Stroke defect

[Hoptoad]

I occasionally get defective points in a shape. The fix on my end is simple: select the point and change the curvature. Still, the defective point alters the stroke curvature, so I have to remain wary, otherwise I might overlook a defect and it might cause problems during animation. If you look closely, you can see the curve being deformed a little bit in the higher defect of the 2 defects in the illustration.

The defects seemingly happen at random.

The defects DO appear in the Preview render.

I'm using Moho v14 on Mac OS.

Thanks.

[Hoptoad]

Update:

The point defects can appear when copy/pasting.

For example, I just copy/pasted a small section of a flawless shape, and made that line into a new shape, and the new shape manifested point defects - EVEN THOUGH the source shape had no point defects.

[Greenlaw]

Wow, that's a strange one.

How is the shape/stroke created? Just the normal select-points, U and Enter? Was this created with Add Points or some other tool?

Is the stroke a separate shape from the fill shape? Is there more than one stroke shape stacked in this curve? Is the stroke one continuous shape or segmented into multiple shapes?

I'm trying to reproduce this error here, so any additional info helps. Tried copy/paste with a normal stroke and fill shape drawn with Add Points but no error yet.

[synthsin75]

If I had to guess, I'd say either the bezier handles of those points are messed up and/or those stroke segments are separate shapes.

Since the addition of bezier handles, I've found that copy/paste & welding between curves can cause more trouble than just adding points or redrawing the curve.

[Hoptoad]

How is the shape/stroke created? Just the normal select-points, U and Enter? Was this created with Add Points or some other tool?

Is the stroke a separate shape from the fill shape? Is there more than one stroke shape stacked in this curve? Is the stroke one continuous shape or segmented into multiple shapes?

I'm trying to reproduce this error here, so any additional info helps. Tried copy/paste with a normal stroke and fill shape drawn with Add Points but no error yet.

The strokes are created via the Add Points tool, with or without Auto Fill, with or without Auto Stroke. Occasionally I'll makes a closed line "shape" without Auto Stroke/Fill and turn it into a shape. The shapes I make are 99% of the time simple shapes, nothing complex. I"m not 100% sure of the settings I'm using when defects occur, but it's possible that the defects occur in all variations of Auto Stroke/Fill.

I think once I used the Create Shape: Star tool and got a defect.

If I had to guess, I'd say either the bezier handles of those points are messed up and/or those stroke segments are separate shapes.

Since the addition of bezier handles, I've found that copy/paste & welding between curves can cause more trouble than just adding points or redrawing the curve.

I used to do what you said: delete the wonky point and add a fresh point at the location. Lately, I use the shortcut to curve (un-sharpen) the point and that works.

It only seems to happen to points with a curve, not sharp points.

It's weird. I can make fifty shapes in a row without a defect. Then suddenly, the next few shapes have 1 or 2 defects. Then, for reasons I can't determine, I'll see no more defects for a long time.

I just tried creating fifty shapes in a row to better understand what triggers the defect, and only got one defect. I suspect the mysterious culprit may have something to do with using CMD/CNTRL + P to sharpen an occasional point as I'm placing points in a vector layer while making shapes. I may be wrong, but it seems like the defects occur in shapes near a sharp point.

I'll try to pay better attention to the circumstances surrounding their appearance. Generally, when I see them, I only think "Yuck" and fix them, then get back to making shapes.

Thanks.

[sang820]

I have also encountered similar situations, which really drives people crazy. Because I often need to perform complex operations on node curvature.

[Hoptoad]

Mac OS, Moho version 14.

I am experiencing a lot of defects in strokes.

I made the stroke you see above. It has 6 defects. In addition to the 4 defects in the length of the stroke, the stroke would NOT round the tips, so that's 2 more defects. I tried making the stroke 3 times and got the same results all 3 times.

The 4th time, I created a new Vector layer outside the group and made the stroke again, and only got 1 defective point (the tips were properly rounded).

Thanks.

[Greenlaw]

I'm wondering, do you get that with Round Caps enabled? Or is it doing that with Round Caps enabled? I just noticed that it doesn't appear to be enabled, and I think I always have it enabled, which may be why I haven't seen this.

When I get a chance, I'll try working with Round Caps disabled and see what happens.

[SimplSam]

I am experiencing a lot of defects in strokes. ...

Might help if you share the project file for this.

