Hi all,

I have a newbee question. I am testing with a very simple layered SVG from AI (see attachment): two overlapping squares, each in a layer, one red, one blue. I expected VS to draw the first (red, bottom) layer fully and then the second (blue, top) layer overlapping the first layer. So that I would see a red square first, and than the second blue on top of it.

However, when the first square is drawn, it is not intact, not fully red. The parts overlapping with the blue top square are already drawn in blue, so before the blue square is drawn.

The end result is fine, but not the way the scribe is built up. This looks very disturbing to me. How can I avoid this? What do I miss?

Thanks in advance!

Joost

In order to make both squares draw completely, in that order, without showing the color overlap on the bottom square:

1) make two separate SVG images, each containing one square

2) import them separately into videoscribe and

3) position them the way you want them.

Thanks, I figured out that workaround, but of course that can become quite a lot or work in more complicated images. But  apparently I did not miss anything and this how Videoscribe works.

Thanks again!

I'd like to come back to this issue. By now, I've got a decent amount of experience with Videoscribe and made some moderately complex scribes. But this issue keeps bugging me. I understand the workaround, but in practice it is a pain. On one occaission I had to break down a single design in Illustrator into six different SVG files and import them into Videoscribe. That in itself is not the worst part. But to get them realigned (and keep them over the design proces) is a tedious job.

Of course, I don't know the implementation details in Videoscribe, but when I check the SVG file, the various parts are neatly within a layer, including strokes and fills. Forgive me my ignorance, but why have you chosen to build up multi-layer SVG the way you do? Is there in the foreseeable future any chance the build-up of SVGs can be improved - build it layer by layer and have higher layer overlay a lower layer only when it is drawn?

(Customer support may have a comment about whether or not they expect to implement changes in videoscribe to accommodate your specific preference) If you have a specific reason to want to draw complete shapes that will be partially covered up later, then you have to follow the extra steps discussed above to make that happen.

Just an observation: In a traditional drawing, or a traditionally made whiteboard video, the artist would most likely draw the front/top object first and then draw only the parts of the rear object that are visible. In other words draw the blue square, and then draw the visible portion of the red square, (and not draw the parts of the red square that are hidden under the blue square). Videoscribe is equipped to accommodate that drawing order, because videoscribe is primarily designed to emulate traditionally made whiteboard videos.

If you are interested in what I would consider to be the more natural and visually appealing drawing order, I can provide some suggestions about how to set up your layers to do that in a single SVG.

-Mike (videoscribe user)

Hi Mike, thanks for the reply,

I realize I tend to approach this more from a painter or graphic design perspective than as an illustrator. But to me most important perspective is that of the audience. What is the most esthetic or educational effective approach? And than there may be situations where working from the front to the back make most sense and there may be others (like a few that I had at hand) where the reversed order works better. If Videoscribe would just build up the scribe layer by layer, than both approaches would be served in a, for me, very intuitive way.

Having said that, I'm always eager to learn so I'd appreciate any suggestions in how you approach this.