Boolean operations still unusable after all these years

[Boldlinedesign]

After all these years, it's still impossible to get clean combined vectors using the "add" boolean. If I use vector strokes that overlap and then expand them and try to merge them with the "add" boolean, if it does not shut down the app, it leaves behind "dirty nodes" or it makes part of the design disappear. This happens on ipad and desktop, both with 1.10

I understand Affinity is all about keeping things editable, but at some point, we need the option to compress down and finalize a version for output. Designer is also missing a "unite" equivalent boolean operation. 

I have to export my expanded strokes from Affinity into Illustrator to use the "merge" and "unite" tools there. 

[PixelPest]

Don´t have the issue you describe. Can you upload such a file?

 

[Mandu]

+1 I second this. Booleans are important part of my workflow.

 

On 8/19/2021 at 7:00 AM, PixelPest said:

Don´t have the issue you describe. Can you upload such a file?

 

Just create and overlap a few circles and then Divide them. You will get a whole bunch of layers/curves. Then select a certain area and try to Add them together. I will not work.

[PixelPest]

Why not upload such a file? Circles with stroke or fill or both etc?

Divided&joined:

[lacerto]

I use this every now and then to do a reality check. No improvements so far:

In Illustrator:

It does not have to be anything complex: I think this happens whenever segments are aligned rather than overlap each other. The problem is that the app cannot handle its own accuracy. I suppose this can be worked around by increasing the size of the objects, or at least cleaned by performing additional Boolean operations, but if it is a complex drawing there is really no possibility to check whether a specific Boolean operation causes artifacts somewhere else in the drawing.

 

division_add_problem.eps

[Optische Ausrichtung]

[PixelPest]

 😢 still no Pathfinder. But still work(around)able.

[lacerto]

Did you get rid of the surplus nodes easilly? My workaround in add phase was to bend the segments a bit to make them overlap, but the division caused a lots of nodes in many parts of the graphic. Not that they are a particular problem... 

[PixelPest]

These "empty" nodes are easy detectable in the layers panel and deletable.

[lacerto]

20 minutes ago, PixelPest said:

These "empty" nodes are easy detectable in the layers panel and deletable.

There were about 225 of them in this case, and they could be easily deleted. But often deleting the surplus nodes changes the slope of segments. I wonder if there has been recent development in this area, or if nodes generated by Boolean operations have always been easy to remove.

 

[PixelPest]

Easy fix:

[uneMule]

Hi all

Ajouter quelque chose qui ressemble à pathfiner/contour de AI serait déjà pas mal, et viendrait compléter diviser.

Adding something like AI pathfiner/contour would be good, and would complement divide.

[PixelPest]

Every SVG app community outside of A... is begging for the Pathfinder tool as the most requested feature. I'm starting to get the feeling that patents play a role.

[PixelPest]

19 minutes ago, BofG said:

Easier than that - change the layer order.

 

A Matter of Opinion methinks and obviously a bug. Node- or layer order shouldn´t bork Boolean operations here.