How to connect nodes mid-path? (Affinity Designer V1 Mac desktop)

[OSM]

Hello,
I am trying to connect a line perpendicularly to create separate connected shapes in a rectangle (like making "shoebox" shapes within a larger rectangle). Can someone please tell me how to do this? I cannot seem to connect nodes mid-path.  See screenshot below. 

Thank you for any help! 
So frustrating...

Ola

[R C-R]

The red node is not part of a closed curve, so you need to click "Close Curve" to do that before continuing.

[v_kyr]

Try to break curve the selected nodes first. Then select the nodes and join curves. - So try like this ...

 

 

 

[Alfred]

Welcome to the Serif Affinity Forums, @OSM.

A node can be connected to a maximum of two other nodes, so you can’t do as you’ve described. The best you can do is to superimpose the nodes that you are unable to join.

[OSM]

26 minutes ago, R C-R said:

The red node is not part of a closed curve, so you need to click "Close Curve" to do that before continuing.

Thank you, but (as you see in the top toolbar), "close curve" is not an option either when I select them. 

[OSM]

 

25 minutes ago, Alfred said:

Welcome to the Serif Affinity Forums, @OSM.

A node can be connected to a maximum of two other nodes, so you can’t do as you’ve described. The best you can do is to superimpose the nodes that you are unable to join.

Thank you for your welcome, @Alfred 😊

And for your help. However I don't understand. I am only trying to connect 2 nodes at a time (one on each end of the perpendicular line). Also, I don't know what it means to "superimpose"...do you mean simply leaving them unconnected but laying on top of one another? 

[R C-R]

1 minute ago, OSM said:

Thank you, but (as you see in the top toolbar), "close curve" is not an option either when I select them. 

I think this is because you have 2 curve objects selected (one of which I suspect is already closed). Try selecting them one at a time & seeing which if any actions are available.....

[Alfred]

2 minutes ago, OSM said:

I am only trying to connect 2 nodes at a time (one on each end of the perpendicular line).

You’re trying to connect each of those two nodes to a node which is part of another line and is therefore already connected to two other nodes. In order to form a T-junction you would have to connect it to a third node, and you can’t do that.

2 minutes ago, OSM said:

Also, I don't know what it means to "superimpose"...do you mean simply leaving them unconnected but laying on top of one another?

That’s exactly what I mean. Just make sure that your Snapping settings order the superimposed node to lie precisely on top of the node on the other line.

[OSM]

39 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

Try to break curve the selected nodes first. Then select the nodes and join curves. - So try like this ...

Thank you, @v_kyr..... I did that and it sort-of worked...... but it created a double-stroke (when I pulled the line to see if it was connected- see screenshot below). And then it's still broken at the top. Seems odd. And if I delete one node on each end, then I'm back to the line being disconnected. Why wont it just connect cleanly?
It doesn't seem like this should be so difficult or convoluted...

 

 

[R C-R]

2 minutes ago, OSM said:

Why wont it just connect cleanly?

How many nodes are you trying to connect together? Is it more than two?

[OSM]

12 minutes ago, Alfred said:

You’re trying to connect each of those two nodes to a node which is part of another line and is therefore already connected to two other nodes. In order to form a T-junction you would have to connect it to a third node, and you can’t do that.

That’s exactly what I mean. Just make sure that your Snapping settings order the superimposed node to lie precisely on top of the node on the other line.

Ok...I think I understand. It seems like a basic kind of thing, to just want to connect a new node on a path though. Don't get why it's not allowed. 

Thanks for your explanation and for clarifying superimpose. 

[OSM]

2 minutes ago, R C-R said:

How many nodes are you trying to connect together? Is it more than two?

[R C-R]

@OSM, in your last screenshot the two circled nodes are already connected to each other, so what exactly are you trying to connect either or both of them to?

[v_kyr]

39 minutes ago, OSM said:

The rectangle hasn't nodes where you want to connect it to at both sides, so you would first of all need to add/intoduce some nodes there (with the Node tool) in order to connect to there.

Other than that it's sometimes easier to create an outlined filled black big rectangle and then to place the shorter 4 vertical filled rects on top of that. Afterwards to select all of those rects and perform a geometrical addition to them, so you will get at the end one shape as shown in your initial shown screenshot.

