Image Not Filling EPS Outlines

[Dobermann]

Vers .91r on Linux Mint

I am trying to paste an image (a gradient) into an EPS object.  When I do this, it replaces the black outline with the gradient image which is fine, but I just cannot get it to actually fill the image, too.  I know the image is transparent, as you can see the gradient background when the EPS is placed over it.  What am I doing wrong here?

I'm also trying to fill the white area of a grape png placed image, but having the same problem there.

I am attaching a small file with just those three layers.  If you open it, you can see what I am trying to do.

Thanks for any help,

[brynn]

Welcome to the forum!

The small image of grapes is a raster image, so you will not be able to edit that, almost at all, with Inkscape.  To change the fill from white to something else, you'll need to either use a raster editor, such as GIMP, or convert it  to vector paths.  There are a couple of ways to do that, and it depends on your goals and expectations as to which way you do it.

I'm not sure what you mean by "EPS image".  Do you mean the small grapes?  EPS files an contain both raster and vector contents.  Do both grape drawings come from EPS files?

The larger grapes are vector paths.  But the outline is the image.  The inner part of the larger grapes are transparent, in a way, but it's because it's just not part of the image.  You can see this by selecting it with the Node tool.  After you click on it, you'll see the nodes, but to fully appreciate it, press the 3 key, which will zoom the object to fill the window.  With zoom, you can see where the paths are, and that the image is the borders.

It looks like you have converted a rectangle filled with the gradient to a pattern, and filled it with the pattern.  I'm not sure why you did that, but it's probably not necessary.  You can directy fill it with a gradient.

There is a way to make it look like the large grapes are filled with the gradient.  You've actually done it already, in way, by putting the large rectangle with gradient fill benind it.  But we can tell you how to do it, so that it only fills the grapes, and not show outside the grapes' border.  If that's what you want?

Actually I can't tell by looking as the SVG file what you're trying to do.  So if you could explain a little more, we can give more specific steps.

[Dobermann]

Welcome to the forum!

Thanks for the welcome and quick response!

The small image of grapes is a raster image, so you will not be able to edit that, almost at all, with Inkscape.  To change the fill from white to something else, you'll need to either use a raster editor, such as GIMP, or convert it  to vector paths.  There are a couple of ways to do that, and it depends on your goals and expectations as to which way you do it.

I think at this point, I will just bypass the use of the small image,  It's not going to be worth all the commotion.

I'm not sure what you mean by "EPS image".  Do you mean the small grapes?  EPS files an contain both raster and vector contents.  Do both grape drawings come from EPS files?

No, only the larger one came from an EPS file.  The smaller came from a png file, but obviously it is not a good file type for what I am trying to do.

The larger grapes are vector paths.  But the outline is the image.  The inner part of the larger grapes are transparent, in a way, but it's because it's just not part of the image.  You can see this by selecting it with the Node tool.  After you click on it, you'll see the nodes, but to fully appreciate it, press the 3 key, which will zoom the object to fill the window.  With zoom, you can see where the paths are, and that the image is the borders.

Yes, correct.  I was able to convert the outline using the gradient, which is what I wanted.  But I was trying to also, through the use of a second pass so to speak, convert the insides of the grapes from transparent to now containing the gradient as and where placed over the gradient rectangle.  And that's where I hit the proverbial brick wall.

It looks like you have converted a rectangle filled with the gradient to a pattern, and filled it with the pattern.  I'm not sure why you did that, but it's probably not necessary.  You can directy fill it with a gradient.

That's because I spent an embarrassingly large amount of time trying to get it to draw a gradient with the specific colors I needed at the right points.  I watched YouTube video after video, and yet, I could never get it to change colors where I needed to what I needed without changing other things and cancelling out the other colors.  So I gave up using the gradient tool, went on line and found a source that would let me create a gradient exactly how I wanted it in under 60 seconds.  I then just copied and pasted it.  (I really miss my AI and PS and find Inkscape quite difficult.)

There is a way to make it look like the large grapes are filled with the gradient.  You've actually done it already, in way, by putting the large rectangle with gradient fill benind it.  But we can tell you how to do it, so that it only fills the grapes, and not show outside the grapes' border.  If that's what you want?

I think we are talking the same thing.  While retaining the existing gradient lines, I wish to add a gradient fill from my rectangle to the actual grapes and leaves.

Hope that makes sense!

Thanks for all your help.

[brynn]

Ah yes, we often hear from people coming from AI finding it a difficult transition.  It's probably bad enough that Inkscape doesn't have the same tools as AI, but the ones it shares usually work differently.

For gradients, I don't quite understand the problem you were having creating it.  After we get the grapes sorted out, we could talk about that, if you want.  Even though you created the gradient elsewhere, I still don't think you would have needed to make a pattern.  But I haven't tested for sure.

To make a background object to hold the gradient:

 -- select the grapes
 -- duplicate 
 -- move to the side, if you think it would be less confusing, but not absolutely necessary
 -- ungroup a few times, until it says "No more groups to ungroup"  (3 to 5 times) (Object menu > Ungroup, or this button on the command bar  , or the key shortcut
 -- Path menu > Union
 -- Path menu > Break Apart
 -- Path menu > Union

Don't deselect throughout those steps.  Do them straight through.

The reason we have to do the Union twice is because of those 3 tiny highlight paths on 3 of the grapes.  If you don't need those, it would be easy to select them before you start the process.  Click on each one with the Node tool, do Ctrl A (select all - selects all the nodes), then Delete.  Then you could skip the first Union.

If you moved the duplicate aside, you'll need to move it back over, and put behind the outline object.  If you didn't move it, it's already in place.  You just need to move it behind the outline.  In case you haven't learned how yet, Object menu > Lower to the Bottom, or this button on the control bar , or there's a key shortcut (Help menu > Key and Mouse Reference).

You'll probably see a sort of thick gray-looking horizontal line across one of the leaves.  That's the edge of the pattern that you made with the gradient.  (I'm not sure why it's thick and gray at the moment.  Maybe something to do with importing it as EPS.  Not sure.)  If you notice 3 tiny handles - an X, a circle and a square, when you select it with the Node tool.  Those are the handles for adjusting the pattern.  The X handle moves the pattern around whole.  So you can just move it to where the pattern borders are outside of the object.  Just for future reference, the circle handle rotates the pattern (around the X handle) and the square handle adjusts the size (hold Ctrl key to keep proportions as you drag the square handle).

Let us know how it goes 

Edit - You might want to group the border object and the background object, so that they always stay together.  I'm not absolutely positive about this, but I think you should be able to apply the pattern to the group.  That way, you won't have the difficultly of aligning the pattern of the outlines with the pattern of the background.  It should make them automatically aligned.

[Dobermann]

 

Thanks so much for such a great step by step and explanation!  I wish everyone knew how to write thorough explanations.  It worked perfectly. 

As for the gradient issue, I'm going to leave that behind me for now as I have other issues more pressing.

Again, thanks so much.  It worked perfectly!