trouble in cropping content outside clipping mask

[fyliy]

i'm trying to make usual layer from path so I can to move letter without changes caused of clippeing mask. It should look like the 2 screenshot. Rasterizing gives me untransparency which I don't want, so I unbuilt clipping mask(as on the last screenshot) to do the crop but Illustator doesn't let me (the first screenshot)
how to fix it or is ther any other way to achieve my goal?

[Monika Gause]

Clipping masks can be created with Object > Clipping mask > Make.

The path used as the mask needs to be in front. If it consists of multiple paths, make a compound path first.

[fyliy]

yes, but I need do the opposite: I have clipping mask already and I want to make it into indivindual shapes with the same fill as every piece looks like while clipping mask is on so I will be able to move up letters c, e, s,u,s without change of their filling

[Monika Gause]

Your clipping masks is applied to what? I'm seeing an image there. This won't work.

[fyliy]

there's layers I hope it helps

[Monika Gause]

These are all images inside your masks. Pathfinders don't work on images.

[fyliy]

now i know yay!
but how can I crop then?

[MikeGondek]

Select all the shapes you want for the mask "celu"  2 shapes above.

Release any previous grouping. clipping masks, compound paths so that the appearance palette says paths when selected.

Make a compound path

Fill your compound path with  any color to confirm is correct

Bring this shape on top of your gradient

Select the gradient & compound path

Make that a mask

the temporary fill color will go away, is just  a good way to proof your layering and compounding

[fyliy]

But I need to get rid of clipping mask, not to make it (I explained it above more vividly)

[Jacob Bugge · Accepted solution]

fyliy,

As I (mis)understand it, you wish to be able to move each of the c and e and u about independently while they still keep their exact colouring from the parts of the textured raster image where they are originally. And that the non letter parts with the raster image colouring are to remain in their current positions. And that all the red parts including the letters s and s are just red compound/simple paths.

If that is the case, I believe the most straightforward way could be to:

1) Place 4 instances of the textured raster image and move them to the bottom of the stacking order (Ctrl/Cmd+X+B;

1) Turn all the non letter parts with the raster colouring into one Compound Path and use it a Clipping Mask for one of the embedded images, select both compound path and image and Ctrl/Cmd+7;

2) Select each of the letters c and e and u along with one of the other embedded images and Ctrl/Cmd+7;

Now you have separate Clipping Masks/sets for all the textured colourings, and now you can move the letters c a nd e and u about independently without their changing their original colouring.

Actually you are moving the Clipping sets about.

All the red parts including the s and the s can just be moved about.

You can turn the Clipping sets into raster images with transparency outside the Clipping Paths as follows: Embed their image instances in 1) and then apply Object>Flatten Transparency in 2).

Raster images will always remain rectangular:

With this, you can turn the letter Clipping sets into small raster images to move about.

And you can turn the non letter Clipping set into a somewhat larger raster image, which you can also move about. But there seems to be no need for that sonce you can move everything else about.

[fyliy]

before

after (trying to do the fisrt clipping mask in set)

there I tried to Flatten Transparency (also tried to change settings on it but it didn't get better)

I cheched on what expand is it it seemed to me that is what I need but for some reason it isn't really fix the textured coloring on the pathes 😞 looks like it isn't chaching anything at all

[Jacob Bugge]

fyliy,

Select the Group above the four Images in the Layer (tick to the left), then Ungroup (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+G), then select each of the (compound) paths along with an image one at a time and make the Clipping Mask.

That is what the error message is about.

By the way it seems that the e is strange, it ought to be a Compound Path, so I believe there is something to sort out there, too.

[fyliy]

oh, now i understand more and what is more important i've made the first clipping mask! I hope e won't make me troubles

[fyliy]

yay it haven't!!! kudos you for this mini team work! You taught me lots

[Jacob Bugge]

You are welcome, fyliy. And thank you for the pleasant team work.

I believe you may also like the other kind of masking:

An Opacity Mask can do as a Clipping Mask, and the opposite, and anything in between, and then some. And unlike a Clipping Mask it is all about appearance, and less demanding with regard to structure/composition, hence often easier to work with when both kinds might be used, an important part being that it is often easier to create a Group than a Compound Path.

You can use a single independent path or a Group or a Compound Path for an Opacity Mask. Fundamentally, you use the grayscale value of the masking object(s), white/black being fully transparent/opaque or the opposite. You use ticking/unticking Invert Mask to control the colour behaviour and ticking/unticking Clip to control the clipping/non clipping behaviour.

As you know Clipping Mask needs a single path as the Clipping Path; it can be a Compound Path.

[Kurt Gold · Accepted solution]

There is a script called PuzzleClipper, provided by Alexander Ladygin. It may help.

PuzzleClipper

[fyliy]

woah that script is incredible as well as other scripts on the link, i'm impressed. It'll make things easier!

[Kurt Gold]

Fyliy,

basically, the PuzzleClipper script performs the same things that Jacob described above.

It may just be a bit faster sometimes.

[Jacob Bugge]

Kurt, as I believe you have guessed, I was completely unaware of the PuzzleClipper.

The wealth of scripts is amazing.