Text on circles behaving badly
Michael Brown12 Dec 19, 2008 6:38 AMI've been working with computer graphics since the switch was made from the drafting table in the 1980s. I've battled with a great deal of software since that time, but I have never let poorly written software stop me from doing what I wanted to do with my designs. I always found a work around. Until now. I have met my match in AICS3 and for now I'm saying "uncle."
The coup de grace came today when I tried to place type around the inside of a circle. I have five layers for five medallions. They all have the same background which is on its own layer. i could do this in ID, but for production purposes I'd rather do it in AI. I just turn on the layer I'm working on.
The trouble began when I placed some text around the inside of one of AI's circle-shaped Bezier curves. First, the text is almost impossible to select. You can double-click everywhere and nothing happens. When by pure luck it is selected the cursor will not go where you click. You have to guess at random points around the circle and wait to get it right. Even then, the text highlights erratically. As far as arranging the text around the circle, forget it. There are the tiny lines with the tinier symbols that allow you to drag the text around, but they do not seem to be differentiated in any way. They do not intuitively work as beginning, ending or what have you. I can't figure out how they are coordinated with each other (or even if they are.) At random intervals, the linked text box icon appears. The worst problem, however, is that when I work on one layer it affects other layers that are invisible. That's right, it messes up the text on "turned off" layers. So even if I get one medallion correct, two or more on other invisible layers are ruined. I have to turn them off and lock them to keep them from going haywire. All this is taking too long.
So for now I'm giving up. I'm not going to have text on the inside of a circle. I'm going to change it because this part of AI seems so poorly implimented I cannot find a work around. Can anyone give me any insight as to what the AI authors logic is with the handles and text on circle? Should I try this in ID regardless of my production needs?
Thanks in advance.
MGuilfoile
The coup de grace came today when I tried to place type around the inside of a circle. I have five layers for five medallions. They all have the same background which is on its own layer. i could do this in ID, but for production purposes I'd rather do it in AI. I just turn on the layer I'm working on.
The trouble began when I placed some text around the inside of one of AI's circle-shaped Bezier curves. First, the text is almost impossible to select. You can double-click everywhere and nothing happens. When by pure luck it is selected the cursor will not go where you click. You have to guess at random points around the circle and wait to get it right. Even then, the text highlights erratically. As far as arranging the text around the circle, forget it. There are the tiny lines with the tinier symbols that allow you to drag the text around, but they do not seem to be differentiated in any way. They do not intuitively work as beginning, ending or what have you. I can't figure out how they are coordinated with each other (or even if they are.) At random intervals, the linked text box icon appears. The worst problem, however, is that when I work on one layer it affects other layers that are invisible. That's right, it messes up the text on "turned off" layers. So even if I get one medallion correct, two or more on other invisible layers are ruined. I have to turn them off and lock them to keep them from going haywire. All this is taking too long.
So for now I'm giving up. I'm not going to have text on the inside of a circle. I'm going to change it because this part of AI seems so poorly implimented I cannot find a work around. Can anyone give me any insight as to what the AI authors logic is with the handles and text on circle? Should I try this in ID regardless of my production needs?
Thanks in advance.
MGuilfoile


