Curve with a lot of points

[PBc]

Hi,

I have curves which have a LOT of points (Imported). I would realy like to have smooth curves, close to the original curve. Sadly "smooth curve" function makes everything messed up and the original shape will get lost. 

Am I missing a function or a workflow step?

Best,

PBc

Edited May 25, 2022 by PBc
tipos

[Callum]

Hi PBC,

If smooth curves isn't working I can't really think of any way that you might be able to reduce the number of nodes in your path this can be an unfortunate side effect of importing vectors created with different applications.

Thanks
C

[v_kyr]

In case you have access to other vector based software too (like Illustrator, Inkscape see bottom page "Simplification", Vectornator Ipad) you can try their simplify path functions, in order to see if it makes any difference here then.

See also:

 

[PBc]

Okay Thank you all!

So I have to use another programm, sad :3

[firstdefence]

Is it possible to upload the file for us to look at?

[PBc]

Here you go ^^ 

thx

lotofpoints_fraktal.afdesign

[v_kyr]

You can even in ADe simplify things slightly here, so be leaved with less nodes/points ...

Select a bunch of nodes and perform (1), afterwards select the smooth nodes and perform (2).

[PBc]

Okay thank you!

This is what I tryed, but stil im not satisfied  but if this is the only way I have to do it, or hand scetch.

 

 

[v_kyr]

11 minutes ago, PBc said:

...or hand scetch

This would offer the most compact/optimized shape/curve creation, aka when in ADe manually redrawn and adjusted accordingly, in terms of the amount of nodes usage then.

[firstdefence]

looking at the file there are a lot of nuanced points that are kind of necessary to the shape. Looks like you have traced to vector, and, as I know fractals have a lot of detail so I'm not surprised there are so many nodes.

I doubt very much this is a consequence of import, i.e. Affinity Designer adding nodes for the sake of it.

What is the end goal here by the way.

 

[PBc]

22 hours ago, firstdefence said:

What is the end goal here by the way.

 

Making a simple(r) (vector) version of the image by using a fast workflow to iterate on different images (comming from a python script).

Vectored form would be used for all kind of designs.

 

[Neosim]

It should work as they programmed it in old Xara but unfortunately i don't see such of thing in Affinity.

In Xara reducing of nodes is simple as Selection of nodes + Smoothing Slider   

[John Rostron]

Given an svg file, it should be possible to create a script to 'defractalise' it. I can see how it could be done, but it would not be a trivial exercise!

John

[Neosim]

1 minute ago, John Rostron said:

Given an svg file, it should be possible to create a script to 'defractalise' it. I can see how it could be done, but it would not be a trivial exercise!

John

Generally i'm amazed of software engeeners and work of them. Nothing is trivial in the backstage. I am only a "clicker" of the most top layer of the software. Below of it is magic of algorythms.🤯

[maxen]

There is definetely missing a dialog for setting the strength of the smoothing. Have an imported GPS-Track here with thousends of points - and one click on "smooth curve" reduces them to about 10! The result is lacking any resemblance of the original curve.
Currently this tool is utterly useless.

[Neosim]

45 minutes ago, maxen said:

There is definetely missing a dialog for setting the strength of the smoothing. Have an imported GPS-Track here with thousends of points - and one click on "smooth curve" reduces them to about 10! The result is lacking any resemblance of the original curve.
Currently this tool is utterly useless.
Sadly I can't upload screenshots - I get an error message every time (error 200).

Unfortunately smothing in my particular example is not reducing any number of nodes. It's multiplying them x2

[maxen]

I still hope they improve this fearure. Another bug is, when zooming in on a curve with a lot of points (as in my example above), AD becomes absolute inresponsive. You literally can't do anything because AD seems to recalculate all the time, even, if you don't do anything.

[MO2S]

in 2024 something as basic as Simplify Path should really be an option if affinity is serious about offering competition to adobe, this is hardly a groundbreaking feature for any design tool, least of all a vector specific one. 

 

I mean... Image Trace > Simplify Paths... is such a fundamental part of a workflow it's pretty ridiculous that it isn't included at all. 

[Neosim]

On 7/26/2024 at 10:43 PM, MO2S said:

in 2024 something as basic as Simplify Path should really be an option if affinity is serious about offering competition to adobe, this is hardly a groundbreaking feature for any design tool, least of all a vector specific one. 

 

I mean... Image Trace > Simplify Paths... is such a fundamental part of a workflow it's pretty ridiculous that it isn't included at all. 

I like Designer a lot in context of app&web development/animation/3d and cnc in near future. I am working for years close to web development subjects, so paths simplefing is crusial for me because I need to correct ussualy other people's sloppy work in SVG. I'm really waiting for path simplifing feature.

[maxen]

Sadly, the performance issue persists. I had to create a curve with a LOT of nodes (it's a pattern I have to give to printing service, so I had to convert the symbols) and it's practically unusable. Interstingly the problem grows the more you zoom in. So, the lesser you see, the more unrespnsive AD gets. Even up to a point where you can't add nodes to a selection because AD needs to long to realize, that you Shift-clicked. It simply ignores the Shift-Keystroke and creates a new selection.
My machine is more than capable of doing such stuff (Win10  | i9 9900 | RTX 4080 + RTX 2080) so it's ridiculous, that these things still happen...

[carl123]

@maxen Can you upload the problematic Affinity document? 

[MEB]

Hi @maxen,
Does you have Snapping enabled? It might be trying to calculate/snap to several references at once thus slowing the app down. What's your snap settings?
A sample file as carl123 suggested would help us to see/replicate the issue. Thanks.

[maxen]

Here you are.

LargeCurveIssue.afdesign

[Neosim]

On 9/19/2024 at 3:18 PM, maxen said:

Here you are.

LargeCurveIssue.afdesign 9.56 MB · 12 downloads

You should probably use a simplified version of the elements, with a shape symbol. And intelligent cloning and rotating of the symbol element. In the end you will probably need some kind of black and white bitmap for the Spot UV layer (I assume you want that).  In my example from the screen you have 22 knots on two layers (6sides Polygon Curve 34% and Smooth points enabled and two paths shape wchich you can even change to stroke of the polygon and clip inside outer polygon shape) versus 65 knots if you automatically flatten strokes and merge shapes. So you triple the number of knots.

[maxen]

Of course, simplifying the objects would help - but the issue still persists (and that simply shouldn't be the case because there is no reason for it). I have to submit the vector files to printing service (the make our clubs cycling clothes) and I can't directly communicate withe the "design department" there. I don't want to take any channces they mess something up, so I avoided any line thickness definitions.

Nevertehless thanks for your suggestion.