Cutting and joining paths

[Washishu]

I’m still new to Aff.Des. and have been learning by recreating some of my old Illustrator artwork in order to break the old habits where necessary and to learn the new ones.

I’m accustomed to creating certain complex shapes by first creating more basic shapes, deleting un-needed path segments and joining paths to form the new shape.

I’m finding difficulty in doing the simple operation of cutting and joining nodes. The Node Tool functions in place of the Direct Selection Tool and even has the same shortcut, in appears to function differently however.

To cut a path I’m accustomed to using a tool; I click where I want to cut the path and the job is done—new nodes (Anchor Points in Illustrator-speak) are inserted as needed. But in AD it appears I can only cut the path at a node and it requires two operations—Node Tool/select node/Click Break Curve—is this correct? (It is what the Help gives to break a curve).

Also the Direct Selection Tool would allow me to select a path segment and then delete it between the two nodes. Is there a way to use the Node Tool in a similar manner? I might be mistaken but the only way appears to be to first break the curve at both node points, then select the curve segment and delete it; six operations rather than one. I’m trying to understand here, not just complain.

Also, to join two nodes in order to close an open path, with the two nodes on top of each other, I’m accustomed to using the Direct Selection tool to drag a marquee around the nodes, thus selecting them both and Command-J to join. Dragging a Node Tool marquee does not appear to select both nodes—maybe there is a modifier key necessary?

[NathanC]

Hi @Washishu,

57 minutes ago, Washishu said:

Also the Direct Selection Tool would allow me to select a path segment and then delete it between the two nodes. Is there a way to use the Node Tool in a similar manner? I might be mistaken but the only way appears to be to first break the curve at both node points, then select the curve segment and delete it; six operations rather than one. I’m trying to understand here, not just complain.

As an alternate workflow to what you have described, you could try the below:

1. Insert a new node where you wish to split the curve
2. Highlight both outside nodes and the new centre node and break the curve
3. Highlight the new created curves and your original curve
4. Go to Layer > Geometry > Merge Curves

 

[MEB]

1 hour ago, Washishu said:

Also the Direct Selection Tool would allow me to select a path segment and then delete it between the two nodes. Is there a way to use the Node Tool in a similar manner? I might be mistaken but the only way appears to be to first break the curve at both node points, then select the curve segment and delete it; six operations rather than one. I’m trying to understand here, not just complain.

With the Node tool selected, press and hold CTRL and click the segment you want to delete.

1 hour ago, Washishu said:

Also, to join two nodes in order to close an open path, with the two nodes on top of each other, I’m accustomed to using the Direct Selection tool to drag a marquee around the nodes, thus selecting them both and Command-J to join. Dragging a Node Tool marquee does not appear to select both nodes—maybe there is a modifier key necessary?

Dragging the end node over the start node of a single path should close it automatically for you. No need to select both nodes/join them unless you are dealing with a compound path (in Illustrator terminology). Is that the case?

[Washishu]

Thanks Nathan, yes that works.

In using any new software, it’s important to tune in to the logic, the principles by which it operates, and I’m struggling a bit to find this with AffDes, which is making the learning quite slow.

MEB—the Control key!! Just the job (and the odd thing is that I thought I’d thought of using a modifier key and tried every one; not Control obviously). Thanks.

Again, after years with Illustrator, I have habits I need to change and I have ways of doing things too. It’s been my general practice in the past to create new shapes from existing shapes where possible. Why? Well, I’ve found that this maintains a uniformity, a visual consistency throughout an illustration—in the curves for example.

So, I copy/edit/manipulate existing shapes and might want to join segments to create the new shape. The example is a very quick, crude illustration; I want to join the straight path to the curved path. I would superimpose the two nodes, make a D.Select. tool marquee to encompass them and hit Command-J. I’ve just explored your info here and I now know something I didn’t know when I got up this morning. Thanks.

But am I right in thinking that dragging a selection marquee with the Node Tool, although a marquee appears to be created, it does not select all nodes within that marquee (another modifier perhaps?) Is it the case that the only way to select multiple nodes is shift-selection?

AffDes has far more shape tools available than AI and I’ve only used a few so far. Probably this will change my way of working in the future. But I’m not quite connecting with the logic of creating a shape—an ellipse, say—then having to Convert to Curves before manipulating the nodes.

example.afdesignexample.afdesign

[Washishu]

MEB—as a PS. I've just played a little further and although dragging the straight-path end node over the curved path end node does appear to join the two paths, they are still seperately selectable—not actually joined. I'm puzzled again.

[G13RL]

12 minutes ago, Washishu said:

they are still seperately selectable—not actually joined.

Select the two curves, take "Node Tool", "Join Curves".

[MEB]

Hi @Washishu,
Thank for the details and file. What I said was "Dragging the end node over the start node of a single path should close it automatically for you." In the file attached above you have two separate/independent paths. In this case you have to drag one node over the other, select both nodes dragging a marquee around them with the Node Tool, then clicking the "Join Curves" button from the Action section in the context toolbar.

If you want them connected though a line (so without dragging one over the other) select the end nodes of each one of the paths you want to connect and click the "Join Curves" button from the Action section in the context toolbar.

[Old Bruce]

A further note. When dragging  an end node over a start node be aware that the start node is blue and the end node is red. We cannot join two end nodes or two start nodes, you may need to reverse one of the curves.

[MEB]

@Old Bruce,
That's not correct - you should be able to join whatever combination of start/end nodes you want. Can you post an example where that happens (fails) please?

[Old Bruce]

1 hour ago, MEB said:

That's not correct - you should be able to join whatever combination of start/end nodes you want. Can you post an example where that happens (fails) please?

Trying to, unable to get anything to work on this (underpowered) machine at the moment. I think this may be just me misremembering how it is supposed to work. I'll try again on the other Mac later.

[R C-R]

2 hours ago, Old Bruce said:

I think this may be just me misremembering how it is supposed to work.

I am not sure but I think at one point the "Join Curves" button ignored which nodes were selected on the separate curves & just joined the nearest two, but that got fixed in one of the app updates.

Also, IIRC there once was a bug such that dragging the end node over the start node of a single open path did not automatically close it, but I think that also got fixed in an update.