Shapes - Equilateral Triangle

[Timespider]

Lately I've needed to create/insert/make Equilateral Triangles.
You would think you could go to the triangle shape & presto make an Equilateral Triangle.
But no you have to go to a different shape maker than triangle to make a triangle like Alfred has said Here .

You can't even create one and save it as a preset as Dan_C has said Here - Why?
Dan says because you already have the shape so can't generate a new preset, but I don't have an Equilateral Triangle and why can't I make 2 of them anyway? The right angle two tringles in there already are the same triangle in reverse. So they really are two of the same shape.

Why do I have to go to a different shape maker than the shape it is, to make a shape that should already exist?

Come on Affinity fix the "Create Preset" or add the Equilateral Triangle as a default shape - Please.

[v_kyr]

19 minutes ago, Timespider said:

You would think you could go to the triangle shape & presto make an Equilateral Triangle.

Looks Ok to me with that predefined triangle shape, when setup accordingly ...

... all angles are 60° and all lines (copied one red two times and just arranged all three by keeping their initial length) fit to the side lengths.

And if you can't make own presets out of that, create your own reusable assets then instead (...as I did for my school rulers).

[walt.farrell]

48 minutes ago, Timespider said:

You can't even create one and save it as a preset as Dan_C has said Here - Why?

That's not what he said. He said you can't create a Preset from a Shape you haven't modified.

[Timespider]

Hi v_kyr thanks for replying.
My bad, I was going off a description here https://search.brave.com/search?q=equilateral triangle&source=alteredQuery&spellcheck=0 where it said all sides were of equal length which is what I wanted

I do have the Equilateral Triangle as an asset but it would be easier to have it as a shape

[walt.farrell]

5 minutes ago, Timespider said:

My bad, I was going off a description here https://search.brave.com/search?q=equilateral triangle&source=alteredQuery&spellcheck=0 where it said all sides were of equal length which is what I wanted

That's a correct description. 

[v_kyr]

2 hours ago, Timespider said:

but it would be easier to have it as a shape

That's what I've used above, that shape you've pointed to by writing "This is not an Equilateral Triangle". And as I've shown you above, it is an equilateral triangle when sized accordingly!

[Aammppaa]

24 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

that shape you've pointed to by writing "This is not an Equilateral Triangle". And as I've shown you above, it is an equilateral triangle!

Perhaps I am missing something obvious... but the triangle shape only has one parametric control (Top Point), which defines where the top point sits as a percentage of the width of the triangle. The preset in question has this set to 50%, the middle, which is where it would need to be for an equilateral triangle, BUT...

I can drag out a triangle of any height and click the preset. It will center the Top Point, but it is certainly not equilateral!

If I drag and hold Shift to constrain height = width, again this is not equilateral. Indeed the height should be: width × sin(60)

So, I agree with @Timespider... the triangle tool can not easily create equilateral triangles, and the first preset draws isosceles triangles, not equilateral. Plus there is no way to force the triangle tool to draw only equilateral triangles, nor to save a preset that only creates equilateral triangles.

And the help agrees too...

Quote

To create a true equilateral triangle (where all three sides are the same length), use the Polygon Tool. Ensure that you constrain the shape with the   as you draw, and then set the number of sides to 3 on the context toolbar.

Though to be fair the icon does show an isosceles triangle!

[Timespider]

Hi v_kyr,
I think the the point here is,
In my original post I presumed it wasn't an equilateral triangle, in my 2nd post I show the description I was referring to which states that an Equilateral Triangle should have equal length sides.
The Affinity triangle shape tool doesn't create that by default, well not for me.

I believe walt.farrel is also saying my description of equal sides is correct too, unless I have misinterpreted what he's meaning (then sorry walt if I've misquoted you). 

[v_kyr]

10 minutes ago, Aammppaa said:

I can drag out a triangle of any height and click the preset. It will center the Top Point, but it is certainly not equilateral!

If I drag and hold Shift to constrain height = width, again this is not equilateral. Indeed the height should be: width × sin(60)

31 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

And as I've shown you above, it is an equilateral triangle when sized accordingly!

See what I've wrote above and measure angles and red line lengths for this below triangle, which is accordingly sized (adapted) out of that initial (50% middle) shaped one then. As default (as it is when dragged out) it isn't equilateral, but it's easy to make it an equilateral one.

• triangle_shape2.afdesign

And the above first shown one ...

• triangle_shape.afdesign

[v_kyr]

27 minutes ago, Timespider said:

In my original post I presumed it wasn't an equilateral triangle, in my 2nd post I show the description I was referring to which states that an Equilateral Triangle should have equal length sides.

