picture clippings

[nilk narf]

Ai used to have the image on the picture clipping so you know what image it is. now you have to drag it onto the art board to find out. is there a setting to show the image on the file so you know what you are getting?

[c.pfaffenbichler]

I cannot reproduce the problem so far, could you describe what exactly you are doing in more detail?

[nilk narf]

to make a picture clipping you drag an object from your art board onto your desktop. it becomes a "picture clipping". it used to have the image you dragged on the picture clipping icon. but not now. so you don't know what the picture clipping is of.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Like I said I cannot reproduce the problem, so I suspect it may be OS-sided.

Does the OS provide a preview via File > Quick Look?

[nilk narf]

"Does the OS provide a preview via File > Quick Look?"

yes but it provides a blank page.

[Doug A Roberts]

i've never heard of this function. what OS are you using? is this a plugin?

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Quote from illustrator_reference.pdf

Drag and drop artwork to the desktop (Mac OS only)

1Select the artwork you want to copy.

2Drag the selection onto the desktop.

Selections are copied to the desktop as a picture clipping, which can be dragged and dropped into the desired document. Picture clippings are converted to PICT format when dragged to the desktop.

[nilk narf]

i know. but i don't know what the pic is until i drag it back to the art board.

[Monika Gause]

The manual says that it's a PICT file when dropped to the desktop. That's an ancient file format, like in "last century ancient".

Many apps have dropped support for it by now and it's quite surprising that Mac OS itself still recognizes it. But any way: the icon is provided by the operating system, so likely Apple might be quietly dropping support for PICT as well.

[nilk narf]

it's too bad. people who make picture clippings a lot are in the dark as to what picture clipping is which. they have to drag them all onto the art board to see.

[Monika Gause]

The PICT format has a lot of other disadvantages.

Your artwork gets expanded, flattened and whatnot.

I wouldn't even be certain that geometry is kept 100% intact.

It just doesn't make a lot of sense to create those clippings anyway.

Have you ever thought about using the CC libraries for the same purpose?

[nilk narf]

the CC libraries?

[Ton Frederiks]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/nilk+narf  wrote

the CC libraries?

Creative Cloud Libraries in Illustrator

[ScooterD76]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Monika+Gause  wrote

The manual says that it's a PICT file when dropped to the desktop. That's an ancient file format, like in "last century ancient".

-On my System 9.7.1 (ya, you heard me) you get a "picture clipping" icon with no preview

[nilk narf]

i'm using mac os sierra version 10.12.6

[Ton Frederiks]

Interesting, I had never heard of it, but when I tried it it reminds me of InDesign snippets.

It sometimes gives a preview (I am on the same OS as you are), and sometimes not.

But it contains all object attributes (like patterns or effects) when dragged back into a new Illustrator file.

[Monika Gause]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Ton+Frederiks  schrieb

But it contains all object attributes (like patterns or effects) when dragged back into a new Illustrator file.

So correct me on that one.

As for the missing preview: give it a proper name?