Vector Node manipulation

[DerGartner]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for a feature in Affinity Designer, which I thought I already used but I can't find it anymore and I don't have the right words to search for it. So I'm trying my luck in here, hopefully someone can help me out.

I have a vector graphic where I want to move the arm step by step to export multiple frames to create an animated stop motion. Let's say the character is waving it's arm. When I grab one node of the arm and move it, the rest of the arm stays. Is there an option, where affinity adjusts the rest of the nodes while I move the one node, so I don't have to place all new nodes manually?

 

Does that makes sense? I hope someone out there can help me.

Greetings,

Johannes

[loukash]

Something like this?

affinity.help/designer/English.lproj/pages/CurvesShapes/transform_linesAndShapes.html

[DerGartner]

No, unfortunatly not what I meant.

[loukash]

On 3/31/2021 at 7:40 PM, DerGartner said:

affinity adjusts the rest of the nodes while I move the one node

Ah, you mean smart nodes.

[DerGartner]

Maybe it is more clear with an example. In the attached pic 1 I have the arm with its nodes. When I want to open the arm as seen in pic 2, I have to adjust every single node, until it looks good. But is there a feature where I just grab one node (pic 3) and drag it in the direction of the arrow, and affinity designer alters the rest of the nodes automaticaly, in position and allignment?

Thank you!

[GarryP]

Designer has no concept of ‘an arm’ or ‘a leg’ or anything else like that, so it doesn’t know how nodes should move in relation to other nodes, so it can only move what you tell it to move. Basically it’s not an animation studio, it’s ‘just’ an illustration application.
You might be able to simulate what you want in very specific circumstances but you are probably better off using software that has been specifically created to do that sort of thing.

P.S. Many people have already asked Serif to ‘do animation stuff’ and the official line seems to be that they have no plans for anything like that in the near/medium future, if at all. Just search the forums for “animation” (without the quotes).

[loukash]

On 4/4/2021 at 1:46 PM, DerGartner said:

is there a feature where I just grab one node (pic 3) and drag it in the direction of the arrow, and affinity designer alters the rest of the nodes automaticaly, in position and allignment?

It depends on your design. The more nodes, the harder it is. If you need more flexibility, use less nodes.

 

On 4/4/2021 at 2:24 PM, GarryP said:

the official line seems to be that they have no plans for anything like that in the near/medium future, if at all.

A very recent accidental comment by a staff member might have suggested otherwise.

Edited February 25 by loukash
replaced *.mov with *.mp4

[GarryP]

Your video shows something like what I meant by “might be able to simulate […] in specific circumstances”.
And that sort of thing might be good enough for what DerGartner wants.

10 minutes ago, loukash said:

A very recent accidental comment by a staff member might have suggested

I don’t know which comment you mean but if some people want to assume that an 'accidental' comment about a possible something which might happen at maybe some point in the future is any kind of admission that something will happen then that’s entirely up to them, but they shouldn’t complain if their assumptions are proved to be wrong.

[loukash]

1 minute ago, GarryP said:

Your video shows something like what I meant by “might be able to simulate […] in specific circumstances”.

… which again only expands on my aforelinked affinity.help/designer/English.lproj/pages/CurvesShapes/transform_linesAndShapes.html

2 minutes ago, GarryP said:

And that sort of thing might be good enough for what DerGartner wants.

Of course.

3 minutes ago, GarryP said:

I don’t know which comment you mean

 

[GarryP]

Thanks for posting the link.
That’s the ‘thin end of the wedge’ for me.
If any tiny bit of a hint of 'animation' creeps in then it will open the gates for all kind of further requests.
Not that there aren’t a quite a few anyway but once some people notice certain ‘keywords’ they’ll pounce on them like I don’t know what.
I think the timeline stuff that’s been mentioned is just for ‘time-lapse’ videos but, I’m guessing, the vast majority of Affinity users will have absolutely no need for any such functionality.
Best to keep this thread cleaner by not mentioning it again, otherwise people will pounce.

[loukash]

And… don't mention the war!

[DerGartner]

20 hours ago, loukash said:

It depends on your design. The more nodes, the harder it is. If you need more flexibility, use less nodes.

 

A very recent accidental comment by a staff member might have suggested otherwise.

Well, this looks kind of what I ment. I understand, that Designer does not know if the shape is an arm or a leg. But it should work with simple shapes i normally use.

Thank you!

[DerGartner]

I am pretty sure this was the feature I was looking for, so I think, we can close the topic? I don't know how that works.

Thank you for all the help!

[GarryP]

Topics in the forums don’t usually get closed.
This allows people to come along later to share better techniques or ask further questions.
If it hangs around for a while and no-one finds it via a search, and then replies to it, it will probably be ‘forgotten’ without any deliberate action.