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Delresto
Known Participant
December 14, 2022
Question

Understanding the embedding outcome of a clipping mask

  • December 14, 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 1101 views

Hello everyone, i can't wrap my head around this matter. Hope anybody can understand it better than i do.

Here's the situation.

I have 2 EPS files inside of which there's a clipping mask containing several different items.

(here are the files if you want to test it)

 

File 1:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

File 2:

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see the content is different but the structure is the same: a numbered clipping mask containing objects.

 

Now, if i insert these eps into an Ai file, this is what i obtain:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see the content of File 1 stays in only one clipping mask while the content of File 2 is splitted in three clipping mask.

What i need is: always obtaining the result of File 1 embedding.

So, what's inside the clipping mask 2 that splits its content?

 

Thanks in advance to everyone willing to help me!

Cheers!

 

 

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    2 replies

    Monika Gause
    Community Expert
    Monika GauseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    December 14, 2022

    When you open an EPS file, you access the AI part of the file . When you place it, you access the EPS part. EPS is no longer fully editable, transparency flattened and there are a couple o constructs that EPS just doesn't support. Your file is too large, it is still loading, so I don't know when I can look at it.

     

    50 K anchor points and 6 K paths which are made into 2 compound paths. I still remember the time when software wasn't able to handle this kind of compound paths at all. That was the time when EPS was still great. You might want to switch to modern file formats. Try PDF.

    D
    DelrestoAuthor
    Known Participant
    December 14, 2022

    Hi @Monika Gause and thank you too for your reply.

     

    I know, you are right about the properties of PDF and EPS format but i did some tests and this is what happened.

    I tried inserting and embedding a PDF file with the same graphic as File 2 (which originally was an ".ai" file). Same result as using the EPS.

    I then tried inserting and embedding an AI file with the same grafic as File 2 (which originally was an ".ai" file). Same result as using the EPS.

    Yes, File 2 has more complex graphic than File 1, but is it really the reason behind that splitting after embedding?

    What is the maximum point of complexity (amount of anchor points and paths) after which it starts doing that? I honestly don't see the logical correlation between complexity and the outcome of embedding.

    To me it looks like the reason has to be found in the composition of the clipping mask (object inside other object) or a specific object inside of it.

    But as much i try it, i can't spot it .

    Can you or anybody else spot it?

    There must be a logic.

     

    For example, while testing i discovered that: if i put a clipping mask inside the Clipping mask 1, the embedding put that clipping mask out of it generating so two clipping masks. This is something i can understand: no clipping mask inside the clipping mask. Roger that. But there are no clipping masks inside File 2. So what's the reason in this case?

     

    Thanks everyone and cheers!

     

     

     

     

    Monika Gause
    Community Expert
    Monika GauseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    December 14, 2022

    What are you doing with the AI file? Copy/paste? Or File > Place? If you place it (no matter if linked or embedded, the PDF part of the file will be used.

     

    Here's how files work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpDh8Y7q8yE

    Met1
    Met1
    Legend
    December 14, 2022

    I get the same results, but explain why this is a problem...

      D
      DelrestoAuthor
      Known Participant
      December 14, 2022

      Hi @Met1 and thanks for replying.

      In my file there will be more than just one clipping mask embedded. After the embedding, since this process deletes every items name, i have another script to rename all the clipping masks in numerical order. I rename them because then i have to manipulate them via a script that recognize those names.

      Now, the amount of clipping mask has to be always the same otherwise the last script will manipulate the wrong clipping mask.

       

      For exaple:

      CASE A: i have 3 clipping masks just like the File 1, after the renaming i will have this composition:

      01 (from clipping mask 1)

      02 (from clipping mask 2)

      03 (from clipping mask 3)

       

      CASE B: i have 3 clipping masks and the first one is life File 1 and the others like File 2, after the renaming i will have this composition:

      01 (from clipping mask 1)

      02 (from clipping mask 2)

      03 (from clipping mask 2)

      04 (from clipping mask 2)

      05 (from clipping mask 3)

      06 (from clipping mask 3)

      07 (from clipping mask 3)

       

      The script manipulates all the clipping masks with the same name in a predetermined way, so in CASE B each content of the clipping mask 2 will be manipulate in tre different ways instead of the same way as i want.

       

      I hope i explained myself, please tell me if you need more info or explanation!

       

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