TonyO Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Can you explain the "smart" node / "smart" pen? I have been playing around with it and can't see to get a handle on it. It seems that you can draw just by clicking from point to point without dragging out directionals on each node, using a smart algorithm to curve the node without doing it manually. It seems to guess what you want to do, but the result always seems a bit off. What is the best practice and modifiers for the "smart"mode? Quote Art director by day, illustrator by night: Check Out My Shutterstock Gallery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pennie Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 As a beginner I am trying to understand what a node is, sorry to be a bit slow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aongus Collins Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Hi, I’ve been playing with the smart nodes. It brought to mind a technique used by some Flash animators and designers to create characters or props for animation. The idea is to start out with a very simple geometrical shape — a rectangle. (In Affinity, you would then need to make the primitive shape editable by clicking the Convert to Curves in the context toolbar.) The next step is to add nice curves to the boxlike object. Smart Nodes let you do this simply by clicking and dragging with the node tool anywhere in a line between two existing points (nodes). This can be used to create economical, stylised graphics. It can be quicker and more intuitive than adding nodes and adjusting direction handles. I’ve seen some very attractive designs done in this way using Flash, and the viewer would never guess their humble geometric origin… Usually the artists work from a scanned pencil sketch. ronnyb, avo and AndyQ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrograde Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Thanks for that explanation, I was wondering myself what they were all about. Quote http://www.kevincreative.com https://www.behance.net/kevincreative https://dribbble.com/kevincreative https://www.instagram.com/kevincreative/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evtonic3 Posted November 6, 2017 Share Posted November 6, 2017 I think this post merits a video from the "tutorial guy". all kidding aside. THere is no good documentation of this. Or at least I didn't get any help from the HELP section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avo Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 Glad i've found this explaination! Really, i've been making some animation lately with Moho Pro and the way you build curves there is actually the same as the smart nodes in Affinity! You can trace a sketch this way or make a primitive like a box or a star and edit it with smart nodes! Thanks for explaining! Quote Follow me on Dribbble https://dribbble.com/g-avoyan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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