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scotwllm
scotwllm
Inspiring
October 17, 2022
Answered

Edit Thought Bubble

  • October 17, 2022
  • 5 replies
  • 2014 views

Hello experts --

 

I'm using a custom shape thought bubble, which includes a bubble for the text and two smaller ones leading to the thinker. I need to move the smaller ones. How do I separate the three bubbles? I've found lots of tips on how to combine shapes, but none on how to uncombine them.

 

Scott

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer jane-e

    Hi Scott,

    Your video is low quality, but I think you drew the talk bubble as a Shape layer. It works almost the same way as the path I did earlier.

     

    • Instead of duplicating the path, duplicate the layer twice.
    • Select one of the three layers and make it visible and active. Hide the other two.
    • Use the Direct Selection tool to select all of the anchor points on one sub-path and delete it. Repeat for a second subpath, leaving one of the three shapes.
    • Repeat for the other two layers: make one layer active and visible; hide the other two layers, delete two shapes,

     

    You should now have each shape on its own layer. The color I added is for clarity only.

     

     

    Is this what you want?

     

    Jane

     

     

    5 replies

    jane-e
    Community Expert
    jane-eCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    October 18, 2022

    @scotwllm 

     

    I drew this as a Path (not Shape or Pixels). I used the Direct Selection tool to select the anchor points on one section. You can Shift+Click or Marquee Drag.

     

     

    I can move the one section now and get a message that the operation will turn a live shape into a regular path.

     

    Once it was a regular path, I copied the path twice and removed two subpaths from each. The Live Shapes work slightly differently than ones we create ourselves.

     

    Does this answer your question?

     

    If not, we need to know if you drew the shape as a Path, Shape, or Pixels. A screenshot of your Layers and Paths panels will help.

     

    Jane

     

     

     

     

      scotwllm
      scotwllmAuthor
      Inspiring
      October 18, 2022

      Here's a video showing what I did. 

      jane-e
      Community Expert
      jane-eCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
      Community Expert
      October 18, 2022

      Hi Scott,

      Your video is low quality, but I think you drew the talk bubble as a Shape layer. It works almost the same way as the path I did earlier.

       

      • Instead of duplicating the path, duplicate the layer twice.
      • Select one of the three layers and make it visible and active. Hide the other two.
      • Use the Direct Selection tool to select all of the anchor points on one sub-path and delete it. Repeat for a second subpath, leaving one of the three shapes.
      • Repeat for the other two layers: make one layer active and visible; hide the other two layers, delete two shapes,

       

      You should now have each shape on its own layer. The color I added is for clarity only.

       

       

      Is this what you want?

       

      Jane

       

       

        TheOriginalGC
        Community Expert
        TheOriginalGCCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        October 18, 2022

        Speaking as a cartoonist, a thought bubble generally consists of circles leading from the thinker's head, not duplicate bubbles as you have them. maybe creating a circle path would give you the results you want.

        Semaphoric
        Community Expert
        SemaphoricCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        October 17, 2022

        Use the Path Select tool (solid black arrow), and click on one of the smaller bubbles, to select the subpath. Then, Layer > New > Shape Layer Via Cut [Shift+Ctrl+J].

          scotwllm
          scotwllmAuthor
          Inspiring
          October 18, 2022

          It doesn't let me select a subpath. 

          Semaphoric
          Community Expert
          SemaphoricCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          October 18, 2022

          When I tried it on a few ellipses I had just drawn, it worked, but when I tried it just now on one of the legacy talk (with smaller bubbles) bubbles, it didn't. I found that if I add Shapes using Combine Shapes, I can select each subpath with the Path Selection tool, unless I select Merge Shape Components (which  appears in the History panel as Combine Path Components). Then, it only select the entire Shape, and one would need to use the Direct Selection tool as jane-e says.

          Leslie Moak Murray
          Community Expert
          Leslie Moak MurrayCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          October 17, 2022

          You can also rasterize them and then cut them apart  (after making sure you won't have to enlarge them). But also there are plenty of custom-shape conversation bubbles that are by themselves without other shapes.

          scotwllm
          scotwllmAuthor
          Inspiring
          October 18, 2022

          If I rasterize, I get a whole bunch of schmootz around it. 

          scotwllm
          scotwllmAuthor
          Inspiring
          October 18, 2022

          For those of you who can't speak Yiddish, here's an example of schmootz. Do you see the black stuff outside the border of the bubbles? That's schmootz. 

          Chuck Uebele
          Community Expert
          Chuck UebeleCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          October 17, 2022
          • Copy and paste into new shape layer.
            scotwllm
            scotwllmAuthor
            Inspiring
            October 18, 2022

            That doesn't help at all. I just have the same problem on a new layer.

             

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