Jump to content
You must now use your email address to sign in [click for more info] ×

Is there a vector erase tool in Affinity Designer?


Recommended Posts

No. Typically, to 'erase' part of a vector object you would use a knife tool to cut it apart, but AD does not (yet) have that. It does have the "Break Curve" action, but that only works on existing nodes, & the usual boolean operation that can be used to subtract one vector shape from another.

All 3 1.10.8, & all 3 V2.4.0 Mac apps; 2020 iMac 27"; 3.8GHz i7, Radeon Pro 5700, 32GB RAM; macOS 10.15.7
Affinity Photo 
1.10.8; Affinity Designer 1.108; & all 3 V2 apps for iPad; 6th Generation iPad 32 GB; Apple Pencil; iPadOS 15.7

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

I am not exactly sure what you mean by "vector-dot-eraser" but there is an existing function to delete vector nodes, including holding down the alt/option key when deleting one that tries to preserve the shape of the path as much as possible through the part of it passing through the deleted node.

All 3 1.10.8, & all 3 V2.4.0 Mac apps; 2020 iMac 27"; 3.8GHz i7, Radeon Pro 5700, 32GB RAM; macOS 10.15.7
Affinity Photo 
1.10.8; Affinity Designer 1.108; & all 3 V2 apps for iPad; 6th Generation iPad 32 GB; Apple Pencil; iPadOS 15.7

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Hi Castle Al,

Welcome to Affinity Forums :)

We already have a Knife Tool planned for Affinity Designer's roadmap. It should be implemented in a future update (1.x cycle).

MEB,

That link to the roadmap is from 2014.  Seeing as how this is 2017 is there an updated roadmap showing what's done, what's still to be completed and what's been added to the list?  3-4 years seems like a long time for that one list.  It'll be getting it's learner's permit soon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm surprised that a vector eraser isn't on the Roadmap. It is something that is requested a lot. A knife tool is useful in some situations but there are others where an eraser would work better. In addition to Affinity Designer, I also have iDraw (before it was bought out) and it features a wonderful vector eraser tool (although other areas of the program are lacking) and I really wish that Designer had something along the same lines.  

 

Hokusai

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Serif's own DrawPlus also has 'Freeform Paint Tool' as well as a vector eraser and a knife tool.

Alfred spacer.png
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for Windows • Windows 10 Home/Pro
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for iPad • iPadOS 17.4 (iPad 7th gen)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That link to the roadmap is from 2014.  Seeing as how this is 2017 is there an updated roadmap showing what's done, what's still to be completed and what's been added to the list?  3-4 years seems like a long time for that one list.  It'll be getting it's learner's permit soon.

From the first post on the roadmap page:

The idea is the list will never get longer. As we complete and release features then we will replace those features with new ones.

 

All 3 1.10.8, & all 3 V2.4.0 Mac apps; 2020 iMac 27"; 3.8GHz i7, Radeon Pro 5700, 32GB RAM; macOS 10.15.7
Affinity Photo 
1.10.8; Affinity Designer 1.108; & all 3 V2 apps for iPad; 6th Generation iPad 32 GB; Apple Pencil; iPadOS 15.7

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Staff

MEB,

That link to the roadmap is from 2014.  Seeing as how this is 2017 is there an updated roadmap showing what's done, what's still to be completed and what's been added to the list?  3-4 years seems like a long time for that one list.  It'll be getting it's learner's permit soon.

 

Hi Michael117,

The roadmap covers all features to be implemented during the 1.x cycle. Features that were already integrated in the program were already removed from that list. There a few others that were/are not listed but due to users requests or other dev decisions ended up being integrated as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just noticed as well that the vector erase tool is missing. I am stunned at two things.

 

1. How fast and modern the Affinity products work. This is really refreshing and great.

 

2. How many basic tools are missing yet more advanced things were included. This is really frustrating.

 

When I bought the package I was not even thinking about looking for an erase tool because I assumed

that it is simply a common core to have.

Claas Kuhnen

 

 

 

 

Faculty Industrial Design  -  Chair Interior Design - Wayne State University

 

 

Owner studioKuhnen - product:interface:design

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I bought the package I was not even thinking about looking for an erase tool because I assumed

that it is simply a common core to have.

 

Given that we don't even have a Knife Tool yet, I'm not particularly surprised that we don't have an Erase Tool or a Freeform Paint Tool.

 

I hope we see a Blend Tool soon. Unlike the above tools, there are no workarounds for this except in trivial cases.

Alfred spacer.png
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for Windows • Windows 10 Home/Pro
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for iPad • iPadOS 17.4 (iPad 7th gen)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The workaround I use is to create a second vector shape for what I want to "erase" & then use boolean subtraction to remove it from the original shape. That is basically what a vector eraser does, is it not?

All 3 1.10.8, & all 3 V2.4.0 Mac apps; 2020 iMac 27"; 3.8GHz i7, Radeon Pro 5700, 32GB RAM; macOS 10.15.7
Affinity Photo 
1.10.8; Affinity Designer 1.108; & all 3 V2 apps for iPad; 6th Generation iPad 32 GB; Apple Pencil; iPadOS 15.7

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The workaround I use is to create a second vector shape for what I want to "erase" & then use boolean subtraction to remove it from the original shape. That is basically what a vector eraser does, is it not?

 

Yes & No.

 

Yes in that the part of the shape the eraser touches is removed. No in that as regards the free form nature it is not limited to knowing at the start what one desires to remove. Most are also adjustable as regards nib size and shape (somewhat). there are also smoothing options (for reducing nodes) as well as feathering if desired.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the replies, but they raise a few more things I am unclear about. For example, how can a vector shape be feathered & remain a pure vector shape? What is a "negative form" & how does it differ from an empty space?

