Outline stroke?

[v_kyr]

See also this excerpt "Elegant outlines with SVG paint-order", the Affinity stroke outline does behave similar here.

[Lee W]

If I want to make an outline for shape that I created with the pen tool I create a copy of it. Now I have 2 of the same shape (curve) one on top of the other. I increase the stroke size of the shape behind and that becomes the outline for the shape above. Then I group them to keep them aligned and together.

[Arne H]

So outline stroke has been planed for 7 year now. What is the current plan? Still on the list?

[loukash]

6 hours ago, Arne H said:

What is the current plan?

Adding more strokes in the Appearance panel?

Contour tool?

[Arne H]

This does not work for me. But I am new to Affinity som may be I am not getting it. I would like to be able to draw a curved arrow with an outline. Adding strokes or contour does not seem to do the job. See attached screen shot.

I guess contour could have been a solution if Affinity could have made an arrow option putting the arrow at the end of the contour instead of inside the outline.

Edited March 21, 2021 by Arne H

[loukash]

27 minutes ago, Arne H said:

This does not work for me.

Obviously you have the iPad version.
This is the "Affinity on Desktop Questions (Mac and Windows)" forum.

You may want to ask here:
forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/forum/43-affinity-on-ipad-questions

[Alfred]

8 hours ago, loukash said:

Obviously you have the iPad version.
This is the "Affinity on Desktop Questions (Mac and Windows)" forum.

You may want to ask here:
forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/forum/43-affinity-on-ipad-questions

I don’t think there’s much difference in the method on the iPad version:

1. Draw a curve

2. Add an arrowhead

3. Expand the stroke

4. Boolean ‘Add’ the two shapes

5. Apply the desired stroke

[loukash]

59 minutes ago, Alfred said:

the method on the iPad version

If the iPad version doesn't allow countours or multiple strokes, then expanding as shown in this video is the method to use: affinity.serif.com/tutorials/designer/ipad/video/395392987

@Arne H, also note that you have a red fill active for your curves. The fill can be displayed even if your objects are not closed paths.

In any case, this all is "formally off topic" in this forum. Hence my advice to ask any further questions in the respective iPad forum.

[Alfred]

20 minutes ago, loukash said:

If the iPad version doesn't allow countours or multiple strokes, then expanding as shown in this video is the method to use: affinity.serif.com/tutorials/designer/ipad/video/395392987

Although the iPad version does allow contours, I’m not sure they help here. Adding multiple strokes is possible, but because the arrowhead is treated separately it’s all much more fiddly than using the ‘Expand Stroke’ method that I suggested.

As you’ve indicated, further questions really belong in the iPad subforum.

[Arne H]

12 hours ago, loukash said:

If the iPad version doesn't allow countours or multiple strokes, then expanding as shown in this video is the method to use: affinity.serif.com/tutorials/designer/ipad/video/395392987

@Arne H, also note that you have a red fill active for your curves. The fill can be displayed even if your objects are not closed paths.

In any case, this all is "formally off topic" in this forum. Hence my advice to ask any further questions in the respective iPad forum.

Since the problem seem to be present in both iPad and desktop version I guess it should not matter much where we discuss this. But not problem I can repeat it in the other forum.

iPad version has both Apperance, add stroke and contour functionality.

[Alfred]

11 minutes ago, Arne H said:

Since the problem seem to be present in both iPad and desktop version I guess it should not matter much where we discuss this. But not problem I can repeat it in the other forum.

iPad version has both Apperance, add stroke and contour functionality.

Have you tried the methods described in this thread?

[loukash]

20 minutes ago, Arne H said:

the problem

Experiment.
Look out for unexpected solutions.
Have fun while at it.
It's really that simple.™

[Arne H]

14 hours ago, Alfred said:

I don’t think there’s much difference in the method on the iPad version:

1. Draw a curve

2. Add an arrowhead

3. Expand the stroke

4. Boolean ‘Add’ the two shapes

5. Apply the desired stroke

Can you please explain what you mean by «expand the stroke»?

You mean?:

1. Draw a curve.

2. Convert to contour.

3. Draw another short curve with an arrow head.

4. Boolean add.

There seem to be two draw backs with this solution:

1. The arrow head is removed by the bolean add (at least in iPad version). This can of course easily be circumvented by manually making a arrow head shape instead.

2. The new shape is no longer a pencil line so editing it is harder.

Edited March 21, 2021 by Arne H
Typo

[lepr]

9 minutes ago, Arne H said:

Can you please explain what you mean by «expand the stroke»?

Use the command named Expand Stroke.

[Arne H]

Thanks, @loukash, now I got it! 😁

[loukash]

29 minutes ago, Arne H said:

now I got it!

Another post, another solution:

 

 

Be aware, however, that due to a bug you cannot expand strokes with complext pressure profiles at the moment:

^ Same happens if you export such a stroke as PDF or SVG. To keep the arrow head intact, you'd have to rasterize it or export as bitmap image.
Hopefully they fix it soon because the Pressure curve effect has a lot of potential.

[MrPAS]

Hello, this problem has actually been solved already!

If you want to convert a stroke to a form just use the contour tool, stretch the curve out to the sides a bit and you will already see that an outline has been created using the same stroke. Then you only have to press "Bake Appearance" in the context menu and you will have a new curve from the outline.

I hope this is what you were expecting from it :)