An "impossible" arrowhead?

[joe_l]

Variatio delectat or there is more than one way to create an arrow in Affinity. But none of the solutions I found is satisfactory. Maybe there is no solution without a disadvantage.

Attached image shows four arrows.

A is made with the Arrow Tool. Not easy to handle, when you add changes to the direction.

B is a line made with an additional stroke in Appearance, BUT the black arrowhead is not perfectly placed above the white arrowhead.

C has an Outline FX, but with a rounded white arrowhead and getting rasterised on export.

D is the perfect one, but made of two lines. Too much work.

Anyone an easy solution I haven't thought of?

 

[carl123]

You have shown us 3 examples of what you don't want

Can you show us one example of what you do want?

[Aammppaa]

Use the Contour Tool to add the white outline. 

You can use a symbol to keep the arrow and it's outline in sync. 

[joe_l]

20 minutes ago, Aammppaa said:

Use the Contour Tool to add the white outline.

Not possible on a line made with the Pen Tool.

[joe_l]

32 minutes ago, carl123 said:

Can you show us one example of what you do want?

Replaced the image. D would look perfect.

[Aammppaa]

9 minutes ago, joe_l said:

D would look perfect.

But... the white stroke doesn't wrap the end of the line?!

[joe_l]

Just now, Aammppaa said:

But... the white stroke doesn't wrap the end of the line?!

This part is not so important to me. It is just the white / black arrowheads to be placed perfectly.

[Aammppaa]

I agree with your unspoken criticism that the arrow head should be centered when adding an additional stroke. Indeed I recall making the same complaint myself during the beta when arrowheads were first introduced!

I think your original post is correct... there are many ways to achieve this, but none is perfect. Each is a compromise that will work in some situations and not others.

Attached is one such example... using a single triangle, and two copies of the line kept in sync with symbols. It works great, until it doesn't! Symbols have their quirks.

Arrow Symbol Example.afdesign

[iconoclast]

What about drawing the line with the pen tool, set the thickness of the stroke and add an arrowhead to it, then "Expand Stroke" (menu "Layer") and then add an outline?

[joe_l]

5 minutes ago, iconoclast said:

What about drawing the line with the pen tool, set the thickness of the stroke and add an arrowhead to it, then "Expand Stroke" (menu "Layer") and then add an outline?

I would like to have an easier way, just a simple line, which can be moved and bended in any direction. Try to unbend the lines with your workflow shown in the attached image. This would take a bit longer. I am using quite often arrows, so this would take too long. I have to confess, the double line arrowhead is a rare use-case.

[Aammppaa]

Here's another interesting option...

The arrow is made of a single path (with a contour applied), and a single triangle, combined as a Compound. As such, both remain fully editable.

This is a new idea to me, and the best workaround I've found to date.

Arrow Compound with Contour Example.afdesign

[R C-R]

7 hours ago, Aammppaa said:

Here's another interesting option...

The drawback for that is if you bend the middle of the line the triangle does not automatically rotate to meet it at the appropriate angle....

[Aammppaa]

2 hours ago, R C-R said:

The drawback for that is if you bend the middle of the line the triangle does not automatically rotate to meet it at the appropriate angle....

Absolutely. It would be far preferable if multiple strokes applied to arrowheads worked correctly, with the width of the stroke being even all around the arrow.