Designer - trying to combine curves so I can edit as one

[nigelrumsey]

Hi, I'm probably not using the correct terminology which is why I can't find the answer to this online.

I'm trying to combine a number of shapes - see attached - so can pull them into a pleasing curve.

It's driving me crazy, so any advice would be appreciated.

[lepr]

Welcome to the forums!

Vector shapes can be combined into one with the Layer > Geometry > Add command (destructively, or non-destructively by holding down opt/alt key when applying the command), but current Affinity apps do not have a tool for warping a vector object. Affinity Photo has several tools for warping raster representations of vector source objects, if that's useful to you.

[nigelrumsey]

5 minutes ago, anon2 said:

Welcome to the forums!

Vector shapes can be combined into one with the Layer > Geometry > Add command (destructively, or non-destructively by holding down opt/alt key when applying the command), but current Affinity apps do not have a tool for warping a vector object. Affinity Photo has several tools for warping raster representations of vector source objects, if that's useful to you.

Hi Anon2, thanks for the response. Even when I hold option I get this? Am I missing something?

[nigelrumsey]

Maybe I should have clarified, I've lost the outline to each of the shapes.

[lepr]

2 minutes ago, nigelrumsey said:

Hi Anon2, thanks for the response. Even when I hold option I get this? Am I missing something?

Please post an afdesign file of the design before applying the Add command.

[lepr]

Also, another alternative in Designer is to create a so-called Vector Brush (really a raster image that can be stretched or repeated along a vector path) from a PNG export of your design.

[nigelrumsey]

9 minutes ago, anon2 said:

Please post an afdesign file of the design before applying the Add command.

I really appreciate your help. This is the file.

wheat.afdesign

[lepr]

Thanks for the file. I never realised that the shapes had a stroke with the same colour as the background - I thought there were empty gaps between shapes.

You can convert the strokes into gaps by:

1. select all of the shapes (not the background rectangle)
2. Layer > Expand Stroke to create a stack of alternating fill and stroke shapes
3. select lowest fill shape and the stroke shape immediately above it in the layer stack
4. Geometry > Subtract
5. select next fill shape
6. Geometry > Add
7. select next stroke shape
8. Geometry > Subtract
9. loop to step 5 while there are still fill and stroke shapes to add and subtract

This is the result: wheat without stroke.afdesign

 

[Aammppaa]

You don't need to combine all the shapes in order to bend the wheat.

1. Select all the objects that make up the wheat.
2. Switch to the Node tool.
3. Enable Transform Mode and Show Transform Centre on the context toolbar.
4. Select the top 90% of nodes and move the transform centre to the stalk at the bottom.
5. Rotate by a few degrees.
6. Now select the top 80% and bend that.
7. Repeat until the wheat is to your liking.

This file has history saved, so you should be able to step through what I did.

 

wheat bend.afdesign

[nigelrumsey]

1 hour ago, anon2 said:

Thanks for the file. I never realised that the shapes had a stroke with the same colour as the background - I thought there were empty gaps between shapes.

You can convert the strokes into gaps by:

1. select all of the shapes (not the background rectangle)
2. Layer > Expand Stroke to create a stack of alternating fill and stroke shapes
3. select lowest fill shape and the stroke shape immediately above it in the layer stack
4. Geometry > Subtract
5. select next fill shape
6. Geometry > Add
7. select next stroke shape
8. Geometry > Subtract
9. loop to step 5 while there are still fill and stroke shapes to add and subtract

This is the result: wheat without stroke.afdesign

 

Thanks that's very helpful. I'm a complete design novice. Once I'd made it I did reflect that if I wanted to change the background colour I was going to need to change the stroke each time.

[nigelrumsey]

1 hour ago, Aammppaa said:

You don't need to combine all the shapes in order to bend the wheat.

1. Select all the objects that make up the wheat.
2. Switch to the Node tool.
3. Enable Transform Mode and Show Transform Centre on the context toolbar.
4. Select the top 90% of nodes and move the transform centre to the stalk at the bottom.
5. Rotate by a few degrees.
6. Now select the top 80% and bend that.
7. Repeat until the wheat is to your liking.

This file has history saved, so you should be able to step through what I did.

 

wheat bend.afdesign 65.08 kB · 1 download

That's very clever. Thank you. I'll be messing with that tomorrow.

[Aammppaa]

4 hours ago, nigelrumsey said:

if I wanted to change the background colour

Use a Global colour for both the background and the stroke on the ears of corn.

https://affinity.help/designer/English.lproj/pages/Clr/globalClr.html

[nigelrumsey]

6 hours ago, Aammppaa said:

Use a Global colour for both the background and the stroke on the ears of corn.

https://affinity.help/designer/English.lproj/pages/Clr/globalClr.html

Thanks. I'll try that.

[GarryP]

Another option is to make a Textured Image Brush out of the curves (see attached video).
Then you can play with the shape as much as you like after you have applied that brush to a curve.
It will be rasterised, so you will lose some quality, but it’s easy enough to make that you can experiment before manipulating the vectors for real.