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Drawing a Special Path in Affinity Designer


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I have a map I am working on that has a path that represents a railroad. At the moment, I have it represented by a dash (using the Affinity Designer 2 node tool. I'd like to make it like the attached image (the line just above the North Toe River) - basically tick marks on a solid line. Is there a way to do this using the node tool or how should i approach drawing a line to resemble what is illustrated in the attached image?

Thank you for your help!

Screenshot 2024-01-24 at 3.15.31 PM.png

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Create a brush. 

  • Draw a small T shape that sits horizontally like this
    Untitled.png.10e52b5a9f4d276b30ffba9e117cbfb6.png
  • Make sure it has integer numbers for dimensions and size
  • image.png.af470c373bb34cce0bd6eba040cfe924.png
  • Export the small T shape to a png file and use it as a texture or an image for brush creation
    image.png.1175c321416b2b406a7db393f9e75863.png

Now you can use the vector brush or pen tool to draw your train track.

image.png.68252792a700489939b560980d7b0760.png

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1 hour ago, wncmacs said:

tick marks on a solid line

  1. draw your lines using the solid stroke
  2. open the Appearance panel
  3. add a second dashed stroke to the same curve and adjust the elements to your liking

Like this, for example:

ade_railroad_map_double_stroke.png.1dc21638f20314839188358ddf4b2cfa.png

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57 minutes ago, loukash said:
  1. draw your lines using the solid stroke
  2. open the Appearance panel
  3. add a second dashed stroke to the same curve and adjust the elements to your liking

Like this, for example:

ade_railroad_map_double_stroke.png.1dc21638f20314839188358ddf4b2cfa.png

This method was absolutely best!

Happy guy playing around with the Affinity Suite - really love typographic, photographing, Color & forms, AND, old Synthesizers from the 1980-1990’s…

Macbook Pro 16” M1 2021 connected to an 32” curved 5K external display, iPad Pro 12.9” M1 2021, iPad Pro 10.5” A10X 2017, iMac 27” 5K/i7 late 2015 - also an Lenovo iMac i7 clone with 24” touch screen and Windows 10…

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1 hour ago, loukash said:
  1. draw your lines using the solid stroke
  2. open the Appearance panel
  3. add a second dashed stroke to the same curve and adjust the elements to your liking

Like this, for example:

ade_railroad_map_double_stroke.png.1dc21638f20314839188358ddf4b2cfa.png


How do we save such a line so we easy and fast can recall it?

Can’t see where to do that?

Just now I’m on my iPad Pro M1, but I’ve got Affinity Suite also on my Macs…

Happy guy playing around with the Affinity Suite - really love typographic, photographing, Color & forms, AND, old Synthesizers from the 1980-1990’s…

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32 minutes ago, NotMyFault said:

Thanks! Not that easy to remember where Serif have hided Styles on iPad…

Happy guy playing around with the Affinity Suite - really love typographic, photographing, Color & forms, AND, old Synthesizers from the 1980-1990’s…

Macbook Pro 16” M1 2021 connected to an 32” curved 5K external display, iPad Pro 12.9” M1 2021, iPad Pro 10.5” A10X 2017, iMac 27” 5K/i7 late 2015 - also an Lenovo iMac i7 clone with 24” touch screen and Windows 10…

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17 minutes ago, AffinityMakesMeSmile said:

Not that easy to remember where Serif have hided Styles on iPad…

Or as Assets if you can remember that better.

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I would just use the Copy (your railroad tracks) and Edit > Paste Style after selecting the newly drawn line. No need to create Styles or Assets.

Mac Pro (Late 2013) Mac OS 12.7.6 
Affinity Designer 2.5.5 | Affinity Photo 2.5.5 | Affinity Publisher 2.5.5 | Beta versions as they appear.

I have never mastered color management, period, so I cannot help with that.

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