It is not clear how to use Reference Canvases
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Even after reading the docs on canvases, references, reference canvases, roles, etc, I have a hard time understanding how do I use reference canvases.
I was under the impression if I take a Reference Canvas and assign a role to it, say, "Symbol" and/or "Shape" then create a circle, I will be able to use this circle on a regular canvas so when I change the anchor point of the circle on the Reference Canvas, the shape on the regular canvas will also change. Well, that is not the case.
Furthermore, it is not clear how do I get the circle on the Reference Canvas onto a regular canvas. Do I just copy/paste it? That's how I did it (because I see no other way) but as I was saying above, changes to the circle on the reference canvas is not reflected on the regular canvas.
Not sure if my understanding of the concept is incorrect but cannot figure out what I'm doing wrong or what should I be doing to make this happen.
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@pentool Here is a short recording that uses the Shape role: https://recordit.co/n15DUo7chb
An important concept: the "Shape" is an attribute of the object, just like any other attribute, and as such it can be changed.
The Shape drop down in the context panel (or the Shape panel) contains the list of Shape styles and presets.
The content of the reference canvas defines a "virtual" shape style.
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Ah, got it! Thank you! I completely overlooked that Shape dropdown.
So it seems for this to work I don't even need to define a canvas role - which is what how I was trying to go about it.
So what would "roles" have to do with all this? Because there's a role called "Shape" that you can define for a canvas but as we have seen in this case, you don't even need a role to do this.
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@pentool said in It is not clear how to use Reference Canvases:
So it seems for this to work I don't even need to define a canvas role
Depends on the workflow. The canvas role is needed if you want all objects on that reference canvas to act as shape styles.
The "Shape" role is selected at 0:11 of the recording (should have opened again to show that it is checked). -
Got it, thank you!
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I think there's a bug. It doesn't work the 2nd time around.
Eg, do the process in the video with the "Shape" role assigned to the Reference canvas.
Repeat everything but now remove the "Shape" role from the Reference canvas.
And now, repeat everything again but this time assign the "Shape" role back to the reference canvas. Now it won't work!Detailed steps (or watch video below).
- Do everything what you did on that video. eg
- Select the Reference Canvas
- Assign "Shape" as the role
- Draw a shape on the Reference Canvas' artboard
- Go to the regular artboard (Artwork Canvas) and draw a shape
- From the Shape dropdown in the Context Toolbar select the object
- Edit the object on the Reference canvas and the object will update accordingly on the artwork canvas. So far so good.
- Now...delete both objects (from the regular canvas and from the reference canvas as well.)
- Uncheck the "Shape" role from the Reference canvas (so now it doesn't have any role assigned to it) and repeat the process. Obviously you will not get the same result because the Reference Canvas does not have the Shape role selected.
- Ok... delete the 2 objects again (from the artwork and the reference canvas, too) and now repeat the process AGAIN, but this time assign the Shape role to the Reference Canvas (again). Now it will not work even though the "Shape" role is defined for the reference canvas.
- Do everything what you did on that video. eg
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@pentool Added this to the backlog and will try to replicate.
