Smart Lines/Strokes

[Neo]

Can we make strokes smart? When making an architectural or engineering design with Designer, can be have lines responsive to selection. For example, having a line between node points selectable... So it can be easily adjusted in width or height without having to redraw the whole thing. 

And adjusting the size or length of line should offset other contents attached to it. The Transform Point tool or just the transfer tool when two or more nodes are selected, works to some extent, but doesn't work well if the line is at an angle.

 

This would be awesome 

[JET_Affinity]

Neo,

Your post is a little difficult to understand because you are not consistently using the terminology of the program (or terms generic to programs of this genre). But after reading it a few times, it sounds to me that what you're desiring is the ability to select a straight path segment, and have just that segment's height and width displayed in the H and W fields so that you can numerically specify the height and width of just that segment.

While I agree whole-heartedly with the basic need, I see two  problems with it:

First, you would still have the same problem you mention with diagonals ("...doesn't work well...at an angle"). Far better is to be able to specify the length of the selected segment, which Affinity does provide for:

1. Pen Tool: Click 3 times to draw a path consisting of two diagonal straight segments.
2. Node Tool: Select the two nodes at the ends of the segment of interest. The L field of Transform Panel shows the length between those two nodes. The R field shows the angle of that segment. You can key in the desired length without changing the R value.

Of course, that brings up your second problem: "...adjusting the size or length of line should offset other contents attached to it...". Changing the length of one segment without changing its angle necessarily changes the length and angle of any adjacent segment of the same path.

But are you aware that you can, for example:

1. Move Tool: Select the path.
2. Point Transform Tool: Click one end of one of the segment of interest to set the Transform Origin at that node.
3. Point Transform Tool: Mousedown on one of the other nodes, press shift and drag. As you drag, Shift constrains the direction relative to the Transform Origin. The other segment also moves and scales. A cursor tooltip displays the scaling change as a percentage.

In other words, if I'm understanding you correctly, what you want is the ability to specify the length of a straight segment without changing its angle (which we can already do), but have a choice as to whether doing so changes angles and lengths of adjacent segments of the same path to accommodate (as it does) or scales the whole path to accommodate (which it doesn't).

All that would be needed to provide that is another proportional chain link icon in the Transform panel (next to the L field) or (perhaps more intuitive) a single checkbox labeled "Scale Path".

Bottom line is: Affinity already provides more in this regard than most programs of this genre; the ability to numerically specify the length of a diagonal straight segment without changing its angle. A simple, modest addition of another proportional link icon or checkbox associated with the L field could greatly enhance that ability.

But meanwhile, at least a workaround is possible using the Point Transform Tool, as described above. In programs of this genre, (Bezier-based drawing programs) the underlying geometry required for many tasks is there, but the interface just doesn't include explicit tools for them. So it's often necessary to employ a little on-page temporary 'construction' to do them. Such a workaround for this would be to:

1. PenTool: Draw a separate temporary path to serve as a 'ruler', snapping to the nodes at the ends of the segment of interest.
2. Node Tool: Select both nodes of the temporary path. Set the desired length in the L field.
3. Point Transform Tool: Click the original path to select it. Click the node that corresponds to one end of the 'ruler'. Mousedown on the other end of the segment of interest. Press Shift and drag to the other end of the 'ruler'.

Move Tool: Select and delete the temporary 'ruler' path.

JET

[Neo]

Hi, 

Yeah, i understand all you mentioned to a large degree. To clarify, what I'm referring to is something like what you get with AutoCAD and the likes. 

[Mithferion]

21 hours ago, Neo said:

To clarify, what I'm referring to is something like what you get with AutoCAD and the likes. 

Bringing some examples would make it even clearer.

Best regards!