Nubs only appear when trying to use gradient tool

[MP0001]

When I click, using the gradient tool, a nub appears and no color appears. As I drag my mouse, the first nub remains and a second nub appears, following the cursor. At no time does the gradient itself appear. I've tried rebooting the program. it doesn't work. I've never had this problem before using the gradient tool. Any ideas? Thanks.

[BoltBait]

You might be trying to draw a gradient outside of an active selection.

Try pressing Ctrl-D before drawing your gradient.

[MP0001]

Thanks, BoltBait. I tried that, but no luck. Also, I have clicked Ctrl+A to select everything in the scene and that didn't work either.

[pdnnoob]

Make sure you have gradient set to color mode and not transparency mode. If it is, check your color window to make sure you didn't accidentally set your colors to transparent. If that isn't it either, check the layer window to make sure the layer is visible. If none of those are it, then I have no idea

[MP0001]

pdnnoob. Checked all of those too. Still no luck. Thanks, though, for trying.

Edited July 19, 2012 by MP0001

[Ego Eram Reputo]

If it's not the color/transparency mode, or drawing outside an active selection, then the only other thing I can offer is that perhaps you're rendering the gradient on a lower layer with the upper layer(s) obsuring the result?

[MP0001]

Thanks EER. How do you tell on which layer you're rendering? I guess I assumed that Paint.Net wouldn't let you render on any other layer but the one you're currently on.

[MP0001]

I'll explain one context in which it continues to happen in the hope that that might shed some light on what I'm doing wrong.

When I open up a new, blank canvas, I can render the gradient just fine.

When I enter text on the new, blank canvas, I can also render the gradient.

When I select around the text (via Shift+magic wand) and delete the area, I can also render the gradient (though it covers over the text).

Once, however, I have selected around the text (via Shift+magic wand) and the inverted the selection (Ctrl+I), then the gradient tool no longer works, giving those nubs only.

In case it's relevant, I am trying to creat a tricolor gradient text.

Note: Rebooting Paint.Net seems to fix the problem. I was just hoping I could find another means of remedying the problem without having to close out of the program each time.

Edited July 20, 2012 by MP0001

[Ego Eram Reputo]

The active layer is the one highlighted in the layers window. Editing is always done on the active layer.

I'm not completely sure, but I think you're running into the selection area problem that BoltBait mentioned. When you have a selection it acts as a 'sub grouping' of the active layer. Editing operations are restricted to inside the selected region on the active layer.

Seen this? http://forums.getpai...ed-curved-text/

Edit: also this: