Is it possible to constrain a line to certain measurements, and still adjust the curve?

[Oval]

Or with a ruler brush. Or with text “0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 B 1 2 ∞” on path … ;) which is really inaccurate even with a monospaced font.

[A_B_C]

Hi Oval,

 

a ruler brush was my first idea, but it turned out that it doesn’t work, even if you set the body to Repeat, as obviously required. But this text on path idea is gorgeous. You just have to separate the digits by equally spaced tabulators, and it will work pretty well. Wonderful idea …

 

Screen casts below …  :)

Alex

Measuring_Brush.mov

Text_On_Path.mov

[JimmyJack]

Sure it will.

Just don't use bez handles. Use straight segments and don't resize.

 

Oh wait, I'm using the dotted line, you're using an image. Hmmm

[A_B_C]

Right, JimmyJack, using a dotted line will amount to following my first idea …  ;)

[JimmyJack]

Text on Path.... Of course!!  :D

 

NICE!

[Oval]

Is this the hidden measuring tool? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Absolut_Beklopptes_Concept, but it works, hicks

 

[A_B_C]

:D

[JimmyJack]

Of course this doesn't solve the OP problem.

 

I know, I know.... I'm like a bucket of cold water <_< ....  :D .

Just turning up the heat on our own personal Manhattan Project  B) .

[Oval]

Doesn't solve the OP problem? … Why have we mobilized the army?  ;) :(  ;)

 

 

As we see in the animation, there is no need to set the path to a specific length "B” if you just copy the amount of tab stops (from TextEdit) you want or if you use just one tab stop @ "B”. If modified, the length remains constantly “B”. This is the mentioned physics engine of AD!   :)

[R C-R]

The OP asked if there was a way to automatically set all the letters' path lengths to one specific length, like 25 cm. Nobody has found a solution that does that....

[A_B_C]

Honestly, R C-R, I am curious how such an automatic setting of path length such as 25 cm would be supposed to work within the framework of a vector drawing app, according to your opinion. Does that really make sense? 

 

Suppose you created a “C” like in the illustration of Oval above. Now imagine you have a control panel that allows you (a.) to view the path length and (b.) set it to a certain value. Select your path and type in a certain value. What should happen to your path now? What shape should it assume to match the desired value?

 

Or suppose you could use such a panel to constrain a path to a certain length before even drawing this path. How would you imagine to draw it? Of course, there could be a maximum length solution, but what should happen when the maximum length is reached? Suppose you move a Bézier handle or a path node, when the path has already reached the desired maximum value, and by standard behavior the path would be extended by your action. Once again, is there a sensible way to determine which shape the path should assume?

 

Really puzzled …  :unsure:

[Oval]

Jillybelly28, it is so easy:

         [x cm is the desired length of each letter]

After creating a text on path (made in seconds: dash+one tab stop "at” x cm+dash, the path [just two or more nodes] length can be 0.001 mm or 1000 m), duplicate it (n-1 times for n letters), change the paths to the form of the desired letters (with the node tool, add or delete nodes). Ready! The length of the underlined (better: “strikethrough”) text will remain x cm. Numbers like above are not needed. Of course you could start with creating the letter forms, but this is the slow way in this design app.

 

Nothing in real typography works automatically because no software has the ability to design (a font) automatically. No well designed font or long text has letters that have the same path length. If you only have MMM or lll, no problem.

[A_B_C]

Indeed, that’s the easiest way to do it …  :)

 

(As I said, I fear no automatic solution will work in an environment like ours.)

[R C-R]

Honestly, R C-R, I am curious how such an automatic setting of path length such as 25 cm would be supposed to work within the framework of a vector drawing app, according to your opinion.

I have no idea about how this might work. I just reiterated what Jillybelly28 asked for in the first post of this discussion.

 

I'm also not sure how well the text on a path idea would work. Unless I am missing something, except for very simple cases where the path is just straight line segments, the path would still be a bezier curve, so the mathematical limitations previously mentioned would still apply, right?

[A_B_C]

Unless I am missing something, except for very simple cases where the path is just straight line segments, the path would still be a bezier curve, so the mathematical limitations previously mentioned would still apply, right?

