Distorting art that has a clipping path

Started by CMYKFrustrated, September 19, 2012, 12:31:00 PM

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CMYKFrustrated

Quote from: DigitalCrapShoveler on September 21, 2012, 05:54:31 PMWhat if you were to say cut the contents of the mask, then use the mask as the center of a compound path after drawing a larger rectangle around it. Then copying it and using it to punch the art underneath and extending beyond the original clipping mask. Each time pasting the new compound mask in front and punching each shape. After all the art is trimmed, releasing the new compound path and reclipping to the original mask? Follow me?
Yes I do follow you, and you're beginning to understand, however, what's described here is simply a way to trim the art back to make it symmetrical, and that's the crux of the problem. Plus....to be accurate, the warp has to be calculated from the trim/dieline and not the bleed. Imagine that you have something that has to match up across the seam of the cup. Even if you trim everything to the bleed, and get Illustrator to use the bleed size to calculate the warp, it's still off.

I need Illustrator to KEEP the bleed, but use the trim as the size to warp to.

CMYKFrustrated

I think I need to marry a computer aided drafting program with Illustrator, so that's the kind of plug in I'm looking for. I need an accurate distortion to a specific size on a complicated piece of art created with Adobe CS.

I actually think Adobe could make this happen. If I do an arc using the envelope mesh tool, I can manually distort the individual points.

I want the computer to do that accurately for me. Use the dieline as the "active" area, calculate the warp to the designated size templet, then warp the art...letting what's in the bleed and beyond go along but not be calculated in the warp area.

If this doesn't currently exist....it ought to. It's doable.

DigitalCrapShoveler

Unfortunately, most tools like what you need in Illustrator are more visual, rather than numerical. What you want, and what Illustrator can do, are apparently 2 completely different things. I am totally flying in the dark. I don't know what your file looks like or what you are trying to conform it to, so I really can't help you any more than what I've already done.

Where's Ash?
Member #285 - Civilian

andyfest

Quote from: CMYKFrustrated on September 23, 2012, 07:56:06 AM
Quote from: DigitalCrapShoveler on September 21, 2012, 05:54:31 PMWhat if you were to say cut the contents of the mask, then use the mask as the center of a compound path after drawing a larger rectangle around it. Then copying it and using it to punch the art underneath and extending beyond the original clipping mask. Each time pasting the new compound mask in front and punching each shape. After all the art is trimmed, releasing the new compound path and reclipping to the original mask? Follow me?
Yes I do follow you, and you're beginning to understand, however, what's described here is simply a way to trim the art back to make it symmetrical, and that's the crux of the problem. Plus....to be accurate, the warp has to be calculated from the trim/dieline and not the bleed. Imagine that you have something that has to match up across the seam of the cup. Even if you trim everything to the bleed, and get Illustrator to use the bleed size to calculate the warp, it's still off.

I need Illustrator to KEEP the bleed, but use the trim as the size to warp to.
Can't you mask the art to the required size, warp to the dieline and then offset your now-warped mask path out by 1/8 in to get the needed bleed? Just speculation here as I am at home and can't try it.
Retired - CS6 on my 2012 gen MacBook Pro

CMYKFrustrated

Quote from: andyfest on September 23, 2012, 05:06:21 PM
Quote from: CMYKFrustrated on September 23, 2012, 07:56:06 AM
Quote from: DigitalCrapShoveler on September 21, 2012, 05:54:31 PMWhat if you were to say cut the contents of the mask, then use the mask as the center of a compound path after drawing a larger rectangle around it. Then copying it and using it to punch the art underneath and extending beyond the original clipping mask. Each time pasting the new compound mask in front and punching each shape. After all the art is trimmed, releasing the new compound path and reclipping to the original mask? Follow me?
Yes I do follow you, and you're beginning to understand, however, what's described here is simply a way to trim the art back to make it symmetrical, and that's the crux of the problem. Plus....to be accurate, the warp has to be calculated from the trim/dieline and not the bleed. Imagine that you have something that has to match up across the seam of the cup. Even if you trim everything to the bleed, and get Illustrator to use the bleed size to calculate the warp, it's still off.

