Help with combining groups of curves

[Kdiver25]

Hi, could anyone help me with combining items? I have some curves grouped and a shape which I have converted to curves and I would like to combine them so that the stem doesn’t show in the box (please see image). I have tried ordering but I need to box transparent so that doesn’t help and I have tried various masks with no success. If I try the ‘add’ function I just seem to end up with the square only. I have shown a picture with my layers panel to see if it helps. Or maybe it just isn’t possible? Thanks in advance.

[DM1]

Tthe easiest solution would be to simply select the stem with the node tool and reposition/ shorten it.

[Kdiver25]

Hi, Thankyou so much for taking the time to help with the video, that will certainly work in this case but I do intend to use more complex shapes such as flowers etc also where half of the flower shows above the box. Would you have a method for that?
 

Thanks

[DM1]

1 hour ago, Kdiver25 said:

but I do intend to use more complex shapes such as flowers etc also where half of the flower shows above the box. Would you have a method for that?

Boolean operations are problematic on the iPad. Seems to work if you convert to curves and also expand strokes, then divide and delete unwanted portions.  If your shape had fill you could use masking but transparency precludes that.

[DM1]

Seems to work with more complex shapes. Removed unwanted portions of cog, star and call out using expand stroke and Boolean divide, then deleting 

[Kdiver25]

@DM1 thankyou for the videos, I can get this to work using your examples so that will certainly help me  however not with my shapes.. if I select both the rectangle and flower and use convert to curves then expand stroke my flower disappears. I have so tried Ungrouping the flower, expanding the flower Stroke and then using add to make it a single shape then using the divide but I end up with lots of black fills and areas where if I delete the box frame also deletes. I tried subtract also to see if I could duplicate and just end up with the outside I could move into position. I’m not sure what I am doing wrong or if I am trying to achieve something which isn’t possible. I have attached my file with the unaltered starting point of shapes I am using, not sure if you could perhaps take a look if you get some time to spare? Thanks 

flower.afdesign

[DM1]

2 hours ago, Kdiver25 said:

or if I am trying to achieve something which isn’t possible

Yes, it is possible. I got it to work this way. Select flower layers and combine them using Merge Curves. Remove from group. (Boolean doesn’t like groups). Delete group layer. 
Duplicate the rectangle and hide it.  Place one rectangle layer above combined layer and subtract. Make duplicate rectangle visible. Voila.. modded file attached with history showing steps.

flower.afdesign

[Kdiver25]

You’re a star thank you very much 😊👌🏻 That achieves what I was looking for, much appreciated