Slice or cut-out a complex vector shape (group of shapes)

[David.P]

I got a rather complex vector shape here, consisting of dozens of (partially) overlapping sub-shapes with different fill colors.

How can I cut through the entire object along a line, or alternatively cut a portion out of the object? I have tried it in Designer and Inksc*pe, but the Boolean operations don't work the way I'd expect in both programs.

I have attached an example file. How can I slice this object, say, diagonally into two halves?

Scales.afdesign

Edited October 26, 2021 by David.P
Added attachment

[firstdefence]

You can use a rectangle shape to act as a clipping mask. You basically nest the object inside of the rectangle and any part of the object outside the bounds of the rectangle will be hidden.

 

[David.P]

This I keep trying, but it wouldn't even offer me the clipping operations?

[firstdefence]

You don't use the boolean options, take a look at this file...

Notice the object is now a child of the rectangle, it is the rectangle that dictates what is seen.
Scales clipped.afdesign

[Old Bruce]

You need to have a fill in the rectangle for this to work.

 

[David.P]

Sorry I don't understand how you do this.

Does this even cut the object -- or only hide parts of it? 

I'd prefer to actually cut it.

[Alfred]

14 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

You need to have a fill in the rectangle for this to work.

The rectangle needs a fill for cropping/masking, which is what you’ve shown in your screenshots, but clipping will work with an unfilled shape.

1 minute ago, David.P said:

Does this even cut the object -- or only hide parts of it?

It only hides parts of it.

2 minutes ago, David.P said:

I'd prefer to actually cut it.

That’s going to be very much harder, if it’s doable at all.

[Old Bruce]

8 minutes ago, David.P said:

I'd prefer to actually cut it.

Not worth trying to do that. You make your rectangle and then duplicate it for each item in the layers. Slice each item with one of the duplications. Too tedious and prone to making mistakes. In this instance there is going to be very little in the way of space saving and smaller file size that I would not bother.

[David.P]

I'm still not seeing how you guys did this.

Also, I need to use the cut-up stuff as a graphics object in other programs later, so it really should be cut not hidden.

Should there really be no proper way to simply cut vector stuff?

Inkscape's Eraser comes pretty close.

[Old Bruce]

This inability to easily and simply cut vectors, or any other type of object, is one of the Affinity Suite's major failures.

[David.P]

Even my PDF editor can cut off objects of any kind and complexity at the page border in a split second.

Why would this not be possible in a vector graphics program, of all things? 

[David.P]

So is there only Adobe Illustrator, or how can I do this in Inkscape, for example?

[Old Bruce]

Before going into the lengthy back and forth that will be necessary I have to once again reiterate that this is going to be a lot of work for very little gain. Why is the clipping or masking not good enough?

 

[David.P]

Maybe because none of you guys has shown me how to do it...?

[Old Bruce]

You have to select each item in the clock. You then have to use a copy of the curve you want to cut with to subtract the item. You have chosen something very complex to start with. Make some thing simple. three items instead of dozens with gradients. I am using the Subtract boolean. That is why I have changed the rectangle to cover the part I want to remove instead of the part I want to reveal.

[David.P]

Sorry I have no idea what you are doing there.

Couldn't you just give me a word or link what this procedure is called (clipping?), so that I can look it up somewhere?

This is btw. what my PDF editor (!) can do in about one microsecond (parts manually pulled apart afterwards):

 

[telemax]

9 minutes ago, David.P said:

Couldn't you just give me a word or link what this procedure is called (clipping?), so that I can look it up somewhere?