Why sometimes create-shape doesn't work

ruibjr · Post by **ruibjr** » Sat May 02, 2009 3:32 pm

Sometimes I draw a shape and when I try to create the actual shape on ASP, it simply ignores it?
I have checked and the shape is closed and there are no overlapping points.
Is there a way to ask ASP to tell me what is wrong with the shape?

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Sat May 02, 2009 3:47 pm

Don't know if this is your problem, but if there is a line attached to and crossing your shape with no other point on it, it will try to use this line to create the shape. In that case, it will only do outline. Adding a point to that line will allow you to not select it as part of the shape.

AS tells you what's wrong when you select the shape. If only the vector splines are highlighted in red, then it isn't closed or the above is the problem.

Konservburk · Post by **Konservburk** » Sat May 02, 2009 5:02 pm

I have the same problems as you sometimes (if I understood you right).

When I fill a layer with the bucket (colour it), it sometimes just ignores it. Then I need to delete a lot of lines in the layer, until it finally works.

I have tried to understand why that happens... but have fail to.

ruibjr · Post by **ruibjr** » Sat May 02, 2009 5:16 pm

That's exactly what happens to me.
It happens every now an then and it is very annoying.
Then, I have to deleth sections of the shape until I find which one is causing it to fail.
I wish ASP would point it, since it already knows where the problem is.

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Sat May 02, 2009 5:29 pm

Try using the create shape tool, instead of the bucket fill, until you get use to what correct shapes are.

Konservburk · Post by **Konservburk** » Sat May 02, 2009 7:50 pm

synthsin75 wrote:Try using the create shape tool, instead of the bucket fill, until you get use to what correct shapes are.

Create shape doesn't colour my layers, and I want colours, and I guess ruibjr wants it too.

However it works if I just put enough effort, I can delete every line until it works, then re-draw the lines again with the colour already applied.

But that sucks.

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Sat May 02, 2009 8:06 pm

Create shape doesn't colour my layers, and I want colours, and I guess ruibjr wants it too.

WHAT?!!!

Some people REALLY need to do the tutorials. If you understand the use of the styles window and shape creation, you'd know that the fill bucket tool is only a shortcut of the create shape tool that doesn't allow you to inspect the shape before creating it.

Doesn't color? I never even use the fill bucket tool. I do all of my "coloring" with the create shape tool.

This is a bit of the blind leading the blind here.

Konservburk · Post by **Konservburk** » Sat May 02, 2009 9:02 pm

synthsin75 wrote:
Create shape doesn't colour my layers, and I want colours, and I guess ruibjr wants it too.
WHAT?!!!

Some people REALLY need to do the tutorials. If you understand the use of the styles window and shape creation, you'd know that the fill bucket tool is only a shortcut of the create shape tool that doesn't allow you to inspect the shape before creating it.

Doesn't color? I never even use the fill bucket tool. I do all of my "coloring" with the create shape tool.

I know.

But when that problem happens, either the Bucket Tool OR the Create Shape tool does NOT colour my layer.

In that case, Create Shape just create outlines, but no colour.

That's frustrating.

Konservburk · Post by **Konservburk** » Sat May 02, 2009 9:14 pm

This is an example of my problem (this is a fast test I did now just to show), I drew a first, and I choosed a colour for it and clicked "Create Shape".

Yepp, it created a shape, but no colour

If I try to fill it with a colour with the Bucket Tool instead, nothing happens.

dueyftw · Post by **dueyftw** » Sat May 02, 2009 9:29 pm

Here:

viewtopic.php?p=73421#73421

Hope this helps.

Dale

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Sat May 02, 2009 9:34 pm

This is basically the same thing I was saying above. For that fist, you'd either need to fill (create shapes) for each closed section individually, or only select the points around its outer border (to create one solid fill over the whole thing).

When you select all the points of that fist, AS can't guess at how you'd want those individual shape filled. Is the middle finger suppose to be a hole in the shape? Maybe the tip of the index finger? Software isn't psychic yet. One closed fill at a time, otherwise its best guess is that you want to just outline the whole thing.

You'll keep having these simple problems until you break down and work through the fairly short tutorials. There's really not that many.

ruibjr · Post by **ruibjr** » Sat May 02, 2009 9:44 pm

Hello Synth.

I know how to create shapes.
The thing is: I have beeen draing a lot of shapes and sometimes the create shape tool just doesn't work.
It simply ignores the shape and doesn't create it.
When that happens, I have to remove parts of it until it works, then I have to redraw that part in order to use the create shape tool.
I mean, if ASP doesn't cretae the shape because <REASON>, then it might tell me what it is so I canfix it.
Maybe it is just a matter of getting ued to the tool.

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Sat May 02, 2009 10:01 pm

Look, I can select a shape I want to create, with the select shape tool, and tell immediately if there is an issue with the shape. If the red checkerboard doesn't show then I know it isn't a proper, closed shape. If you want to provide AS files with exact examples, then perhaps I could explain it very precisely.

Overall, you just need to learn what is and is not a proper, closed shape. Try this:

With the oval tool, draw a circle (with no auto fill or outline). Now draw a line connecting the top and bottom points of this circle. Now try to make it a shape.

You will see that it will only highlight the outlines instead of giving you the red checkerboard for a fill. This is because shapes are made of points, not lines. the points at either end of that dividing line are both selected, making the line selected. The only way to not select that line is to add a point to the center of it that you do not select when you create the shape.

I mean, if ASP doesn't cretae the shape because <REASON>, then it might tell me what it is so I canfix it.

Once again, it'd have to "know" what kind of shape you are trying to create before it could hope to tell you what was wrong. Software can't think, you can.

Konservburk · Post by **Konservburk** » Sat May 02, 2009 10:17 pm

synthsin75 wrote: or only select the points around its outer border (to create one solid fill over the whole thing).

Hey... that worked! Thanks!

Konservburk · Post by **Konservburk** » Sat May 02, 2009 10:26 pm

By the way, I have readed through this thread and played around in ASP, and I understand how it works now.
YAY! This will save me a lot of time in my future animations

Let us hope ruibjr is getting it too