I created a closed shape using the Freehand tool that resembles a hot dog. I used my Wacom tablet to do it. Then, I clicked its outline with the Create Shape tool to try to convert it to a shape. The outline is selected but not filled with a checkerboard. I then press the SPACEBAR. The outline is deselected but not filled. What's going on?
Howard
A Freehand tool problem
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writerhoward
- Posts: 32
- Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 6:56 pm
Either the shape was not closed or there may have been some "extra" splines on the shape that wouldn't allow a closed filled shape...
... I vote for the not closed shape. Check the free hand tool settings. If "Auto Close" is not checked when you used it than the shape you created did not close... allowing for a fill shape to be created.
You should just delete the shape you have (not the vector just the stroke shape) and then use the translate point tool with "Auto-weld" checked, find the end point of the vector and drag it to the other end point so it is closed.
Now you can create a proper filled shape using the create shape tool.
-Vern
... I vote for the not closed shape. Check the free hand tool settings. If "Auto Close" is not checked when you used it than the shape you created did not close... allowing for a fill shape to be created.
You should just delete the shape you have (not the vector just the stroke shape) and then use the translate point tool with "Auto-weld" checked, find the end point of the vector and drag it to the other end point so it is closed.
Now you can create a proper filled shape using the create shape tool.
-Vern
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writerhoward
- Posts: 32
- Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 6:56 pm
Reply to Vern
Vern,
You were right. Though the outline looked closed, it wasn't. I discovered that by dragging each point and seeing if the shape followed it.
One other question: I created the outline using my Wacom tablet, and its border is pretty thick (too much pen pressure). After I converted it to a shape I tried to reduce the outline's width in the Style window but couldn't. Is that possible to do? (I can reduce the width of edges around a point using the Line Width tool but I was looking for a way to change the whole shape at one time.)
Howard
You were right. Though the outline looked closed, it wasn't. I discovered that by dragging each point and seeing if the shape followed it.
One other question: I created the outline using my Wacom tablet, and its border is pretty thick (too much pen pressure). After I converted it to a shape I tried to reduce the outline's width in the Style window but couldn't. Is that possible to do? (I can reduce the width of edges around a point using the Line Width tool but I was looking for a way to change the whole shape at one time.)
Howard
There are two different line widths...
Line width for the vector points.
Line width for a style.
What I would suggest is to select the vector points and under "Draw" choose "Reset line width".
Now using the select shape tool click on the shape. It will have that kind of translucent checkered patern to indicate the shape is selected.
Now go to the style pallete and change the line width there.
You see how this can get confusing? The vector line width is different from the style line width.
A shape style has ONE standard line width. The only way to create varying line widths is to use the line width tool.
The free hand tool when the "auto stroke" is selected will put in a specific line width using the pressure sensitivity. This prevents you from changing the line width using the style palette because the width is defined using the vector width attribute of each point.
-Vern
Line width for the vector points.
Line width for a style.
What I would suggest is to select the vector points and under "Draw" choose "Reset line width".
Now using the select shape tool click on the shape. It will have that kind of translucent checkered patern to indicate the shape is selected.
Now go to the style pallete and change the line width there.
You see how this can get confusing? The vector line width is different from the style line width.
A shape style has ONE standard line width. The only way to create varying line widths is to use the line width tool.
The free hand tool when the "auto stroke" is selected will put in a specific line width using the pressure sensitivity. This prevents you from changing the line width using the style palette because the width is defined using the vector width attribute of each point.
-Vern
Additional info
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After doing all that stuff mentioned you would use the line width tool to create varying line width only on selected points... and ONLY to make them thinner (my personal preference... this is not a "rule").
Let's say you make a tapered end to a line style. If you change the line style to be thicker... the whole line gets thicker except that one point at the end that is set with the line width tool.
If you set a bunch of points to be THICKER using the line width tool and THEN change the style width... those thicker points won't get thicker in proportion...
In those cases I would use the style setting for the thickest part of a line... and use the line width tool for thinner areas...
... even that isn't going to be perfect... because the lined width won't change proportionlly to the style.
-Vern
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After doing all that stuff mentioned you would use the line width tool to create varying line width only on selected points... and ONLY to make them thinner (my personal preference... this is not a "rule").
Let's say you make a tapered end to a line style. If you change the line style to be thicker... the whole line gets thicker except that one point at the end that is set with the line width tool.
If you set a bunch of points to be THICKER using the line width tool and THEN change the style width... those thicker points won't get thicker in proportion...
In those cases I would use the style setting for the thickest part of a line... and use the line width tool for thinner areas...
... even that isn't going to be perfect... because the lined width won't change proportionlly to the style.
-Vern