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S
sPretzel
Inspiring
July 1, 2024
Question

Order of FX layers with rounded corners

  • July 1, 2024
  • 1 reply
  • 1501 views

I have come across an issue with rounded corners. I noticed a difference in the corner appearance if I swap the order of FX layers Round Corners and Offset Path. It appears that Round Corners as top layer and Offset Path as bottom layer is the configuration that preserves the original radius of the rounded corner (no visible bulging between the two). I realise that AI uses Bezier curves for circles but was not expecting an issue here.
Attached is a self-explanatory editable pdf attachment with four layers:
1- Path is directly offset (no FX), then rounded with FX. RED
2- Path is offset with FX, then rounded with FX. YELLOW
3- Path is rounded with FX, then offset with FX. GREEN -- offset path that looks correct to me with respect to original path.
4- Path is rounded with FX. No offset. ORANGE -- original path that I want to offset.

Zoom in on a corner and turn on/off a layer to compare.

 

Does AI apply FX from top layer to bottom layer?

I'm sure Monika will love this!  😄

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1 reply

Monika Gause
Community Expert
Monika GauseCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 1, 2024

The round corners effect sucks. Are you still using it because CS4?

 

As for the Appearances, yes, they are applied from top of the panel to bottom. But the strokes and fills are stacked from bottom to top. Effects below them, get applied after them.

 

S
sPretzelAuthor
Inspiring
July 1, 2024

Hi Monika,

No, I just continue to use CS4 because it does most of what I need and CC is pretty expensive. I don't have any other option in CS4 to round corners (either directly when creating the object or through FX but the result is the same, I believe - I can't remember). Is there an alternative to rounded corners FX in CC?

In the file, I put all the FX above the fill and stroke but the order makes a difference of the FX themselves makes a difference. Do you agree with the fact that #3 looks like the correct version of #4 with offset path? (path is offset by half the stroke size)

 

Monika Gause
Community Expert
Monika GauseCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 1, 2024

You could use a script for rounding corners.

If you had bought a licence of Astute Graphics VectorScribe in time then you would have had a better corner rounding effect, but they aren't selling that version anymore.

 

I don't really see why you put Offset path into the equation. What is the goal?

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