JimmyJack

Looks to me like you might have Wet Edges selected in the brush context tool bar. The checkbox can be found off your screen, to the right, in the context menu continuation dropdown. Click on the ">>" icon.

No matter how you slice it (pun intended) this is a PITA. At the very least though, I don’t think it’s necessary to blow apart the text only to then have to reconstruct the letters. That being said… Here’s another way to go (this might be a variation of what @G13RL/@Old Bruce are saying. not sure): 1) copy text and hit Add (converts to curves BUT keeps everything together as one object… i.e. not as many separate shapes or as separate letter curves within a group). Hide original. 2) Node tool: Box select the top or bottom outer edge, making sure to get at least one node of each letter. Shift select at least one node of all the interior loops. 3) CMD A (select all) and delete. 4) fill with white (or whatever) text PITA.mp4

Here's a list. Maybe there's a better one around here somewhere.... have a look around.

How about using a donut as a symbol? (remember that a donut with 100% hole radius is a double line, which I personally find irksome. But if you're not sending it to some laser cutter....) circle madness.mp4

How about using a thin donut with a fill instead of an ellipse with a stroke. Then do a non destructive compound Boolean subtract (Hold ALT/Option when clicking on subtract). The arc sections will then editable by changing the cross parameters. Width by editing the Donut.

Why not just use a free online vectorizer??

What I'm saying is that for that particular example the three click solution in my post works pretty great. And takes about 4 seconds. Did you try it? (other images, especially those actually involving imagery, will most certainly require different angles of attack) But in general there is no "Remove Background" button in Affinity.

While I agree with @prophet... You could: (without selecting anything) 1) Invert the image 2) Erase White Paper* (under filters > colors) 3) Invert back * this is only a viable "solution" because, when inverted, the color section has an L value under 50 (just barely) so it's unaffected by EWP.

🤣 😂 It's all a matter of scale.

Railroads no. But MAPS of railroads, absolutely. It's just a matter of scale. 🙃

Have you tried: Without touching anything in the file structure....With nothing selected, hold down CMD and drag select with the move tool around whatever you want. You can then move that specific collection of objects .... or, what I would do, is CMD J (or copy/paste), group and then move. If it's all just strokes you should be fine. If some fills are involved or if objects are clipped inside other objects, I can see how removing things from a particular hierarchy might cause some changes so just keep your eye out for that.

Also this: Just one stroke and one fill needed and both can visible. Visible at all zoom levels. The caveat: The blend mode of either one needs to be something other than Normal (and Erase in the case of the stroke). Also works, interestingly, if the fill is empty. Make of it what you will. Use at your own discretion/risk 😅.

I guess I just don't get it. Happy trails.

I can understand wanting to see something in the thumbnail of the layer, but on canvas? Is sounds like you want group behavior so why not just use a group. You want separate object editability, hub & rim. A boolean (except for Divide) makes one object. What advantage are you getting with a compound?

You can option/alt click on the layer. It's isolated sure but there in all it's detail i.e. if there's an off center gradient or bitmap. .... and editable.

Yeah, I saw that.... I'm gonna choose to think maybe they're not. 😉 🤠

While we patiently wait for an example 🤣. 😇 My money is on a broken node(s) with a Butt Cap with the end handle facing the wrong way. node bite.mp4

Sort of a chicken and the egg thing isn't it? In Designer (I don't know Pub) using the crop tool creates a rectangular mask automatically (you do have to give the crop some kind of initial nudge to activate it though). So you can just select that and rotate/size it however you like.

Sounds like you've selected all the radii as well as the inner bits. To just select the inner bits (probably many other ways to do this) after you first click with the mouse hold down the control key when dragging (mac). This will temporarily disable the intersect objects to select setting (I assume that's your default in tools > prefs). When doing that, only things that are fully enclosed in the selection marquee will be selected, i.e. just the inner bits.

There was the following post about how to arrange an array of hash marks in a squared hole (or any other none circular) pattern. This is what I came up with: (this, of course, is specific to a sixty hash mark result) • Draw Cog with 30 teeth, 50% Tooth & Notch sizes. In order for the 12:00/6:00 positions to be vertical and the 3/9 to be horizontal give it a 3º rotation • Make a "squared" donut (subtract a square from a larger square) and use it for a Boolean Intersect with the Cog • Separate the pieces (this step isn't 100% needed, but by trial and error this really helps to get a clean result in the next step) • Select all nodes and Break • Select all the short connector bits and delete. (I did it in two stages, inner and outer, but maybe you can pull it off in one..... all depends on your familiarity with the selection tools and hot keys) whole thing takes about a minute.... I'm moving kinda fast. Feel free to slow down the vid or step through the frames if needed. Cheers Edit: At 0:51, my selection technique might not be apparent. To just select the inner bits (probably many other ways to do this) after you first click with the mouse hold down the control key when dragging (mac).This will temporarily disable the intersect objects to select setting (I assume that's your default in tools > prefs). When doing that, only things that are fully enclosed in the selection marquee will be selected, i.e. just the inner bits. squared seconds.mp4

For the square second (or minute) hashes AND to keep them single curves (for whatever reason). Or if the masked version's (which is a great way to go) sharp/angled cutoffs aren't what you're after.... You could: • Draw Cog with 30 teeth, 50% Tooth & Notch sizes. In order for the 12:00/6:00 positions to be vertical and the 3/9 to be horizontal give it a 3º rotation • Make a "squared" donut (same as @anto's), but this time use it for a Boolean Intersect with the Cog • Separate the pieces (this step isn't 100% needed, but by trial and error this really helps to get a clean result in the next step) • Select all nodes and Break • Select all the short connector bits and delete. (I did it in two stages, inner and outer, but maybe you can pull it off in one..... all depends on your familiarity with the selection tools and hot keys) whole thing takes about a minute.... I'm moving kinda fast. Feel free to slow down the vid or step through the frames if needed. Cheers squared seconds.mp4

This is also in Photo. You just have to right click on the pixel layer on canvas: Convert to Image Resource (Any FX or adjustments will be rasterized though. But I don't see any in your example, so not sure if that is an issue. Replacing an Image layer with another image, however, does preserve everything) (had to help, got a huge soft spot for Lightwave from years ago!)

You can achieve this AND keep the curve live & manipulatable, etc, by using a symbol repeated on a text path. 👍

A Cog (etc)! Oh my gosh yes. Totally different story. The circle to oval is a special geometrical case. Everywhere, but special.

It seems to work on just some of the interior object when I try. Nevertheless. Without a real good reason why. Try it with the group selected instead. Also, with the individual object selected like in the vid, try it with the Node Tool active instead of the Move tool. Great post btw.!! Screen grab + video + a file. 💪