Signage - Outline and Shadow's very cumbersome!

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BillAggie
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Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2015 5:19 am

Signage - Outline and Shadow's very cumbersome!

Post by BillAggie »

Hello All!

I'm a long time user of another software program (Easy Sign) and due to damage to my Dongle.

I've got Sure Cuts Alot and evaluating it. It offers a lot of features for very little money but my application is signage and I use outline and Shadow quite a bit.

I'm finding this program isn't very good for Outlines and Shadows, I see a Shadow effect but it makes an Outline, not a shadow. What am I missing here? There should be a quick and easy way to create a shadow or outline effect without having to play around with a single SHADOW effect option to get either one. What am I missing here?


Bill
papasue
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Re: Signage - Outline and Shadow's very cumbersome!

Post by papasue »

I am not sure I am understanding you but..did you fill the shadow with light grey, and change the opacity?, and offset a bit. Can you post a pic of what you would like it to look like?
Susan E
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Mac 10.12.6 Sierra, eCAL 1.506, ECAL2.023, SCAL4Pro, Export Plug-in, Inkscape 48, iPad/scal3
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BillAggie
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2015 5:19 am

Re: Signage - Outline and Shadow's very cumbersome!

Post by BillAggie »

Susan, I forgot I asked for help. Yes, this is what I'm trying to do. I work on a lot of boat graphics. For layers to hold up to salt water, you can't have edges where a top layer might slightly overlap a bottom layer, it creates a hanging tag that the air and water gets to and eventually delaminates the decal.

here is a proper boat shadow.... Notice how the base sheet always extends beyond the top color? Look at the black. This is a slant up shadow but the edges are always an outline. This type of edge (as you see to the left of the letter H, is what one must do to keep the red layer from delaminating. So both Easy Sign and Flexisign when doing a shadow allow you to do the extended edges on the non shadow sides.

I hope I am explaining this. With SCAL4Pro, I'm not clearly seeing a path way to this other than making two outlines and positioning them to apear to be a up shadow (as the example) and then joining them to make a base for the first layer.
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SandyMcC
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Re: Signage - Outline and Shadow's very cumbersome!

Post by SandyMcC »

Did you test out Effects > 3D Extrude?
Sandy McCauley
Owner of http://www.iloveknk.com/
BillAggie
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2015 5:19 am

Re: Signage - Outline and Shadow's very cumbersome!

Post by BillAggie »

I'm going to check it out and get back with you. SCAL4Pro sure packs a lot of features in for a low price! I spent most of my time on EasySign until my dongle busted! Then they wanted me to buy another 3k program so I said screw it! EasySign however is a model for perfection when it came to editing a vector! I'm seeing some of this in SCAL4Pro and like it a lot. My only complaint is not knowing yet where everything is at. I'm also noticing a bit of hit and miss trying to select nodes then adjusting the tabs. The tabs are evasive!

Thanks for all your help so far!
SandyMcC
Posts: 1114
Joined: Mon May 09, 2011 7:01 am

Re: Signage - Outline and Shadow's very cumbersome!

Post by SandyMcC »

You're welcome!
Sandy McCauley
Owner of http://www.iloveknk.com/
BillAggie
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2015 5:19 am

Re: Signage - Outline and Shadow's very cumbersome!

Post by BillAggie »

Here is an example of how to do a durable layer for boat and other hard weather layered graphics (see black outline around entire shadow) and then the example of how SCAL4P creates it. Its' not enough as is and I've yet to figure out how to do this easily. What I did here is an extra step. I outlined the text first, saved it, then shadowed (3d extrude) the text then joined (welded) them then laid the text over it. It should be an option like an Outlined extrude or an Outlined Shadow....