All 3 1.10.8, & all 3 V2.4.0 Mac apps; 2020 iMac 27"; 3.8GHz i7, Radeon Pro 5700, 32GB RAM; macOS 10.15.7
Affinity Photo 
1.10.8; Affinity Designer 1.108; & all 3 V2 apps for iPad; 6th Generation iPad 32 GB; Apple Pencil; iPadOS 15.7

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

MEB, I know I can use the Node Tool to easy select a node on a vector object and then press the Delete key on the keyboard to delete it, but how can I do the same thing by using my mouse only?  

 

In Illustrator, it is SOOOOO EASY to delete nodes.  With a vector object selected in Illustrator, all the nodes appear.  Then with Illustrator's Pen Tool, you need only click an existing node to delete it because Illustrator is smart enough to know that you obviously don't want to use the Pen Tool to create a new node atop an existing node.  But if you hover over other parts of that same vector object, the Pen Tool changes to a + to add a new Node.

 

Strangely, in Affinity Designer, if I sketch a vector object and select the Pen Tool and then hover over an existing Node, I see a little hyphen mark to the right and below the Pen Tool icon that indicates to me a "minus" as in "delete" (as in, "do what you can do in Illustrator") but when I click nothing happens.

 

In short, it should be easier to delete nodes without having to use the keyboard if I want to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Strangely, in Affinity Designer, if I sketch a vector object and select the Pen Tool and then hover over an existing Node, I see a little hyphen mark to the right and below the Pen Tool icon that indicates to me a "minus" as in "delete" (as in, "do what you can do in Illustrator") but when I click nothing happens.

It is not a hyphen, it is a diagonal line similar to a forward slash, & it only appears when the Pen tool is in pen mode. Clicking on a node selects it, displaying its control handles (if it has any). Clicking & dragging resets the handles & lets you drag them out symmetrically to change their angle & direction, very useful if you want to alter the shape of the curve through that node without having to change to the Node tool.

All 3 1.10.8, & all 3 V2.4.0 Mac apps; 2020 iMac 27"; 3.8GHz i7, Radeon Pro 5700, 32GB RAM; macOS 10.15.7
Affinity Photo 
1.10.8; Affinity Designer 1.108; & all 3 V2 apps for iPad; 6th Generation iPad 32 GB; Apple Pencil; iPadOS 15.7

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  I found out how to delete a node in Affinity Designer using only the mouse! Select the node you wish to delete with the Node Tool, click Edit>Delete! 

 

That takes just as much effort as pressing the delete key on the keyboard (which happens to correspond to that menubar command).

 

It should be even easier than that because Illustrator makes it easier than that.  That's my point.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  I was awaiting the smartass remarks, the rolling of everyone's eyes? Let me have my fun.

 

I actually want to join you reveling in all that fun, but I must first wait for the "easy to delete a node" feature.  The lack of important features in Affinity Designer strongly attenuates my otherwise fun-filled personality!   :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Canuck: Your switch to Pixel Persona solution won't work because the pixel-based brushes only work on pixel layers.

 

@JDW: While Illustrator's 'mouse only' method for deleting nodes with its Pen tool makes it very easy to delete nodes, considering how often in any feature rich graphics app it is necessary to use the mouse & the keyboard together to do various things, I doubt that it bothers very many Affinity users that they have to take the extra step of tapping the delete key to delete one or more selected nodes.

 

Besides, Illustrator's 'mouse only' behavior is a "smart" feature in only if clicking on an existing node to delete it is the only reason a user might want to do that. I suppose it depends on one's workflow or drawing style, but personally I frequently use Affinity's Pen tool to change the shape of a curve through an existing node by clicking & dragging on it, so for me Illustrator's behavior would be an annoyingly "dumb" feature. In fact, I like that it takes a bit more effort to delete a node.

All 3 1.10.8, & all 3 V2.4.0 Mac apps; 2020 iMac 27"; 3.8GHz i7, Radeon Pro 5700, 32GB RAM; macOS 10.15.7
Affinity Photo 
1.10.8; Affinity Designer 1.108; & all 3 V2 apps for iPad; 6th Generation iPad 32 GB; Apple Pencil; iPadOS 15.7

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Xara XDP also has a vector eraser. I use it frequently. It also has a counter part for adding to shapes. I also use it.

 

I too use Xara on Win frequently (as the main bread & butter vector tool). The Xara vector eraser can erase hard-edged vector parts of objects and also act as a sort of soft-eraser, which then applies a vector shape (as an opacity mask) to the object you are erasing.

 

 

Serif's own DrawPlus also has 'Freeform Paint Tool' as well as a vector eraser and a knife tool.

 

At least having a vector eraser and knife tool can be seen usually as being essentials for any vector app. In contrast DrawPlus offered much more vector app functionality than AD actually does!

☛ Affinity Designer 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Photo 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Publisher 1.10.8 ◆ OSX El Capitan
☛ Affinity V2.3 apps ◆ MacOS Sonoma 14.2 ◆ iPad OS 17.2

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At least having a vector eraser and knife tool can be seen usually as being essentials for any vector app. In contrast DrawPlus offered much more vector app functionality than AD actually does!

 

DrawPlus didn't yet have those tools at version 7, when it was already ten years old. I think they were added in the next version, after MattP joined Serif. (Note that it did, however, have a blend tool, a roughen tool and dimension tools.)

post-8358-0-67787700-1492086604_thumb.png

Alfred spacer.png
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for Windows • Windows 10 Home/Pro
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for iPad • iPadOS 17.4 (iPad 7th gen)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Guidelines | We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.