Modifying opacity mask afterward

[csehz]

Hi, could you please advise what is the easiest way to modify an opacity mask afterwards?

So for example like on the attached picture I did incorrectly, assumingly so that opacity mask group should be ungrouped, modify the shape and doing the opacity mask again? Or maybe there is some Ctrl inside selecting method?



thanks,

[angelize]

Ungrouping the opacity mask group will cause it to revert to shapes. You can either use Ctrl+Alt+Click in DPX or P&GD2013 or Crtl+click in versions 6&7. You can also expand the opacity mask group in the page and layer gallery and select the masking shape that way too.

[csehz]

Thanks, and after the selection of the opacity mask, can go to the Shape Tool and modify the form, the outline of the mask? For example in the attached example I should correct pulling that white area inside.

Briefly for me after selecting the opacity mask and after the Shape tool, the mouse icon is not changing to the usual white arrow shape, which means that ready to pull or push the arc with the Shape tool

[PhilM]

Another way to do it is to use "edit inside".

Right-click on the Opacity mask group, go to the "Opacity mask" submenu and choose "Open Opacity mask". That will open just the mask shapes in a separate document where you can edit them in the usual ways. When you close the document it goes back to the main document and puts the edits back into the Opacity mask group.

(Note that that's different from choosing the similarly named "Open opacity mask group" at the top of the popup menu, which opens just the /masked/ objects in a separate document for editing.)

Phil

[csehz]

Phil thanks the clarification, in this way I will need the opening of Opacity mask through the menu to have that small white area pulling back

[csehz]

Sorry to coming with this case yet, just I am in the front of Designer Pro X and somehow can not find that mentioned "Open Opacity Mask".

So on the picture selecting the opacity mask Ctrl - Alt - Click, it shows down that selected sure, also can be seen in layer gallery so there Right-click on Opacity mask group, but where is there the Open Opacity Mask?

[PhilM]

Right-click on the object itself, not the item in the Page&Layer gallery.

Phil

[csehz]

Thanks probably I have too lot of applications open (which can not close now ), somehow with the right-click the program seems trying to open the menu with a short flash, but finally not open. If I try enough times then can come such message. But so probably that is just some memory problem.



Anyway found the way which opens the Opacity group even in such state:
1) Ctrl - Alt - Left click -> that select the Opacity group (writing down that 1 Opacity mask group)
2) Keeping Ctrl - Alt so not releasing and a second Left click -> that select the Opacity mask inside (writing down that 1 Opacity mask (inside)). Here pressing Enter, I think that is your proposed method to edit in a new document
3) But not pressing that Enter, still keeping the Ctrl - Alt and the third left Click -> that selects my white mask shape, which is in that state going into Shape tool, perfectly editable and for me the fastest way

Briefly so Ctrl - Alt - Left click + Left click and a Left click and going to Shape tool.

Thanks just again for the help

[PeteS]

If you have a copy of that file that you are able to reproduce that access violation in, that would be useful for the developers to have a look at to see why the error occurs.

Please either post the file here or send it to Xara support at http://support.xara.com along with step by step instructions on how to cause the error after opening the file.

[csehz]

Yes sure I have the file in the attachment, it is very small just was a tutorial try for interlocking rings with applying opacity mask. It contains two extrudes by Extrude tool and the opacity mask.

Rings_with_opacity_mask.xar

Yesterday evening and today was not able to reproduce the message in the previous post, however around the same number of applications are opened. At that try maybe it was different that in Xara Designer Pro X I had several tabs open, and sometimes in that case I used to have similiar. But generally rather rarely.

My computer parameters - Lenovo Win7 PC, Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-2310M CPU @ 2.10GHz 2.10GHz, 6GB RAM, 64-bit operation system.

Anyway the right click method still does not open that submenu for me, in the attached picture you can see that slightly it appears but almost only the shadow of that right click menu.


But basically for me this is not an issue, I have found the alternative way, pressing there Enter after selecting the Opacity Mask (inside), it opens the shape without any problem