Multiple boolean operation problems

[RussPitcher]

I am still having regular issues with boolean operations.I know this has been reported before but it's driving me insane, especially as it's a fundamental issue that's been happening for months.  

This is just one example of many similar issues I've had with boolean adds/subtracts/intersections.  In this file I'm trying to perform a boolean add on two curves.  No matter the position in the layer tree or the order I select the two curves I get strange issues and, as far as I can tell, the only workaround is to delete nodes until there is no longer a failure and then manually recreate the missing profiles. 

I'm running the latest version of Windows 10 (20H2) and Designer (1.8.5.703) but this has been a problem for some time and a full PC format and OS install hasn't made any noticable difference.  This sort of problem happens with new files.  I'm not sure I've seen it with existing files but I haven't made any particular effort to recreate the issues with older files.

Given that I've seen problems and bug reports for boolean issues for many months I've stopped recommending Designer over other products and I'm getting to the point where I'm going to end up ditching the product, which is great shame because, in general, it is a program I love and have been delighted with.  Unfortunately since v1.7 I just keep seeing major bugs with basic functionality and they don't seem to have been addressed with any success.  Can you give me any hope that these sort of critical bugs will be fixed soon?
 

Justice Hammer - PROBLEM.afdesign

[Alfred]

1 hour ago, RussPitcher said:

This is just one example of many similar issues I've had with boolean adds/subtracts/intersections.  In this file I'm trying to perform a boolean add on two curves.  No matter the position in the layer tree or the order I select the two curves I get strange issues and, as far as I can tell, the only workaround is to delete nodes until there is no longer a failure and then manually recreate the missing profiles.

I can’t explain why your example misbehaves, but I find that this workaround works for me:

1. Copy the big ‘S’ layer to the clipboard

2. Boolean ‘Subtract’ the (hidden) small ‘S’ from the big one

3. Paste the copied ‘S’ on top of the outline ‘S’ thus created

4. Boolean ‘Add’ the main Curves layer and the two ‘S’ layers

[lepr]

Another workaround involves temporarily reducing the pixel dimensions of objects:

1. Open the document and ensure document units is not pixels
2. Change DPI from 300 to 3
3. Do the Boolean operations
4. Change DPI from 3 to 300

 

[Sean P]

Hi RussPitcher,

Thanks for letting us know. I've passed this over to development to be looked at!

[RussPitcher]

It's now mid 2022 and I'm on version 1.10.5.1342 and this is STILL NOT WORKING!!!!  It's utterly maddening as this is a fundamental function of a drawing program and it's been broken for years.  I can sort of get it to work using the workarounds above by experimenting with the orders of the objects to be merged, the document dpi, breaking apart objects with holes (e.g. curves in the shapes of letters like d,o,r,q etc), but it ends up with my blood boiling because it takes me an hour for an operation that should take seconds, and sometimes it's simply impossible. To be honest, I'm questioning the sense of sticking with this program.  I've used it since the start and loved it, and in general I still do, but this sort of fundamental bug going on for YEARS makes it impossible to recommend or rely on

I enclose another example of the issue.  Just try to merge the black objects  - The bird shape and the M, and the rest of the lettering so that you have two discrete objects with no overlapping lines so that the file can be used for vinyl cutting.  

Please, please let us know when this will finally be fixed and why it's such a problem in newer releases.  I never saw this at all in earlier versions - if I recall correctly the last working version was 1.7.x.

The Midnight Songbirds BlackBlue.afdesign