How do I keep a gsave/grestore protected fill object from flooding the clipping path meant to clip the object

[ptlycldy99]

I have defined a clipping path  and then defined an object (closed path) to be filled protected within a gsave/grestore block.  The clipping path should clip the object and leave the remaining object filled within a the unfilled background  of the clipping path.  But the result is the entire clipping path is filled.  How do I stop this?

An example is:

/inch {72 mul } def

/triangle {gsave  .9 setgray

0 inch 0 inch moveto

5 inch 0 inch lineto

2.5 inch 5 inch lineto

0 inch 0 inch lineto fill    0 setgray

0 inch 0 inch moveto

5 inch 0 inch lineto

2.5 inch 5 inch lineto

0 inch 0 inch lineto stroke 

grestore} def

/SquarePath {newpath

1 inch 0 inch moveto

3 inch 0 inch lineto

3 inch 8 inch lineto

1 inch 8 inch lineto

1 inch 0 inch lineto closepath} def

% draw it

1 inch 1 inch translate

SquarePath clip

triangle

showpage

Any ideas?   Thanks in advance

[jdeubert]

Hi.

One of clip's surprises is that it doesn't erase the current path, as do fill and stroke. Add a call to newpath immediately after the clip and the code should behave as you intended.

By the way, in case you haven't stumbled on this before, you can simplify your triangle code significantly by using another, nested, gsave-grestore pair:

/triangle {gsave  .9 setgray

gsave

0 inch 0 inch moveto

5 inch 0 inch lineto

2.5 inch 5 inch lineto

0 inch 0 inch lineto fill

grestore

stroke 

grestore} def

Hope this helps.

- John

-------

John Deubert

Acumen Training

PostScript & PDF consulting and training

john@acumentraining.com

www.acumentraining.com

[ptlycldy99]

Thank you, John.  Great tip.  It worked like a charm.  I really appreciate the comment about clip not clearing the path. 

Again, thanks for the tips, and for the fast response.

John Hobbie