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Fill in a vector drawing


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Hi,

 

So i want to draw a vector shape with the pen tool, wich will create several layers because it's complex, and once the shape is drawn i want to fill it with color, using the fill tool (or any other way if there are others). But it seems impossible, because it only fills the layers separately, acting as if they were closed shapes... Even creating a layers group of the whole shape doesn't change anything to this.

 

Is there a solution, a particular setting to manage this? Am i missing something?

I'm stiil very new to all of this...

 

Thanks

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Not knowing the shape, I can only guess what is going on.

 

Each pen line can have a stroke and/or a fill. Even a straight line can have a fill, it just doesn't show up because the line doesn't enclose any space. The shape does not have to be closed to have a fill. A series of lines, even if they overlap, will each have a different fill. 

 

To create a single object, select the various curves. Switch to the node tool, and use the "action" widget to "join curves," and then use the "close curve" button. You may end up with a rather odd shape depending on where the ends of the various initial lines were. More work w. the nod tool will fix that.

 

You can then apply a gradient to the whole shape, or paint in it.

 

You can also use boolean operations to add, interset, combine, etc various lines, but those operations may give some very peculiar shapes.

 

If you want a hole in a shape. Draw a closed shape. Draw another on top of it. Select both, and use the "subtract" boolean operation. The upper layer will cut out the bottom

 

Hope this helped some.

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  • Staff

Hi olf03,

Welcome to Affinity Forums :)

You are simply creating several independent (open) paths with the Pen tool. Even if they overlap, enclosing a space, they cannot be filled as a whole since technically they are simply overlapping paths (lines), not a single closed shape. Grouping them will also not work, because despite being grouped they are still independent paths. To completely fill an area defined by a path you must create a closed path, that is, a path that starts and ends in the same node, enclosing an area (check sample file below).

 

open_and_closed_paths.afdesign

 

If you have a complex shape with "holes" you have to draw the holes as independent (closed) shapes, then subtract them form the main (bigger) shape, as gdenby described (boolean operations).

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  • 3 years later...

Hi, I have a similar issue:
I made the shape below and would like to fill each area in a different color.  I suppose I need to convert the curves that are lines and circles into curves that are contours of each area.  Is there a good way to do that?

image.png.ac7242e9d89edc7789df58f1af81c15d.png

 

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