Help me understand!

[TKT2RDE]

I am struggling to figure out why this is such a challenge for the software, but I'm sure there is a reason for it. Can anyone help me figure out how to subtract from this shape in the area I am trying to subtract without other areas disappearing?

I am attaching the two steps in screen grabs.  I put a small grey rectangle over the area (on top in layer), select both layers, then click subtract.  It does what I want in the area I have covered, but also subtracts the entire middle area.  I'm at a loss.

 

 

[Old Bruce]

Guessing that the burgundy and white is a compound or a curves layer. You will have to go to Layer > Geometry > Separate Curves and then choose the outer most white bit.

To reiterate, I am just guessing. We would need to see the layers pane at least and preferably the document itself to be more sure.

[TKT2RDE]

Sorry I should have just attached the file.  The Burgundy is a separate shape on an independent layer.

OR_Logo.afdesign

[TKT2RDE]

Ah, kind of a mess, but using the Separate Curves and then using the resulting shapes to cut into separate shapes I was after worked.  Thank you.

[PixelPest]

You have a total mess here:

But easy fix.

 

[TKT2RDE]

Yes, for whatever reason converting the font to curves and then separating curves resulted in extra layers.  I duplicated the layer before separating and made it 50% gray so I could see what I was looking at then killed the extras before sorting the remaining shapes appropriately and cutting the void using each pair.  You kinda did the same thing by adjusting anchors to cipher what was what.  Thanks for making the screen recording, I think that will help others visualize what happened!  

[PixelPest]

I just wanted to show you the unnecessary amount of layers you have merged together - why Boolean-subtract not worked as expected. I just Boolean-add everything before subtracting the rectangle from it - no separation needed here. It still contains a lot of redundant points+and coarse transitions - what I don´t like personally.

[TKT2RDE]

I don't like it either personally.  I was trying to do something quickly and started with a font.  Affinity created the unnecessary amount of redundant points and course transitions during the convert to curves.  The unnecessary amount of layers was also outside of my control when I used the separate curves function to get out of the compound curves problem in Affinity.  I do like affinity, especially when drawing from scratch.  it's just sometimes weird when attempting to mock something up real quick using existing shapes compared to Illustrator.  Rest assured, it's all cleaned up now.  ; )

[Alfred]

42 minutes ago, TKT2RDE said:

I was trying to do something quickly and started with a font.  Affinity created the unnecessary amount of redundant points and course transitions during the convert to curves.

It seems more likely that the glyphs in the font have redundant points. Poorly made fonts often have them.

[PixelPest]

1 hour ago, TKT2RDE said:

 I was trying to do something quickly and started with a font.

Can you name the font?