Rounded lines with varying width produce sharp points, BUG?

[Tinman1028]

Hello internet friends and professionals-

I am a design professional and illustrator who creates detailed line illustrations for a lot of my clients and packaging projects. I use the pen or pencil tool to create the line work, I often round me end and use the width tool to narrow my points. This creates an engraved/hatch look and style. 

Well, I began noticing that new and old files are no longer holding the rounded width value that they used to. Meaning, when I create a new illustration and specify the line wifth I want and round the edge, Illustrator seems to glitch and just say "nope" and gives my entire line a very pointy appearence. 
What's more is older files that used to have the corect line width with a rounded end now load as a sharp unppealing line. 

If you are having a hard time visualzing what I mean here is a preview:
This is what my lines usually look like when they terminate (these have not been refined but you get the idea):

This is what happens now. I cannot figure out why this happens or when becuase not all lines are affected:

You can see that the lines on the right are odd and mishappen. Illustrator did this whout any input from me and it also not affects my old work. I open up old files that have 40+ hours of intrquet line work to now see some lines looking aweful! Really sad and rustrated about this. Any input woud be very helpful. 
Thanks-

v

[Ton Frederiks]

Looks like changing direction points changes the end point.

Don't ask me why.

[Tinman1028]

Ton, thanks for the response and for capturing the video! Yes, I noticed this too. Can any Adobe support tell us why this happens? I think if it went from round to point I would have let all this go. But the half round, half geometric result begs me to know why...

[Monika Gause]

I used Object > Path > Add anchor points to fix it.

[Anshul_Saini · Accepted solution]

Hi @Tinman1028,

Thanks, @Ton Frederiks, for delving deeper into this topic and providing more technical details about stroke rendering.

Based on my understanding and assumption, I believe that when you adjust the direction points in Adobe Illustrator, the stroke weight can appear either round or pointy, depending on the position of the direction point.

The reason why changing the direction points can make the stroke appear round or pointy in Illustrator is because of the way that the Ai calculates the shape of the stroke based on the direction and curvature of the path. When you adjust the direction points, you are essentially changing the path's curvature, which in turn affects how the stroke is rendered.

If the direction points are positioned in such a way that they create a sharp angle in the path, then the stroke will appear pointy. On the other hand, if the direction points are positioned in a way that creates a smooth curve in the path, then the stroke will appear round.

It's important to note that the behavior of the stroke will also depend on other factors, such as the stroke weight, the type of stroke (solid, dashed, etc.), and any effects or styles applied to the stroke. It's more evident when using a 1pt stroke because the stroke weight is very thin, making it easier to notice any changes in direction point positions.

I hope this helps clarify your question. Let me know if you have any further concerns or queries.

Best,

Anshul Saini

[Tinman1028]

Thanks Anshul-

I appreicate the explanation. However, what makes this unoftunate is that:

1. This has never happened pripr to the latest updated (since I posted this)

2. It takes away from the "ease" of other features. For example, I set my stroke and I select rounded stroke. Now all of us would expect the stroke to be rounded. Now, all of the sudden the program goes rogue and makes it pointy. I am pretty sure this is a definition of a bug? 

Thanks, 

-i 

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @Tinman1028,

Thank you for your feedback and for raising this concern. I understand your frustration with the recent change in Illustrator's stroke rendering behavior. I want to assure you that our development team is continually working to enhance Illustrator's functionality, aiming to provide the best possible user experience.

Sometimes, changes like these are implemented to align with design standards and improve overall usability. However, we understand that these adjustments may impact your workflow and expectations.

We take user feedback seriously, and your input is valuable to us. If you could kindly share your feedback on our UserVoice platform (https://illustrator.uservoice.com/), it will help us better understand the specific concerns of our users and gauge the impact of these changes. More upvotes on your feedback can also influence our decision-making process.

While I can't promise immediate changes, I want you to know that your feedback is noted, and it will be considered in our ongoing efforts to refine and optimize Illustrator. We want to ensure that it meets the needs and preferences of our users like yourself.

If you have any more thoughts or suggestions, please feel free to share them. Your insights help us make Illustrator a better tool for all users. We appreciate your understanding and dedication to making Illustrator even better.

Best regards,

Anshul Saini