Photo: multiple paths (curves) on one layer

[h_d]

Hi,

 

I'm on Photo 1.6.6, Mac OS 10.13.3. 

 

Just wondering - is there a trick to using the pen tool to draw multiple curves on the same layer? 

 

I draw the first curve, and I get image one (stroked to make it a bit clearer).

 

 

What I'd like to  to do is continue drawing on the same layer, to create a second curve. But as soon as I start to draw, Photo creates a second curve layer (image 2).

 

 

I know that I can now select both layers, pull down the Layers menu and Choose Geometry... Add... (giving me image 3).

 

This gives me what I want to achieve, but I wondered if it was possible to continue to draw additional curves without having to combine the layers afterwards.

 

Thanks

 

H

 

 

[firstdefence]

You can group them, so they become child layers of a layer called Group, obviously you can rename that parent layer and also the child layers for clarity.

 

[h_d]

Thanks firstdefence! Appreciate your help but that doesn't really achieve what I want - which is the situation in my third image, where I have two separate closed curves on the same layer. I'm just trying to find out if it's possible to carry on drawing on the same layer with the pen tool after closing the first curve.

 

Cheers,

 

H

[R C-R]

With the exception of the "(Curves)" (note the plural) layer type created with the Geometry - Add operation, there is no way to combine multiple non-overlapping shapes on a single layer. Note that this only works for shapes that do not overlap; if they do you get a new "(Curve)" object.

 

But there is usually no reason to create this type of layer. In general, grouping layers is a more flexible approach that among other advantages preserves the ability to edit parametrically adjustable shapes like stars, donuts, polygons, & cogs, & perhaps most importantly text.

[Pšenda]

2 hours ago, h_d said:

on the same layer

 

This is not a "Layer".

It is one "object", and therefore it is created separately.

Layer and Group is a way for grouping objects. 

[h_d]

17 hours ago, R C-R said:

With the exception of the "(Curves)" (note the plural) layer type created with the Geometry - Add operation, there is no way to combine multiple non-overlapping shapes on a single layer. Note that this only works for shapes that do not overlap; if they do you get a new "(Curve)" object.

 

But there is usually no reason to create this type of layer...

 

Thanks R C-R! I've managed to achieve what I want (effectively an editable vector mask) by drawing curves on separate layers (four in the example below), combining them into one Curves layer using  the Geometry - Subtract operation, then converting them to a mask (via the Pen tool context toolbar). I can then use the Node tool to modify the shape of the mask.

 

Here's a very rough and ready example:

 

 

Adjust the points with the Node tool...

 

 

 

So to answer my original question - no, it's not possible to draw multiple curves on a single layer. But Geometry gets me round it, and if I need to add more curves to my mask I can release it and go through the process again.

 

 

grass_face.afphoto

[Fixx]

Layer palette is just a list of objects and if you combine several paths to one layer it will become a single path, a compound path. As you pointed out it is used to make holes in path objects.

[RBeci]

The concept of the vectors/curves in affinity photo is cumbersome and  thoughtless

[R C-R]

10 minutes ago, RBeci said:

The concept of the vectors/curves in affinity photo is cumbersome and  thoughtless

Other than that it uses the concept of curves to keep multiple curves on a single layer, how does it differ from similar apps from other companies that implement vector curves?

[h_d]

I'm feeling necropostalgia. (More than six years under the bridge since my original post...)