[Hoptoad]

I'm wondering, do you get that with Round Caps enabled? Or is it doing that with Round Caps enabled?

Yes, round caps was enabled. The tips should have been rounded.

Might help if you share the project file for this.

Here is the file. I deleted most of the vector art, but left the defective layer.

https://www.mediafire.com/file/2qxpzkai ... .moho/file

[Greenlaw]

I just tried editing a path after disabling Round Caps, and it acts oddly. For example, only one end has a square edge while the other maintains a round cap, and the square edge looks weird as I rotate the Bezier handle. Not quite the same error, but similar. It seems Moho is getting confused by this. Will point the devs here.

[Rai López]

Hi. There are two different things happening there.

One is at some point you had some masking applied to "Head A" group and then you set it to "No masking in this group", but that left some masking settings applied to layer "head" and that's causing the layer be still optimized by the new masking preview system when it shouldn't, and hence problems. If you activate masking for "Head A" again (whether using "Reveal all" or "Hide all"), and then select layer "head", you'll be able to set its Masking settings to its defaults again (e.g. "Mask this layer" and "Exclude strokes" unchecked). Then just disable mask for the group again and problem one regarding corners & round caps should gone. This one doesn't affect renders and has been already reported (although I'll add this new side-effect to it), so it's expected we only have to take care of all that for a time.

Second one regarding artifacts along the curve is more typical and has to do with bézier curves. As Sang points I'd also love to see improvements on this area, but at least in your case the solution is as easy as select the affected points and apply a proper curvature to them by pressing "Ctrl+M", "Ctrl+P" or just modifing conveniently with the Curvature tool.

Well, hope it helps.

[Hoptoad]

Hi. There are two different things happening there.

Yep, I've been moving layers in and out of masked groups, and changing mask settings, while tinkering with a character. I had no idea that it could cause a problem.

Thanks for the help.

Two thumbs-up for figuring out the problem!

[Rai López]

Glad it could help , although I admit at first it was a little disconcerting to me too, but the fact that moving the stroke out of the head and the round caps starting to appear gave me the clue. FWIW, independently of this issue, and although of course it shouldn't cause problems, I've always preferred to return this kind of settings to its defaults before disabling or moving things around, you know, just in case... (or even if it's just to avoid unexpected/unintended results should I moved the layer inside another masking group afterwards, or whatever).

[Hoptoad]

Lost Marble, after much thinking, I think I know what's causing defective points to happen within my vector shapes. I'll try to be as descriptive as possible.

The defective points, which can be seen in the illustrations in my previous posts, began after I upgraded to version 14. I think the problem is the Add Points tool coupled with the new click-click-click method of creating shapes. The Add Points tool occasionally creates defective points when the tool is used to make shapes via the old click-drag-click-drag method of creating shapes. However, this only happens when a certain method of creating shapes is employed.

The SETTINGS:
Activate Auto-weld, Auto-fill, Auto-stroke.
DO NOT activate Sharp Corners.

THEN:
While placing points, use CMD+P to make the most recently-placed point SHARP whenever needed (i.e., immediately, not after that shape is already made).

The above-described settings are how I create almost all shapes, and I'm fast at it. To make a puffy cloud that has 1/3 sharp points and 2/3 rounded points, for example, I click-drag-release mouse and click-drag-release mouse to create a couple points, and then I use CMD+P to make the most recently placed point sharp, and then I continue in that manner under I finally return to the original point and automatically create a shape.

I think the DRAGGING is causing the problem. Dragging after CMD+P is effecting 1 bezier handle, usually on the sharpened point recently placed, but occasionally on the subsequent point created after the sharpened point. When this happens, the result is a defective-looking point as seen in the previous illustrations. A close examination of the bezier handles of a defective point will reveal that one handle is extended as expected, while the other handle is not extended at all but wholly overlaps the point.

In summation: dragging after CMD+P is likely the problem, but only with particular settings and when using a particular process.

THE PROCESS:
Choose the Add Points tool.
Press the mouse button to create a point. Hold the mouse button down, do not release it.
Drag to a new location. The point under the cursor is red/selected.
Release the mouse button to create another point at that location. The new point is red/selected.
Use CMD+P to sharpen the point.
Hold the mouse button down, drag to a new location. The point under the cursor is red/selected.
Release the mouse button to create another point.
And so forth.

I hope this helps.