The point here is that you can blunt end indoor graphics and get away with it, but harsh weather durable graphics require each next layer must be 100% within the bottom layer. if you butt edges you create lapping points that the weather will get into and delaminate your work.
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This is how SCAL4Pro wants to do a shadow
This is how SCAL4Pro wants to do a shadow
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This is how it must be done to be durable!
This is how it must be done to be durable!
the end 2.JPG (49.86 KiB) Viewed 5208 times
SandyMcC
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Joined: Mon May 09, 2011 7:01 am

Re: Signage - Outline and Shadow's very cumbersome!

Post by SandyMcC »

Yes... that would be the only way to do it... 3D extrude, select the extrude layer, apply a shadow and then Path>Union on the Extrude and Shadow layers.

I realize it's one extra step but I emphasize what you said about the amazing functionality for the price of this software. Plus, remember that SCAL isn't a professional vinyl sign program in competition with those programs that have been around for a decade or two, cost thousands of dollars, and have a substantial team of programmers. SCAL is a cutting program for the hobby world that happens to also now offer a pro version with some extra features for, typically, small businesses who are just getting into cutters. As an example, I spend a lot of my time teaching new owners the purpose of the Tiling and Weeding functions... And how to make sure their vinyl is loaded straight into their cutters... And even how to use transfer tape and get their cut designs onto a car window or applied straight/evenly onto an office wall.

You're in a different world here, but VERY MUCH welcomed! In fact, I bet you have a LOT of cool tips and tricks for those new to the vinyl world. We're always looking for input! Meanwhile, I'm very happy to answer your SCAL questions, even though I only have a year under my belt, myself. I do have a lot of experience with Sign Lab (if you've ever heard of it) but my passion is actually paper crafting. And there are a LOT of paper crafters who use SCAL.
Sandy McCauley
Owner of http://www.iloveknk.com/
BillAggie
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2015 5:19 am

Re: Signage - Outline and Shadow's very cumbersome!

Post by BillAggie »

I figured that much. Actually SCAL4Pro is pretty darn close to matching the $3000.00 programs! In fact, had I seen this program before hand I would have never ever messed with EasySign or Flexisign. I do know that program you used! I never got further than a demo!

If Scal4Pro were to improve the node tab handling a bit and add the outlined shadow capability, one could hardly call it less than these $3000.00 programs. It's an amazing program for the money and I'm glad I switched to it. I still have Flexisign but to be honest, Scal4Pro is more intuitive than the mother of all sign programs, Flexi. I use version 8.5 so I don't know how much better it was in version 10.

The one issue that needs to be addressed in Scal4Pro is better behavior with nodes and node tabs. It takes me quite a bit longer to manipulate curves because I can't grab the nodes super easily and the tabs are evasive on my mostly multi-layer projects. If you miss the tab you grab another layer which then puts you back several steps getting back to the layer you wanted again. The target area for a tab seems to be super tiny!

But overall, Considering price and features, Scal4Pro is a better choice than the "PRO" and expensive models. There's no reason to use them. I noticed you can't import a bitmap (at least I haven't found a way yet) and other little glitches is it can't read AI and EPS files made by Flexisign, I have to export to a PDF to import, but these are small glitches. Scal4Pro will become my mainstay!

Is there a way to set the default open screen size to full screen zoomed. My default pages are 24x50 and it always opens to that size which makes me have to zoom each project to work on it. With flexisign and EasySign, you can zoom with the mouse. I haven't been able to figure a way to do this with SCAL4Pro.....

Thanks! You are immensely helpful!

Bill
SandyMcC
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Joined: Mon May 09, 2011 7:01 am

Re: Signage - Outline and Shadow's very cumbersome!

Post by SandyMcC »

I'll look into these things this weekend. Regarding bitmap... are you specifically referring to .BMP files versus other raster formats? I only recently discovered that SCAL on my new Mac imports BMP files differently than SCAL on my PC. I never realized it since I mostly import and autotrace JPG and PNG files.

And you're welcome... it's my pleasure to help. I've always found that helping is the best way to increase my own knowledge of a program. It makes me dig deeper! :)

Sandy
Sandy McCauley
Owner of http://www.iloveknk.com/
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