Combine / Compound Path

[TonyO]

There seems to be a missing command for:

"Combine" (corelDraw ctrl-L)

    OR....

"Compound Path" (Illustrator cmd-8)

 

Same function, different names  (Given your preference in OLD vector programs)

 

Basically, the need to select multiple objects, whether touching or overlapping, to creating boolean shapes with one action. See attached screenshot, you should be able select all of these and click "Combine" or "Create Compound Path" and create 3 donuts (holes in the circles) from this selection. Right now the Geometry menu doesn't seem to have a function that performs this way.

 

Let me know if I didn't explain this very well, though anyone who's worked with vectors should know what I'm talking about, haha. 

[MEB]

Yes, It´s more flexible than the flat boolean operations that we have now but you will need a way to release the compound path if needed or/and a way to flatten/expand the path too. Then comes compound shapes....

 

Anyway part of this can already be explored trough clipping and masking in Affinity Designer + boolean operations.

 

Nice work on the Shutterstock Gallery capeman!

[TonyO]

Corel and Illustrator put "Combine/Make Compound Shape" on the right click menu of selections containing multiple shapes that can be combined, and "Break Apart/Release Compound Path" on the right click context menu of compound shapes.

 

Maybe add "combine" and "break" to the boolean buttons on the menu bar to allow these more flexible functions? It would be a real time saver.

 

Thanks lots! You can see from my cartoons that I really appreciate a vector app with really good curve editing! Designer is working out GREAT so far!!

[lvl99]

Any update on this? Currently looking for a break apart option in v1.5.4. I even tried selecting the nodes of the object I wanted to pull out of a curves object/layer and cutting the selected nodes (cmd+X) ended up just removing all the nodes/object.

[MEB]

Hi lvl99,

Have you tried to use Divide to break them apart (menu Layer ▸ Geometry ▸ Divide)?

[lvl99]

Ahh, I didn't see that option (I never look in the menus) and the icon (which I now see is "divide") didn't quite communicate to me the concept of "divide" (or "break apart").

 

Thanks for your help. Additionally, do you have a non-destructive form of shape combination/intersection? I'm trying to transform one shape which has been combined with another, and using divide means I have to break it out to a separate layer to then transform. Is it possible to select nodes and then transform those nodes using a mouse tool?

[MEB]

Hi lev99,

If you press and hold ⌥ (option/alt) while clicking on the boolean operation icons (add, subtract, intersect etc) you can create a Compound (non destructive boolean operation). Expand the compound layer in the Layers panel and you have access to the original shapes used to create the compound. Use the Node Tool to edit their nodes as you see fit. The compound will automatically reflect those changes.