Rotating an object with an opacity mask

[Connor24501606tet8]

I'm unable to rotate an object because the opacity mask that is linked to it fails to rotate accordingly. What can I do?

PS, do people on this forum often attach Illustrator files to their posts? If so, what's the best way to do this? Just upload an .ai file?

[Ton Frederiks]

Not reproducible on my machine..

You can attach a pdf (with Illustrator editing capabilities enabled).

[Ton Frederiks]

Is the Link icon checked between the art and the mask?

[Connor24501606tet8]

"You can attach a pdf (with Illustrator editing capabilities enabled)." How do I go about this?

The issue is the same whether the two are linked or not. I meant to mention in my post that the issue might lie in the fact that the axis of rotation is different for the mask than it is for the object. I imagine that, when I had first constructed the rectangle to create the mask, if the object had been perfectly centered in said rectangle, I wouldn't be having this problem. But that would have taken a lot of time and effort and seems like it shouldn't be necessary.

[Ton Frederiks]

 To attach a PDF

[Connor24501606tet8]

Also, I meant to upload screenshots! Oy vey.

[Monika Gause]

It's difficult to follow what you are doing there and what you are rotating, because the images cannot be viewed side by side. Please embed them in your post. Also: The AI file would really help.

[Connor24501606tet8]

Hopefully that's better. I'm trying to attach the project file too, but the site is acting funny. Please hold.

[Connor24501606tet8]

I downloaded the file from CC onto my hard drive, but when I click "browse" to attach to this post and choose the AI file from downloads and press okay, a loading bar flashes in the attachment box and then disappears. I don't know if this is related, but when I try to open to downloaded file in Illustrator, I get a message saying "Can't open the illustration. File is locked or in use. ID: -54"

[Ton Frederiks]

You need to save the downloaded file as pdf with Illustrator Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities checked.

[Connor24501606tet8]

How's this?

[Ton Frederiks]

That downloads and opens, but I am missing the opacity mask problem.

[Connor24501606tet8]

So you're able to rotate the objects without any problems?

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

I found the mask inside a group.

You used a freeform gradient with a grain effect.

Freeform gradients are not always behaving like you would expect and this is a good example.

If you rasterize the gradient as greyscale without anti-aliasing, you will have an image that behaves when rotated. 

[Connor24501606tet8]

Dang, so I'll have to be careful about resizing once I rasterize it, right?

[Ton Frederiks]

You have to be careful about resizing anyway when you use raster effects like grain.

Try to avoid freeform gradients for this, the effect could have been done with a blurred brush.