 

I would say no, but I fear only Dave Harris, who created the text-on-path algorithm, could give a definite answer to your question. But you can perform a little experiment. Create a circle with a radius of 250px. Then the circumference C of the circle in pixels is given by the equation

 

C = 2 * pi * 250 px,

 

which amounts roughly to 1571px. Now convert your circle to a text path, go to the Paragraph panel, set your tab stops to 157px, and type “|” + “tab” ten times. Now you should have spaced the ten glyphs representing the character “|” almost equally around the circle. See below.

 

Hope this makes sense …  :)

Alex

[Oval]

Not clear why R C-R harbours doubts. Just measure the text paths (manually, by CAD app, …). Even if Jillybelly28 want to fly to the mars, AD is accurate enough.

 

 

Alex: Das Beispiel mit 15 Metern klappt wie erwartet ganz exakt (ADs Pi ist wohl sehr genau): Einfach einen Tab bei 15 m setzen und einen Kreis mit 15/pi m Durchmesser erstellen:

 

 

R C-R ist sehr skeptisch, oder? Aber besser als ungenau.

 

PS: AD kann einen 1000-Meter-Tabulator setzen; der passt aber leider nicht auf die Zeichenfläche!  :)

[Madame]

This is funny... ;)

 

Why not scan a graphpaper with a sketch-- 

[Oval]

Why not scan a graphpaper with a sketch-- 

Because sketches are not accurate and paper cannot calculate the length and say: stop the line, we have x cm now. Sorry, if we misunderstood that.

[R C-R]

"Now you should have spaced the glyphs representing the character “|” almost equally around the circle."

 

OK, but say I want something other than a circular letter shape, like an open curve for a M or whatever. In your gif file example, when you change the curve, the path length appears to be changing even though the text spacing is not, & when I try the same thing with the node tool, just the segment the pointer is over changes, not the whole curve. In fact, unless I know the path length to begin with, I don't see how I can create multiple text paths of equal length, then change their shape without changing the path length.

 

Clearly, I am missing a lot.  :(

[R C-R]

Not clear why R C-R harbours doubts.

Because I don't see how to avoid using bezier curves at the text path in the general case of smoothed, open paths. 

[Madame]

Because sketches are not accurate and paper cannot calculate the length and say: stop the line, we have x cm now. Sorry, if we misunderstood that.

It was a joke-- or at least an attempt. ;) But that's what I would have done. Pencil, ruler and graphpaper.

[Oval]

In your gif file example, when you change the curve, the path length appears to be changing 

 

The green text lines (20 inches) are what have to be discussed. They do not change their length. Do you see them change?

 

When the green text lines go to the right, only the path is enlarged virtually, not the green text lines.

[Oval]

Because I don't see how to avoid using bezier curves at the text path in the general case of smoothed, open paths. 

 

Why avoiding? They are exact and you can change them into every form that is possible.

[Oval]

It was a joke-- or at least an attempt. ;) But that's what I would have done. Pencil, ruler and graphpaper.

 

Ah, you have an exact working wheel ruler?

 

Much better in the analog world: She should do her letter design with n ropes that are exactly x cm long.

[JimmyJack]

Hi All  :)

 

My understanding of the initial question was....

 

How to have a curve (any length) which, when you manipulate it, bend it or push it around it retains its original length.

Like having a non stretchy piece of string that you push around into different shapes.

(It kinda got redefined in post #22 to... how do you measure the length of a curve.)

 

In 3D we do this primarily with a rig..... a bone structure within the object that is "essentially" straight segments that, when bent, deform a mesh smoothly but don't (unless you want them to) stretch the object. Depending on what kinematic system you're using you can grab sections or the tip of a curve (like a tail or a length of rope etc) and the whole chain will move. That's why I suggested using straight segments and then converting to smooth handles at the end.

Somebody else mentioned a physics engine, which does/can conserve length, it's just not really a precise object transformation method.

 

But I digress....

A B C's solution is great.

It's just working the problem from the opposite direction because, well, we have to... we have the variable length nature of our curves.

We can manipulate curves, but they are always changing overall length as a result. With the tape measure you just have to push and pull (and maybe delete an end point) to make sure you end up on the same hash mark for each shape. Love it.

 

Still, it would be a whole lot easier (perhaps it's just a dream) to not have to worry and just throw around a piece of string.

As the digital 3D and graphic worlds collide, maybe this will happen.

 

One question, though:

Once you have a curve shape set and measured how do you convert it back to a stroke-able curve? (I can't even seem to copy and paste the nodes). Maybe just a retrace over top....