That's right, an equilateral triangle has equal length sides and all of it's angles have to be 60°! - The by Serif provided triangle (with 50% middle point) as shown there, as default isn't one, but can be transformed/sized accordingly to be then one. - So my point is/was more (maybe not well expressed), that you can just reuse that initial generic 50% middle point shape there in order to build an equilateral triangle out of it.

[Timespider]

Hi  v_kyr t,
thanks for replying again & the effort in answering.
If I used your triangles in a precise geometric drawing I'd end up with issues as they too are not true equilateral, the first with the protractors is 60.1 & -60.1 degrees the 2nd is 60.4 & -60.4 degrees.

In my (messy) attached image is what I mean. 
I took off your red lines & put a stroke on your triangle duplicated it & converted the right one to curves.
I broke the curves using the node tools, then selected the lines to see if it was a true equilateral which it isn't.

This is sort of my point that I want to be able to create a true equilateral from the triangle shape tool panel.
Like shown, my triangle is from existing assets which is a true one but it's a hassle finding it when I need it. 
Even locking keys like shift+alt or extra tools would help, but just add the equilateral in the presets or allow me to create one.

[henryanthony]

I may be missing the whole point of this thread somehow but, using Designer V1, if I select the Polygon Tool, Sides: 3, and hold down the Shift Key, I get an equilateral triangle. 

[Timespider]

Hi henryanthony,
Not in Designer 2 to get 3 equal sides, well not on my PC windows 11.

[Timespider]

30 minutes ago, henryanthony said:

I may be missing the whole point of this thread somehow but, using Designer V1, if I select the Polygon Tool, Sides: 3, and hold down the Shift Key, I get an equilateral triangle. 

Hi henryanthony I just opened up Affinity version 1, and no it doesn't create a equilateral triangle with the shift key held down, it creates an isosceles triangle like Aammppaa has mentioned above.

[henryanthony]

OK, here is my poorly produced video. Please bear with me. First Triangle is without Shift. Second triangle is with Shift depressed while dragging a 3 sided polygon.

 

[Timespider]

Hi henryanthony
Yes it can be done like that but that's not the triangle tool.
I mentioned this method in my first post.

Thanks for doing the reply

Edited January 11, 2024 by Timespider
forgot to thanks henryanthony

[henryanthony]

@Timespider, I saw that in your first post and true, it is the Polygon tool and not the Triangle tool yet it gets the job done.

 

[NotMyFault]

I often use the polygon tool set to 3 edges. As long you are keeping the bounding box at 1:1 aspect ratio it will provide the wanted triangle.

[v_kyr]

5 hours ago, Timespider said:

If I used your triangles in a precise geometric drawing I'd end up with issues as they too are not true equilateral, the first with the protractors is 60.1 & -60.1 degrees the 2nd is 60.4 & -60.4 degrees.

Blame my unaccurate "decimal places for unit types settings here for the 0.x degree shifts" as the whole was for demonstration purposes just via mouse hand drawn & placed.

6 hours ago, Timespider said:

This is sort of my point that I want to be able to create a true equilateral from the triangle shape tool panel.
Like shown, my triangle is from existing assets which is a true one but it's a hassle finding it when I need it. 
Even locking keys like shift+alt or extra tools would help, but just add the equilateral in the presets or allow me to create one.

Then file in a feature request for additions of that under the forums Feedback & Suggestions category. Maybe they will add an exact equilateral triangle one then predefined in/for future versions.

[Dan C]

Thanks for your post @Timespider!

I believe the Triangle Tool is currently working as expected, and is correctly described in the Help file, as @Aammppaa covers above:

10 hours ago, Aammppaa said:

Quote

To create a true equilateral triangle (where all three sides are the same length), use the Polygon Tool. Ensure that you constrain the shape with the Shift Key as you draw, and then set the number of sides to 3 on the context toolbar.

The default preset, with the Top Point set at 50%, will create an Isosceles Triangle.

The preset manager for any Quick Shape object is designed to save custom shape values the user has set - as the Triangle Tool only supports the 'Top Point' as a customisable value, this is the only property that will be retained with your saved preset.

This is why you are unable to create an Equilateral Triangle preset, as the Top Point will remain at 50% and this has already been added as a default preset.

I'll move this thread to the Feedback section of the forums for our team to see and consider your suggestions for the Triangle Tool itself - but at this time I'd recommend using the Polygon tool for Equilateral Triangles, as required: 

I hope this clears things up