Spiral Tool

[Ash]

Apps: All
Platforms: macOS, Windows and iPad

 

We have now added a spiral tool which is available from the shape tools flyout. This is something we have had many requests for, but also varying requests as to the type of result wanted. For that reason we have tried to make this as flexible as possible, both offering different types of spiral and variables to adjust.

When you create a spiral you will see from the context toolbar the different options available. Here are some examples of what you can create with the tool:

Spiral Type: Linear

Spiral Type: Decaying

Spiral Type: Semi-Circular

This type replicates the way many people have been creating a spiral in Affinity - effectively by joining decreasing semi circular arcs together.  With this type we also offer a counter Semi-circular option which returns the spiral back on itself:

Spiral Type: Fibonacci

Spiral Type: Plotted

 

 

[Hangman]

A really really cool new addition, thank you...

[Gnobelix]

Waited a long time, but now it's here, the spiral tool.👍👍
Initial tests with the new tool are promising.

Thanks to the Serif team.

Cheers

[Circulus]

Nice additional tool.
To bad it only has context toolbar options and none on canvas like other quick shapes.
The presence of nodes suggests as such but it would only draw a new spiral.

Maybe have something like this:
 

 

[ronnyb]

@Ash wonderful  news! Quick question: is there any chance to have a TRUE PHI-ratio spiral tool option (in contradistinction to the Fibonacci option which is an integer approximation) ?

By TRUE spiral, i mean a spiral that is CONTINUOUSLY changing its rate of expansion/contraction, not just at periodic intervals like 90 degrees etc, but continuously along every point on the spiral… 🌀 

Thanks for all you do!

[ronnyb]

31 minutes ago, Return said:

Nice additional tool.
To bad it only has context toolbar options and none on canvas like other quick shapes.
The presence of nodes suggests as such but it would only draw a new spiral.

+1 for on-canvas shape controls (not only Context toolbar)

[Frozen Death Knight]

Thanks for adding this in! Been playing around with the settings and I like how many shape options there are packed into this tool. Agree with the above posts, but overall, nice job!

[Ben]

48 minutes ago, ronnyb said:

@Ash wonderful  news! Quick question: is there any chance to have a TRUE PHI-ratio spiral tool option (in contradistinction to the Fibonacci option which is an integer approximation) ?

By TRUE spiral, i mean a spiral that is CONTINUOUSLY changing its rate of expansion/contraction, not just at periodic intervals like 90 degrees etc, but continuously along every point on the spiral… 🌀 

Thanks for all you do!

Yes - the construction for a Phi spiral would be fundamentally different to Fibonacci.  The Fibonacci we build from the centre following the sequence.  A Phi spiral would be a constant scaling from the outside.  I'll have a think.

Actually - try using the Decaying spiral, set "Decay per segment" and use 100-(100/phi) for the Decay value. I could probably add this as a preset.

We do have a continuous spiral - it's the plotted one.  Each point is correctly placed.  Currently it's line segments only (though you can increase that to add accuracy).  If I can figure out the maths for correct(ish) curve segments I'll add it.

[Mithferion]

1 hour ago, Return said:

Maybe like so:

This looks nice, and it has more options than the Spiral found in Inkscape.

Hope it's added since I can see the benefits.

By the hope, hope I can participate in this Beta run,

Best regards!

[Affinityconfusesme]

+1 for on canvas shape controls also.

[Ben]

I can look into on-canvas controls, but not all values/properties can be easily represented with a control point.  

[prophet]

Nice tool.

Is there much call for the "Semi-Circular" spiral? I get that it's a recreation of the workaround people have been using, but with a true Linear spiral, I can't see a use case for it. The double-back option is nice. Could that be added to other spirals as well?

[Ben]

54 minutes ago, prophet said:

Nice tool.

Is there much call for the "Semi-Circular" spiral? I get that it's a recreation of the workaround people have been using, but with a true Linear spiral, I can't see a use case for it. The double-back option is nice. Could that be added to other spirals as well?

Yes, because it is the only curved spiral that finishes in the centre of the shape - all other curved spirals have a non-centred end.  The plotted one achieves this (currently) at the expense of it using straight lines to link the procedurally placed points.

[earl_grey]

in Windows version, some buttons and options are clipped after open "Create Spiral" CTRL+left mouse click

[loukash]

On 10/24/2023 at 3:21 PM, Ash said:

When you create a spiral you will see from the context toolbar the different options available.

Very intuitive to use. I love it!

12 hours ago, Return said:

it only has context toolbar options and none on canvas like other quick shapes.

Yes, those red dot handles would be nice.

41 minutes ago, earl_grey said:

"Create Spiral" CTRL+left mouse click

Got confused by "ctrl" first, but for the record, it's cmd-click on Mac.

[loukash]

44 minutes ago, earl_grey said:

in Windows version, some buttons and options are clipped

On Mac there are actually symbols inside the buttons, not text. Text appears only as tooltip.

[Sean P]

8 hours ago, earl_grey said:

in Windows version, some buttons and options are clipped after open "Create Spiral" CTRL+left mouse click

Thanks! I'll get this logged with development!

[md_germany]

nice

[Andrew Buckle]

Brilliant, a super useful addition to AP.

Would love to see a jitter / randomization feature added to it so each node is slightly jittered from its defined position.

 

And perhaps a separate segment feature so each segment is a curve which can then be moved independently ? (though this would end up lots of curves, they could then be quickly re-coloured as well adding different strokes and stroke settings to them as well as different effects etc to each

[Kevin M]

Awesome.  Really gonna help with engraving designs.

[nomi02118]

I forgot how much I wanted this feature! 

[Andrew Buckle]

Would love to see a quick way to convert the stroke into a fill so you then get a proper filled spiral ?  Workaround being a selection for the layer and just filling that (is there another way ? ) 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Andrew Buckle
added a pic

[Sean P]

29 minutes ago, Andrew Buckle said:

Would love to see a quick way to convert the stroke into a fill so you then get a proper filled spiral ?  Workaround being a selection for the layer and just filling that (is there another way ? ) 

Expand Stroke does exactly this already!

[EricP]

really nice job. Thank you Serif !

[loukash]

Fun fact:
Copying a Spiral from v2.3 to a v2.2.1 document will keep it as a "Spiral" object, albeit altering the curve slightly. And with no options to manipulate the spiral any furter apart from the standard options available for any vector shape.

So apparently some basic spiral support was already present in v2.x under the hood.