How do I cut a shape in two along a line?

[metawops]

I‘m quite new to Affinity Designer on iPad and watched the tutorial videos.

I wasn‘t able to find the solution to a rather simple challenge I currently have: I have a simple rectangle (as an example for a closed shape) and want to cut it in two parts along a straight (in the easiest case) line so that two shapes (not necessarily two rectangles) are being created.

I know about the boolean operations but those need at least two closed shapes and don‘t work with one shape and one line (i.e. a closed shape and an open shape). – Or do they?

[DM1]

36 minutes ago, metawops said:

and don‘t work with one shape and one line (i.e. a closed shape and an open shape). – Or do they?

Just convert layers to Curve Layers and expand strokes, then Subtract to create separate shapes. If you just want the line to be removed from the shape (still a single shape), you just set the lines layer blend mode to Erase.

[metawops]

Awesome, thanks so much!!

I see that the „line“ you used actually isn‘t a one dimensional line in the mathematical sense but in fact another closed curve with a thickness.

So I tried with a straight line with thickness 0.1 and it worked nicely. However, doing it with a line with zero thickness failed. 🤷‍♂️ So I guess it‘s not possible to create, for example, two triangles that have exactly the same area as the rectangle that was cut along one of its diagonal – mathematically speaken?

[DM1]

You can just break the nodes and then rejoin them in separate layers.

[Alfred]

43 minutes ago, metawops said:

I see that the „line“ you used actually isn‘t a one dimensional line in the mathematical sense but in fact another closed curve with a thickness.

If you want to use a closed curve with no thickness, you need to extend its ends outside of the shape that you’re cutting.

The ‘Divide’ command will automatically close any selected curves that are open, by joining the ends with a straight line segment.

To restore the original fill to the cut-off part of the rectangle, copy the filled part and ‘Paste Style’ to the unfilled part.

 

To finish off, you need to delete the leftover part of the cutting shape. All very tedious!

[BarKeegan]

20 hours ago, metawops said:

I‘m quite new to Affinity Designer on iPad and watched the tutorial videos.

I wasn‘t able to find the solution to a rather simple challenge I currently have: I have a simple rectangle (as an example for a closed shape) and want to cut it in two parts along a straight (in the easiest case) line so that two shapes (not necessarily two rectangles) are being created.

I know about the boolean operations but those need at least two closed shapes and don‘t work with one shape and one line (i.e. a closed shape and an open shape). – Or do they?

Something like this?

 

[metawops]

Guys, you‘re awesome!! Thanks so much! I love to learn more and more about Designer every day! 🤩