New User Help Please...

[Darren]

Hi everyone, I am new to illustration software and have only started using Affinity Design today so have a lot to learn. There is one thing i am trying to do but cannot figure out an easy way to do it, i am sure that there is an easy way once you know how.

 

Lets say i use the ellipse tool and draw a big circle, i then want to draw a smaller circle within the large circle say 10mm inside the circumfrence at 12 o'clock and subtract it, that i can do ok. but here is where i have a problem..... I then want to go on and subtract a smaller circle at 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock and so on all the way around. Is there an easy way to do this?

 

Thanks

Darren

[CartoonMike]

First, right click on an empty part of the top toolbar. Choose customize toolbar. In the windowpane that appears, drag the set called "Operations" to the toolbar. (you can also drag out another adjustable spacer if you want). Click OK.

 

The operation tools allow for different objects to be merged, subtracted and such. Hold your cursor over each button and a tooltip will appear with the button's name. We'll want to know where the subtract button is. 

 

The largest ellipse should be at the bottom with the smaller ones at the clock positions within the larger ellipse. It's easier if all the inner ellipses have been created already*. Select all of the ellipses. Click on the subtract button. 

 

You should have the large ellipse with holes cut out. 

 

For learning purposes, until we're familiar with Designer, go back to the toolbar, right click on an empty area and in the menu choose Icon and Text. This will make the toolbar taller (to make room for the text), but it makes up for it by giving us names for each set of tools. Once we're used to the tools, then we can go back to the Icons Only setting for the toolbar. 

 

To move/adjust the ellipses, select each node with the shift key pressed until every node in the "sub shape" is selected. Then click on a selected node and move the shape around.  We can also use the cursor keys to move the shape around.

 

*This is important, we should have a clear idea of what we're working on so all the parts are in place before we perform an operation on it. Then only one operation can be done at a time and it makes for a simpler and faster workflow, imho.

 

Hope this helps.

[Darren]

First, right click on an empty part of the top toolbar. Choose customize toolbar. In the windowpane that appears, drag the set called "Operations" to the toolbar. (you can also drag out another adjustable spacer if you want). Click OK.

 

The operation tools allow for different objects to be merged, subtracted and such. Hold your cursor over each button and a tooltip will appear with the button's name. We'll want to know where the subtract button is.

 

The largest ellipse should be at the bottom with the smaller ones at the clock positions within the larger ellipse. It's easier if all the inner ellipses have been created already*. Select all of the ellipses. Click on the subtract button.

 

You should have the large ellipse with holes cut out.

 

For learning purposes, until we're familiar with Designer, go back to the toolbar, right click on an empty area and in the menu choose Icon and Text. This will make the toolbar taller (to make room for the text), but it makes up for it by giving us names for each set of tools. Once we're used to the tools, then we can go back to the Icons Only setting for the toolbar.

 

To move/adjust the ellipses, select each node with the shift key pressed until every node in the "sub shape" is selected. Then click on a selected node and move the shape around. We can also use the cursor keys to move the shape around.

 

*This is important, we should have a clear idea of what we're working on so all the parts are in place before we perform an operation on it. Then only one operation can be done at a time and it makes for a simpler and faster workflow, imho.

 

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the detailed reply, that info will be of help to me. I forgot to mention in my first post, how can I easily position all of the holes so they are equally spaced around the clock? is there a way I can make one ellipse at 12 o'clock, copy that and then use the centre point of the large ellipse as some sort of pivot point and paste all the way around at correct intervals?

 

Attached is similar to what I am trying to achieve...

[Andy Somerfield]

Hi, 

 

Position the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock ones manually. Then select them both, duplicate, and rotate 30 degrees using by dragging the rotation "lollipop" with shift held down.

 

Then just keep pressing duplicate until they are all done (feature is called Power Duplicate - will keep applying the rotate each time you duplicate!)

 

Hope this helps,

 

AndyS

[CartoonMike]

Hi, 

 

Position the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock ones manually. Then select them both, duplicate, and rotate 30 degrees using by dragging the rotation "lollipop" with shift held down.

 

Then just keep pressing duplicate until they are all done (feature is called Power Duplicate - will keep applying the rotate each time you duplicate!)

 

Hope this helps,

 

AndyS

I'm gonna call this feature "Super-Duper" in my mind. :D

[MaxClass]

Darren,

 

Alternatively, once you have duplicated any object you can also go to the “Transform” fields at the lower rights of the window and type in an exact rotational value in the field following “R: ”. This will allow you to rotate any object to the exact rotational amount you would like.

 

Max



[Darren]

Hi, 

 

Position the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock ones manually. Then select them both, duplicate, and rotate 30 degrees using by dragging the rotation "lollipop" with shift held down.

 

Then just keep pressing duplicate until they are all done (feature is called Power Duplicate - will keep applying the rotate each time you duplicate!)

 

Hope this helps,

 

AndyS

Thanks Andy, that's great, that is exactly what I needed to know.

[Darren]

Darren,

 

Alternatively, once you have duplicated any object you can also go to the “Transform” fields at the lower rights of the window and type in an exact rotational value in the field following “R: ”. This will allow you to rotate any object to the exact rotational amount you would like.

 

Max



Thanks for the tip Max, that's great.

[Rik]

Hi, 

 

Position the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock ones manually. Then select them both, duplicate, and rotate 30 degrees using by dragging the rotation "lollipop" with shift held down.

 

Then just keep pressing duplicate until they are all done (feature is called Power Duplicate - will keep applying the rotate each time you duplicate!)

 

Hope this helps,

 

AndyS

Hi Andy.

 

Is there no way of inputting the amount you want to rotate?

A box to type in the amount.

[MEB]

Hi Rik,

have you tried to use the Transform tab to insert the values directly?

It should work. 

 

[EDIT] Nope. It doesn't work. Transform tab rotate and skew fields are still buggy.