which will seek out tris and quads inside any "outermost" polygon and fill them (or complain that it can't).

bottom line - nope, there's not a lot of difference, but it is a significant one.

[Jkoseattle]

Yeah, I run into problems all the time where it fails to be able to draw the mesh, but doesn't tell me where, and for the life of me I can't find the problem, so I end up starting over. Smart warp layers seem to be a lot easier.

[hayasidist]

Yeah, I run into problems all the time where it fails to be able to draw the mesh, but doesn't tell me where, and for the life of me I can't find the problem, so I end up starting over. Smart warp layers seem to be a lot easier.

if you want to upload the problem file (just the failing smart mesh layer is enough) I'll take a look..