ofn-bend-path

[Espermaschine]

examples

   

[Pat625]

Please forgive my stupidity but I have worked for a couple hours and re read this forum twice thoroughly and still cannot get the script to work. I keep getting errors that the envelope must be 2 strokes, or something out of range. I have made the strokes several ways: The same for both top and bottom, one curved the other a straight line Each stroke on its own path layer and both separate strokes on same layer, each on own layer and then merged. I am at a loss as to how to solve the problems with the path.

[Blighty]

(01-01-2018, 06:21 AM)Pat625 Wrote: I keep getting errors that the envelope must be 2 strokes, or something out of range.

There are 2 ways
(have the layers dialogue open for each):
(assume very simple strokes, each having just 2 nodes)

First method
For the top path, make the left node, and then the right node.
In the paths dialogue click Create New Path button.
Now do the bottom path. Again a left and a right node.
In the paths dialogue right click one of the paths and do Merge Visible Paths.

Second method
For the top path, make the left node, and then the right node.
For the bottom path, Shift-click for the left node and then click for the right node.

For the text
Use the Text to Path option
The text path must be narrower than the guide paths (even if just by a pixel)
Have the text path active when you run the script
When the bend path dialogue opens select the guide path (made by one of the two methods above)

[rich2005]

@Pat625

Make sure you have the latest ofn-bend-path.py plugin currently v0.4 size 11,381 B It has been fixed for a Windows error

Could be for that error message the wrong path is active. Make sure the Text path is active and the envelope path is the entry in the plugin dialogue.

It is all in the docs that comes with Ofnuts zipped file but a quick run down. Start off with something simple.



1. Make two paths for the envelope. The way to start the second path is hold the shift key down to make the first node. Release shift key and continue. The number of nodes in each path does not have to be equal, but keep it sensible.

2. Make your text. It has to fit in a zone between the ends of the envelope.

3. Put the text to a path and end up with two paths the envelope and the text.



4. Start up the ofn-bend-path.py (right click, bottom of paths dialogue) With the text path active, set the envelope path in the plugin dialogue (5).

Ok it and you should get a new deformed text path.

[Pat625]

Thank you, Blighty and Rich, for your explanation and screen shot.  Those were the exact procedures that I followed before I posted my problem.  What I have missed is the required placement of the Text Path.  The initial instructions and yours show the Text path above or below the envelope path and that is where I placed mine.  It did not work.  Racer-X had a small video on GC and placed the Text Path in the envelope.  I did this with success.  Why am I not successful with the text path shown outside of the envelope?  Initial explanations had: "The source path can be elsewhere,  it only needs to overlap vertically with the envelope strokes."  Will you show me an example of this that works?

Please understand that I am not criticizing.  I am trying to learn by understanding my mistakes.  Ofnuts is brilliant, there is no doubt, and this script is amazing.  I am enjoying it very much now, and appreciate all his time, effort and expertise to accomplish all the fine plugins he has written for us to use and enjoy.

[Espermaschine]

Well its an envelope path. That should be a hint for what it is doing.
The plug-in stretches the text vertically. Thats the whole idea about it.

The text path can be above or below the envelope, but it has to be aligned on the vertical axis and within the width of the envelope path, because you want the envelope to affect the text evenly.

[attachment=1242]

[Blighty]

(01-05-2018, 03:38 AM)Pat625 Wrote: Will you show me an example of this that works?

A good example is the very first post in this thread by Ofnuts (post #1).

The text path must be active path when you run the script. Then in the dialogue specify the envelope path.

[Espermaschine]

The one thing that is still mysterious to me is:

why is the plug-in called bend path ???

It doesnt really seem to bend the text....or is it because of the paths being converted into curves (hence the "Bendiness") ?

[Ofnuts]

(01-05-2018, 05:19 AM)Espermaschine Wrote: The one thing that is still mysterious to me is:

why is the plug-in called bend path ???

It doesnt really seem to bend the text....or is it because of the paths being converted into curves (hence the "Bendiness") ?

because it does for a path what Filters>Distorts>Curve bend does to a layer. In Espermaschine examples above the initially straight text is no longer straight, is it (Arch, Flag...)?

[Espermaschine]

(01-05-2018, 07:50 AM)Ofnuts Wrote: In Espermaschine examples above the initially straight text is no longer straight, is it (Arch, Flag...)?

But the vertical lines remain straight... or what are you referring to ?