Value for transformation (affinity designer)

[stw]

For example: I want to copy a line (path) and place this copied line 7mm below (value for "y" increased by 7mm. Next I want to copy this second line and again place it 17mm below ... and so on. The result looks like ruled paper.

 

My question: Is there an option in AffinityDesigner to transform/move items by a fixed (here 7mm)? Or do I have to calculate always the new value "y" in transformation window?

[gdenby]

Yes, it is very simple. Draw the line. Select it w. the move tool. Use the command "Edit/Duplicate." You will notice there are now 2 lines shown in the layer panel. Type in the transform value. Continue using the duplicate command till you have made as many lines as you like. Both the line and the transform will repeat.

[Alfred]

Type in the transform value.

 

You don't even need to work that out for yourself. If the line has a value of 16.7 mm in the Y box, then typing +=7.5 in that box will tell AD to do the arithmetic for you (so in that example, the Y value of the duplicate line will increase by 7.5 to 24.2 mm).

[Madame]

If I understood the question right, he wants to increase the space between the lines with +10 px for each duplicate.

+7, +17, +27, +37 and so on. 

[stw]

The reply by Alfred was very useful ... (hopefully hints like this are included in The Workbook?!)

 

The answer from gdenby I could not reproduce: "Both the line and the transform will repeat." I remember (was it in ancient Freehand?) that once a program provided an option to duplicate items+tasks (!), but using Duplicate in AD only duplicated the line in my example... Or did I miss something?

[R C-R]

The method gdenby suggested is called "power duplicate." To use it you duplicate an existing item, move the duplicate item, & then immediately duplicate it again with the Duplicate command on the Edit menu, or with the keyboard shortcut (CMD+J on a Mac). Using the command repeatedly without using any other command or moving/rotating anything will continue to make new duplicates with the same transformation as with the first one. This also works for rotation & scaling.

 

How this works is explained in the built-in help system. Open Affinity Help from the Help menu item, type "duplicate" into the search field, & press return. Open & read the "Duplicating objects" help topic that shows.