Inkscape

linked radial gradients

Asked by Brynn

Hi Friends,
This is a problem I have never seen or heard of, and I'm not sure what I did to cause it. I've applied different radial gradients to the fill and stroke of the same object. I have the center stops snapped together, and the outer stops as well, snapped together. But they are different gradients.

One thing I found is that using Shift + drag on the center stop, to unsnap them, only pulls out the assymetrical gradient handle (it's an X handle). But after I pull out that X handle, I am then able to unsnap the center stop/handles, by using Shift + drag for a 2nd time.

I've done that on 3 objects, and no problem occurred. But now on a 4th object, made in the same way, I did Shift + drag (which dragged out the assymetrical X handle) and then Shift + drag again, and the center stop/handles came apart. However, now the 2 center handles seem to somehow be linked. If I move 1 gradient, by dragging the center handle, the other one moves accordingly. Even though they aren't snapped together, they still move together. No matter which gradient is dragged, the other one moves right along beside it.

And the most bizarre thing, is that if I grab either handle, of one of the gradients, and rotate it, the other gradient "orbits" around it! But only one of the gradients will behave this way. Rotating the handles of the other gradient doesn't have this behavior.

Let's say the gradient which causes the other to orbit, when its handle are rotated, Gradient #1. And let's call the gradient which orbits, but cannot cause the other to orbit, Gradient #2. So Gradient #1 doesn't itself orbit, but rotating its handles causes Gradient #2 to orbit around it.

Ok, if I drag one of the handles of Gradient #1 outward (not rotating) then Gradient#2 moves farther away. If I drag the same handle of Grad #1 inward, Gradient#2 gets closer! This behavior only affects 1 handle, not both. And Gradient #2 does not have any of this behavior.

I'd attach a file, if I could. Or maybe I should report this as a bug, just so I have the ability to attach a file??

Well, I'll be able to solve this....probably....by removing the gradients from the object, and just make new ones. So not a big deal, as far as that goes. But this behavior is so unexpected....and....strange, that I wanted to make it known, if it's not already.

All best,
brynn

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Brynn (brynn4inks-deactivatedaccount) said : 		#1

Oohh, I've got it. Now I know what happened!

I dragged the X handle out of, presumably, the top gradient. And then when I dragged the bottom gradient, somehow, its center handle had snapped to the X handle of the top gradient!

After I got the gradients separated, the first thing I did was go to retract the X handle back inside the center handle. And after that, I went to drag the bottom gradient. I think what happened, is that when I was trying to return the X handle to its center handle, it didn't stick there, and was inadvertently transferred to the center handle of the other (bottom) gradient.

So that definitely explains how moving one gradient causes the other to move in unison. I don't quite understand how it produces the rotating/orbitting behavior, or how dragging one handle out seems to push the other gradient away; and dragging it in, draws it back in. But I do think I've solved it, whether I understand it or not.

Also, I've done some experimenting. There's also some interesting behavior if you snap the X handle to an an outer stop/handle. I wonder if it will snap to a middle stop? Nope, no go on that. I suppose there would also be some interesting behavior, snapping the X handle to a linear gradient, although I haven't tried it yet

Well, I can't think of any situations where this behavior would be helpful. But it's interesting enough to make sure other people know about it, if they don't already. I'll be glad to send anyone a test file -- although it's simple enough that you could test on your own, I guess.

Now I'm not sure whether to mark this solved or not. If I mark it solved, maybe no one else will look at it. Hhmmm....well, I'll leave it open for a week, and then mark solved, unless ~suv or someone decides tomark it solved sooner.

Thanks for listening :-)

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Brynn (brynn4inks-deactivatedaccount) said : 		#2

Marking solved. It must be a known behavior, although new, and surprising, to me.