outline / offset path function

[tersmuse]

I would like to have an outline / offset path function. The time-consuming workaround via expand stroke is not a solution. It would be nice if this would apply in ver. 1.9, in 1.8 it was apparently still too unpopular?

Maybe a question for the forum? Who would like an outline / offset path function?

[Move Along People]

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[spsorrel]

Hello:

I have seen several posts about offset path, but I don´t know what are you exactly meaning. Affinity Designer has a posibility of using outline strokes with 2 different ways: appearance panel and FX panel.

Way 1: appearance panel

 

Way 2: FX panel

 

I don´t know what is the problem for using this ways instead asking an offset path tool.

 

Thanks.

 

[SCHLUBUB]

@spsorrel: What you just showed is far from beeing an adequate equivalent to an "offset path" function (or however you might name it) like, for example, Illustrator has it. In some situations you need an  editable copy of path with a defined  offset (positive or negative) from the original path. For example in signmaking business (where I come from), to have a cutting path for stickers and that is just one example. In fact, at work ( where I use Illustrator) I need this every day. As a home solution Affinity is a good app, but there are still some basics missing for professional use, regarding on what you have to do with it. Yes, there are "workarounds" for most issues but they are not always efficient.

Despite that, Affinity Apps are great and they are constantly improving and implementing great features.

Adobe killed Freehand nearly 2 decades ago and I am still missing some of it’s great features, even if they implemented a few of them into Illustrator over the years... Considering that, Affinty did a great job in a short period of time!

[spsorrel]

Hello Schlubub:

Thank you for the answer, now I understand something more about the requirements of the offset path tool. With your explanation, a Youtube video and some practice I have seen the difference between what I said and what you ask for.

Thanks.

[ChrisNZAK]

I'm doing a lot of isometric drawings for a recent project. As a result I came across Affinity Designer and I've found it far superior to Illustrator CS6 (Never moved to CC).

Unfortunately, I needed the offset tool feature for a diagram. After checking out Help, Youtube, and Affinity Forum I've discovered it's not available.

The stroke method produces some odd results and is too time consuming.

So here's my workaround.

Drop my shape into Illustrator, add the offset, copy and paste back into AfD and Fit to plane.
Then I can copy and paste, or transform the shape as much as I want.

Not ideal, but until AfD gets an offset tool it's faster than anything I've seen on YT!!

[j.king]

Got my vote. Offset path feature would be very useful. I used it a lot when in Illustrator.

[Arra]

Offset path tool is very useful, hope that we get it in Affinity designer soon!

[Miketipp]

Hi all, I'm new to Affinity and from what I can see is Off set path and shape builder are the 2 biggest features missing. But overall I am very impressed with the softwear. I will not miss using Adobe one bit.

[Kiwi Joe]

This would be immensely useful for various designs. As well as vector work destined for laser a cutter/engraver such as a Glowforge to make kerf adjustments.

Great product but this is definitely a missing feature since offset adjustments are often needed instead of scale.

[spsorrel]

Hello all:

Again with this topic...

With the new Contour Tool of the 1.9 update, I have been cheking this new tool and if the possibilities are close to an offset path tool.

Well, I am not a professional of graphic design, but I think that 2 options that I´m going to write below can be very usefull as and offset tool with fully customizable strokes. I hope anyone tells me what they think...

 

Option 1 - Appereance panel

I insist with the Appereance panel...

We have a circle with 3 strokes, and the white one we want to be transparent in the future.

 

The stroke must be aligned to out.

 

We Expand Stroke of the circle, so we´ll have 4 layers:

• Circle.
• Yellow stroke layer of 10 pt of width.
• White stroke layer of 20 pt of width.
• Green stroke layer of 30 pt of width.

 

Now, we want to have only 3 layers:

• Circle.
• Yellow stroke layer of 10 pt of width.
• Green stroke layer of 10 pt of width.

 

We choose the green stroke layer and later the white stroke layer and with a boolean operation of sustraction we´ll have what we want:

Even all stroke layers are fully customizable by node tool.

 

Option 2 - Contour Tool

For me the Contour Tool is a strange tool yet and must be very pulished by developers, but the result of the following procedure is the same as the before one.

We have a circle with a stroke of 10 pt of width.

 

To be exact as the above example, the stroke must be aligned to out.

 

Now, we duplicate it, and apply the Contour Tool to the most bottom layer.

We use 10 pt of width for the radius and we´ll use Expand Appereance (important).

Note that once used Expand Apperance with the bottom layer, the selection box will fit to the new size:

We can follow creating new layers to include more strokes

The last step is to select all layers and use Expand Stroke:

 

 

As we have initially 3 circles with different strokes, Designer will create 3 layers as circles. We must delete the bottom ones and only keep the top one. Also, we´ll delete the middle stroke to convert it to a transparence:

Now, the strokes are fully customizable by the Node Tool.

 

 

Can anyone tells me if there is any difference between these results and what Adobe Illustrator can do? One of the missed options in Affinity Designer was to have offset strokes modificables by the Node Tool, but I think we have it now...or not?

 

Thank you.