 

 

[R C-R]

1 minute ago, v_kyr said:

The rectangle hasn't nodes where you want to connect it to at both sides, so you would first of all need to add/intoduce some nodes there (with the Node tool) in order to connect to there.

How could you connect either of the 2 nodes on the curve layer to any node on the rectangle layer after it is converted to a shape object?

[v_kyr]

3 minutes ago, R C-R said:

How could you connect either of the 2 nodes on the curve layer to any node on the rectangle layer after it is converted to a shape object?

You have to convert it to curves first.

[R C-R]

5 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

You have to convert it to curves first.

But after you do that & add one or more nodes to it, how can you connect any node added to it to either of the nodes of the 2 node curve object?

[v_kyr]

27 minutes ago, R C-R said:

But after you do that & add one or more nodes ...

For stroke drawn curves one will have just overlapping nodes, those introduced (overlapped not connected) are positional joined here.

[R C-R]

Those overlapping nodes are not, nor can they be, connected to either of the 2 nodes of the 2 node curve. That's because as @Alfred already mentioned, you cannot connect 3 nodes together to create a "T" junction.

[v_kyr]

I know, but you can get a similar arrangement like the combined curves shown as an outline here ...

... which then visually resembles as curves what the OP is after.

[R C-R]

2 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

I know, but you can get a similar arrangement like the combined curves shown as an outline here ...

Aside from tons of extra nodes, to my eye that looks nothing like the 'mid-path' connection the OP wants.

[v_kyr]

51 minutes ago, R C-R said:

to my eye that looks nothing like the 'mid-path' connection the OP wants

You can not create nonmanifold geometry. One can not just merge any node with any other node. You can only merge the endpoints or adjacent nodes together. So you cannot join (or merge) a node in the middle of a path to another node on another path. It's not possible in any common 2D vector image editor. In vector graphics only the end nodes of two paths can be joined! Thus the OP has to place his single intersection line curves to that rect on top of each other in such a manner (node on node snapped) that they stay like glued together. That's what the above shown break curve & join curves will result to.

Further I've shown also a maybe for him easier way of geometrical adding shapes/rects into one curves object, which in turn will result to what I've shown in an outline view, so that it's better viewable that the whole curves object is then still build up of several curves with start & end nodes building then one combined curves obj!

[OSM]

3 hours ago, R C-R said:

@OSM, in your last screenshot the two circled nodes are already connected to each other, so what exactly are you trying to connect either or both of them to?

To the line of the square. So I had first made nodes on the line, thinking that I could just hook them up easily. Apparently not.

[OSM]

2 hours ago, v_kyr said:

The rectangle hasn't nodes where you want to connect it to at both sides, so you would first of all need to add/intoduce some nodes there (with the Node tool) in order to connect to there.

Other than that it's sometimes easier to create an outlined filled black big rectangle and then to place the shorter 4 vertical filled rects on top of that. Afterwards to select all of those rects and perform a geometrical addition to them, so you will get at the end one shape as shown in your initial shown screenshot.

 

 

Thank you so much for this, @v_kyr! This is another option for sure. The reason I went with the pen tool and paths, is because the rectangle (an awning of a building) is in perspective, so I needed to adjust the rectangle for that. Also, the bottoms of the interior smaller rectangles are curved, so it's faster and easier to create this with flexible paths. 

[OSM]

31 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

You can not create nonmanifold geometry. One can not just merge any node with any other node. You can only merge the endpoints or adjacent nodes together. So you cannot join (or merge) a node in the middle of a path to another node on another path. It's not possible in any common 2D vector image editor. In vector graphics only the end nodes of two paths can be joined! Thus the OP has to place his single intersection line curves to that rect on top of each other in such a manner (node on node snapped) that they stay like glued together. That's what the above shown break curve & join curves will result to.

Further I've shown also a maybe for him easier way of geometrical adding shapes/rects into one curves object, which in turn will result to what I've shown in an outline view, so that it's better viewable that the whole curves object is then still build up of several curves with start & end nodes building then one combined curves obj!

Ok...I think i understand. And I think it's odd/frustrating that we can't join/merge a node in the middle of a path to another node (in any 2D vector editor). 

So, that being the case....what I will try to do, is create separate smaller rectangles with rounded bottoms and then lay them over the larger rectangle which I will adjust for perspective. Then adjust the smaller rectangles to fit the perspective of the big one.