I need Illustrator to KEEP the bleed, but use the trim as the size to warp to.
Can't you mask the art to the required size, warp to the dieline and then offset your now-warped mask path out by 1/8 in to get the needed bleed? Just speculation here as I am at home and can't try it.
No, reason being, Illustrator won't use just what's visible inside the mask to warp to the dieline. It will use the entire art that exists under the clipping path, ergo, everything has to be manually trimmed back by hand. But even that doesn't really work, especially if one of the elements needing "trimmed" is a complex placed photo.

CMYKFrustrated

And....most of all...thank you to everyone that took the time to respond to this thread. I appreciate the help.

Grimace

Quote from: CMYKFrustrated on September 21, 2012, 11:02:26 AM
Quote from: Grimace on September 20, 2012, 04:07:03 PM
Quote from: CMYKFrustrated on September 20, 2012, 11:17:52 AMEnvelope distort (as far as I know, or have found, but correct me if I'm wrong) will still take the entire drawing into the calculation, including what is hidden by the clipping path.

If Illustrator can do this for the "Align" feature, I'm just surprised that it can't do this for the "warp" or "arc" or "envelope" feature.

Anyone out there do work that is required to be distorted to fit an actual object? If so, what do you use to get a high quality, editable file with an ability to precisely shape it to fit?

Try using the Mesh option. It allows you to grab points and move them as needed. Also check the Envelope Options and check the clipping mask option.
This may be too cumbersome for what you need, but I believe the mesh option eliminates the funky warp effects you describe.
I'm playing with this now, Illustrator CS6. I'm using the clipping mask option with the envelope warp, but it seems to position the warp box to the entire art instead of just the clipping mask.

I've also watched the Lynda.com tutorial on the Illustrator CS6 2D perspective drawing...and or...mapping static artwork to the perspective grid.

I need Illustrator to either align the envelope mesh tool with the clipping path.....or...allow the 2D perspective too to curve it's lines.

Any ideas? Am I doing something wrong?

You probably aren't doing anything wrong. The envelope mesh warp will only warp what you have selected. I don't know if you can just select what you need and get the effect you are looking for though.

David

sorry, late to the rodeo here, but Esko has come a long way in their packaging software. I haven't used it, but they have a pretty good distort program from what I hear (saw it briefly at a demo earlier this year). It's called PowerWarp

Not sure what your budget is, but...
Linkage:
http://www.esko.com/en/Products/overview/artpro/modules
Prepress guy - Retired - Working from home
Livin' la Vida Loca

CMYKFrustrated

Quote from: david on September 24, 2012, 01:35:18 PMsorry, late to the rodeo here, but Esko has come a long way in their packaging software. I haven't used it, but they have a pretty good distort program from what I hear (saw it briefly at a demo earlier this year). It's called PowerWarp

Not sure what your budget is, but...
Linkage:
http://www.esko.com/en/Products/overview/artpro/modules
They may have finally perfected it, I know in the past it worked the same as Illustrator. Extremely expensive, and can't just buy the "warping" aspect.

I've been searching the Adobe forums and anywhere else online that I could think of. The Strada plug in did get back to me telling me they couldn't do the warping. I appreciate them answering my question.

One of the things that I learned from the Adobe forums is that Photoshop actually does a better job of warping than Illustrator. However, that's not really a solution, but it makes me believe that Illustrator is CAPABLE of this...it just hasn't been developed yet.

adelaney

Sorry, I know this is six years too late but the problem is not actually the clipping mask or the size of the image that is clipped. The problem is that Illustrator cannot change a linked image. So the clipping mask gets distorted/warped along with the rest of your art, but the picture does not. The solution therefore becomes incredibly, maddeningly simple: just embed your image prior to warping.

adelaney

Oh wait...never mind. I'm seeing further into the problem. Embedding the image is only the start of the fix. You're right. The image has to be cropped off manually to work...and since it's bleeding as well for you, you're kind of screwed. Dang you Illustrator! This is an illustrator fail...even in 2019.