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Scribus => Beginner Talk => Topic started by: Stranger on January 23, 2020, 06:49:20 PM

Title: Transparent text by using the convert to outlines feature
Post by: Stranger on January 23, 2020, 06:49:20 PM
Hello,

I am trying to create transparent text, by following these instuctions (that I found on the forum here):


* Create an image frame and give it an image.
* Draw a rectangle over the image.
* Change the fill colour of the rectangle to White with 60% Opacity and line colour to None.
* Create a text frame over the rectangle.
* Add your text as necessary.
* With the text selected, choose menu "Item -> Convert To -> Outlines".
* Then select the text again.
* Then choose menu "Item -> Ungroup".
* Then choose menu "Item -> Combine Polygons".
* Then select both, first the rectangle, then the text, e.g. with the pressed shift key while clicking on the items and choose "Item -> Path Tools -> Path Operations".
* Press the "Subtracts" button (second from left), swap items if necessary to get the correct effect, and OK the dialog.

However, when I get to "* Then choose menu "Item -> Ungroup"  I find that that the 'ungroup' option is not available to click on.

Could anyong kindly tell me what I'm doing wrong?

Thank you!

This is where I found the original instructions: http://forums.scribus.net/index.php/topic,1526.msg6723.html#msg6723
Title: Re: Transparent text by using the convert to outlines feature
Post by: utnik on January 23, 2020, 08:25:09 PM
hi stranger (really strange nick...)

on my system it just works with your steps.
the only difference: it's 'item' → 'grouping' → 'ungroup'...

utnik
Title: Re: Transparent text by using the convert to outlines feature
Post by: Stranger on January 23, 2020, 09:06:46 PM
Hi Utnik,

Thanks, but...

Both the 'grouping' and the 'ungrouping' options are off.

Title: Re: Transparent text by using the convert to outlines feature
Post by: Stranger on January 23, 2020, 09:31:15 PM
This is the sort of think I'm trying to do:

https://images.app.goo.gl/U74pXXGcCx27LcrE8
Title: Re: Transparent text by using the convert to outlines feature
Post by: utnik on January 23, 2020, 09:36:12 PM
Quote from: Stranger on January 23, 2020, 09:06:46 PMBoth the 'grouping' and the 'ungrouping' options are off.

this never happened to me. (or is it just one single letter? – in this case 'grouping' and'ungrouping' would be grayed out...)

utnik
Title: Re: Transparent text by using the convert to outlines feature
Post by: Stranger on January 23, 2020, 10:16:24 PM
Ok, thanks, I seem to have made that work now.

May I ask, Utnik, if you think this is the best method in Scribus to overlay transparent text on top of another layer?
Title: Re: Transparent text by using the convert to outlines feature
Post by: Stranger on January 23, 2020, 10:47:24 PM
What I would like to do (in Scribus), is something like this here, in Gimp:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyQpNkAMdQU

Is it possible to do this (in Scribus), using layers?

Title: Re: Transparent text by using the convert to outlines feature
Post by: utnik on January 24, 2020, 05:04:53 AM
hi stranger

if the desired result is just an image frame in the shape of some text, i would:
you don't need different layers for this.

utnik
Title: Re: Transparent text by using the convert to outlines feature
Post by: Stranger on January 24, 2020, 08:46:20 AM
Hi Utnik,

Maybe.

But I'm not trying to put a picture inside letters, but rather I would like to overly two 'texts.'

A backdrop with small print, then large characters over it, and only appearing in the colour of the smaller print underneath (as if you were seeing through this letter/outline onto the bottom print...

Like this one, (which I made in Gimp) :



[attachment deleted by admin]
Title: Re: Transparent text by using the convert to outlines feature
Post by: utnik on January 25, 2020, 03:36:22 PM
hi stranger

scribus might not be the best application for this sort of graphical play.
i would use inkscape (https://inkscape.org/) for such things...

...but i'm a bit tired of trying to solve your problems, when you change your mind since the earlier post where your goal was to mask an image...

utnik
Title: Re: Transparent text by using the convert to outlines feature
Post by: a.l.e on January 25, 2020, 04:05:29 PM
The above effect is probably something you can do with Scribus... but, as Utnik writes, it all depends on what exactly you want to do.

I did it this way:

- Load an image in an image frame
- Duplicate it.
- Convert the duplicate to a polygon and fill it with white.
- Create the text frame on top of both the image and the white shape
- Fill your text frame with the text. Keep a backup of it somewhere.
- Convert the text frame to outlines.
- Ungroup and combine
- Duplicate the outlined text
- Type your bit "BAC" text and convert that to outlines too
- Ungroup and combine
- Duplicate the "BAC" outline
- Put both copies of "BAC" on top of the text (and the image...).
- Select one copy of "BAC" and of the text (Use the outline window if necessary)
- Use "Item > Path tools > Path operations > Substract" to cut the "BAC" from one copy of the outlined text
- Select the other copy of "BAC" and of the other copy of the outlined text
- Use "Item > Path tools > Path operations > Interset" to get the text that should have the background color
- Select the white polygon and the intersection between BAC and the text
- Use "Item > Path tools > Path operations > Substract" to cut the outlined text in the BAC form from the white polygon (that covers the image)

CORRECTION: I went through the steps above and noticed that the last step should have been tw osteps... it's fixed now

... If i got all steps written down correctly it should work. BUT!:



- It's not something I'd like to do often...
- It's probably an effect I'd like to see in a document...

I would share the result, but the text and image i've used gave me a really terrible result so you would not really see much.

CORRECTION: I've now attached a .sla and a screenshot...

Finally, if you share you real example all would be much simpler for everybody!

[attachment deleted by admin]
Title: Re: Transparent text by using the convert to outlines feature
Post by: Stranger on January 25, 2020, 07:14:13 PM
Wow, great a.l.e, thank you very much for this.

Let me try and, as you suggest, I will post the example.

Also, Utnik, my apologies for being so confused.

I don't know the correct terminology to express my questions... I do appreciate your help.
Title: Re: Transparent text by using the convert to outlines feature
Post by: Stranger on January 26, 2020, 07:58:22 AM
Thanks again for this s.l.a.

I just downloaded your pac.sla file, but when I atttempt to open, I get the message "not an acceptable format" and it refuses to open.

Any idea why this is?

Thanks!
Title: Re: Transparent text by using the convert to outlines feature
Post by: utnik on January 26, 2020, 09:38:18 AM
hi stranger

scribus1.4 won't open files created by scribus1.5 – and ale created it with scribus1.5,6,svn, as you can see when you open the file with a text editor.
if you really need this file, you have to download scribus1.5.5. but all the steps to produce your own one should work with scribus 1.4.8 too.

utnik