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Joining curves from several layers to create a single closed curve?


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I'm trying to create a single closed curve from several segments, each in a layer in a group.  

After searching the forum, I've tried dragging the overlapping nodes slightly apart and then back together until they show yellow, and then clicking on "Join Curves".  I have "snap to object geometry selected, and nothing else on the snapping menu.  Sometimes they join with a single node, other times they join, but retain both nodes, and if I drag one off, there is a line connecting them.

I'm not sure this is really an issue for me, I'm exporting as a SVG file for use in CAD to cut shapes and pockets for inlay work on a router.  But it sure would be easier to edit the shapes if it were only single nodes.

Thanks, Richard

 

just added these images-   top is node dragged before joining,    bottom is joined curve,    center is node dragged after joining

before join.png

after join.png

joined.png

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 Do the curves have to be on separate layers for what your doing? If not, I’d copy them to one layer, add a fill, remove the stroke, select all the pieces, and then combine them using the Add option under Geometry. Then apply a stroke and remove the fill to see if it works 🤷‍♂️

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Thanks for the reply.  When I try to copy the curves to a layer, they wind up on separate new layers.  If I join the curves as before, I can add fill, but I can figure out how to remove the stroke.  Setting it to zero width doesn't work.

 

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11 minutes ago, dixdance said:

Thanks for the reply.  When I try to copy the curves to a layer, they wind up on separate new layers.  If I join the curves as before, I can add fill, but I can figure out how to remove the stroke.  Setting it to zero width doesn't work.

 

I think the solution to the problem might lie in Expanding the stroke, so it’s treated as a Fill instead, if you haven’t already tried that. Good luck with it though

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On 7/3/2020 at 9:03 PM, dixdance said:

Sometimes they join with a single node, other times they join, but retain both nodes, and if I drag one off, there is a line connecting them.

If you drag a marquee over the join, you’ll select however many coincident nodes there are. Shift-clicking on the selected node(s) will deselect the top node if there are two, or the only node otherwise, so if you still see a selected node you know there are two and you can press the Delete key on your keyboard to delete the one that remains selected.

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Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for Windows • Windows 10 Home/Pro
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for iPad • iPadOS 17.4.1 (iPad 7th gen)

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3 hours ago, Alfred said:

If you drag a marquee over the join, you’ll select however many coincident nodes there are. Shift-clicking on the selected node(s) will deselect the top node if there are two, or the only node otherwise, so if you still see a selected node you know there are two and you can press the Delete key on your keyboard to delete the one that remains selected.

I tried this, and it does eliminate the extra node, but I lose the handle from that node, and the curve changes.  I can get back to the corrrect curve, but it's more work than I was hoping for.

What really puzzling to me is that if I draw a couple of simple curves on different layers, and then join them, it works perfectly.  But on my project I'm using segments cut from closed curves to make a new curve, and there is where I have trouble.

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2 hours ago, dixdance said:

I tried this, and it does eliminate the extra node, but I lose the handle from that node, and the curve changes.

I’d forgotten about that! I’m not a Mac user, but I believe you can hold down the Option (⌥) key when deleting the node to try to maintain the shape of the curve.

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Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for Windows • Windows 10 Home/Pro
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for iPad • iPadOS 17.4.1 (iPad 7th gen)

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8 hours ago, Alfred said:

I’d forgotten about that! I’m not a Mac user, but I believe you can hold down the Option (⌥) key when deleting the node to try to maintain the shape of the curve.

Tried it, no luck.  

Also tried expanding stroke, just got 2 curves with the same problem

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8 minutes ago, dixdance said:

Tried it, no luck.  

Also tried expanding stroke, just got 2 curves with the same problem

Depending on how precise angles, curves etc have to be, could you try drawing over the overall shape you have here with the Pen tool. Or at least, trace on side, copy, mirror, and combine the shapes for symmetry.

If the bottom line is you want to achieve a complete, outlined shape, then I definitely see how’d I’d solve it, unless there’s an extra detail I’m missing 🤷🏻‍♂️

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BarKeegan, yes, that would work.  Or I thought could join the curves and then restore it using the original underneath as a guide.  Was just hoping for a cleaner and quicker method. 

The drawing is of a banjo peghead.  Started with a jpeg scan of a hand drawn sketch, then traced it with the pen tool, and cleaned it up and finessed it.  Of course it was a bit asymmetrical, so I made 2 new versions, by using the left and right side, mirroring them, and joining at the top point.  Then to continue my learning, I took the segments of each that I liked best and made a composite design, and thats when I was unable to join the curves without getting superimposed nodes.

i've gotten along just fine with hand cut and sanded pegheads in the past, nobody ever complained about imperfections.  But with Affinity Designer and a it's so easy to really refine and finesse the curves, couldn't resist as I've started to learn how to use it.  Really enjoying clawing up the learning curve!  Next is the CAD/CAM, so I can cut it on my little cnc.

Photo is of a snakewood peghead with satinwood and ebony inlay, everything done by hand guided machines.   CNC has got to be a better and faster way to do this!

1 snakewood-peghead.jpg

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41 minutes ago, dixdance said:

BarKeegan, yes, that would work.  Or I thought could join the curves and then restore it using the original underneath as a guide.  Was just hoping for a cleaner and quicker method. 

The drawing is of a banjo peghead.  Started with a jpeg scan of a hand drawn sketch, then traced it with the pen tool, and cleaned it up and finessed it.  Of course it was a bit asymmetrical, so I made 2 new versions, by using the left and right side, mirroring them, and joining at the top point.  Then to continue my learning, I took the segments of each that I liked best and made a composite design, and thats when I was unable to join the curves without getting superimposed nodes.

i've gotten along just fine with hand cut and sanded pegheads in the past, nobody ever complained about imperfections.  But with Affinity Designer and a it's so easy to really refine and finesse the curves, couldn't resist as I've started to learn how to use it.  Really enjoying clawing up the learning curve!  Next is the CAD/CAM, so I can cut it on my little cnc.

Photo is of a snakewood peghead with satinwood and ebony inlay, everything done by hand.   CNC has got to be a better and faster way to do this!

1 snakewood-peghead.jpg

Woh! Hand carved? Looks amazing!

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