Corner Tool as 3 Tools: Chamfer, Fillet, Scallop

[deeds]

Corner Tool is a misnomer.

 

And grossly undersells this feature and its functionality 

 

This is Live Chamfering, Filleting and Scalloping.

 

It's the killer feature this app needed. And then some.

This is three incredible tools, all Live and Dynamic:

 

Fillet = Convex arcing of Nodes

Chamfer = Direct... well, chamfering

Scallop = Concave arcing of Nodes

 

Each of these deserves their own consideration as a tool in their own right.

 

And not least because their functionality is retained after/whilst permitting subsequent editing of the path segments between themselves and their adjoining Nodes. That is FUCKING AWESOME.

 

And they therefore deserve and should enjoy their own shortcuts and name recognition. These are the features that will shout the name of this app around the world, and define it as different and functionally superior for curve editing than all rivals.

 

Considering these are optional (or alternative) editing abilities for anything made of Nodes, I think:

 

[option + F]  =   Fillet

[option + C]  =   Chamfer

[option + S]  =   Scallop

 

All easily reachable without Ninja-Finger-Dexterity.

 

::: EDIT ::::

---------------------

But what about Conversions, I hear you ask, between these various types of Node editing?

Simple, if a Node that's been impacted by any one of these types of Live edits is selected, then simply pressing above shortcuts converts to that type.

__________ // end edit.

 

You're using Render/Bake incorrectly, too.

 

This process is the Refinement of the curve, to its reduced expression of simply Nodes. Therefore = Refine Node, Refine Nodes, Refine Shape.

 

// If you're not comfortable with Refine, think of it as "Redefine", it's almost right, also, but slightly misleading. Refine is actually what it's doing when you "bake".

 

So ...

 

[option + R] = Refine 

 

...and would act on whatever the current selection is, whether that's a Node, several Nodes or an entire object with Nodes currently subject to live editing with any combination of these fantastic tools.

 

This option should also be in the Right Click Context Menu for the current selection of Node(s)/Shape(s)

 

And, if I may be so bold, I'd like to suggest two more tools in this genre:

 

A Stepped Scallop. It's a straight edged Scallop to the centre of the circle that's defining the radius of the Scallop. Want to make this fancy? Provide stepping values, so it can be more than just one equidistant cut/step between the radius contacts with the edges. //conversely (what a PUN!) the Chamfer can be stepped in values, also.

 

Paired Node Addition. This is the same process as chamfering, without making the cut, and leaves the original Node in place. So the radius adjustment adds two nodes where they'd be placed for a Chamfer without making removing anything, just adding the two extra nodes. Then the user can do subsequent custom editing safe in the knowledge their new Nodes are equidistant from the source Node.

 

And that's it... you've got the ideal quintet of vertex editing. 

 

Oops, I mean. ¡Node Editing!!!

[MattP]

Thanks for these suggestions - very interesting indeed! :)  I was just talking earlier in the office about having a 'stepped' scallop/fillet as a nice addition! I also think your idea of Paired Node Addition definitely has some mileage - I can imagine using it and it's very helpful!

 

I'll certainly talk through the idea of promoting the tool more within the app - my only reservations at the moment are that I'm only at the first stage of what this tool will really become so I'd have to work through the implications of changing this around first.

 

Thanks again,

Matt

[denironaut]

Interesting.

 

Personally though I wouldn't consider the bake function to be "refine", more like commit.

 

You lose the functionality of the corner tool once the effect is baked so in one way lose the ability to refine.

[Paekke]

Whats the difference between bake corners, and convert to curves?.. seems to me it's doing the same.

[deeds]

Upon further playing, this functionality will be a revelation in vector design.

 

Especially for Logo Designers.

 

Having conquered roundings in ways that nobody expected from you, there’s some massive advantages to using AD for what is most common in Logo work, the rounding of text characters and illustrative components and shapes with corresponding and highly coordinated (and matching) radii.

 

Doing this kind of thing in Illustrator is a NIGHTMARE of intricate and ridiculous steps and backstepping. Nobody enjoys it.

 

Adding preset sizes of roundings, and pairing/matching to pre-existing roundings in any given project/document solves the problem of making corresponding roundings match in size despite not being all made at the same time or of the same type of rounding.

 

And I’d strongly suggest one more feature, the ability to display the circumference of all roundings in any given document or selected combination of objects to ascertain their relationships and sizes, as a kind of HUD popup.

 

Given that the R key is not used in AD, this might be the key to show/reveal all the roundings’ radii in a current selection, as a “hold and operate” button like the SpaceBar is for panning and hiding the HUD elements of any and all selected objects.

[deeds]

Whats the difference between bake corners, and convert to curves?.. seems to me it's doing the same.

 

Functionally, probably not much.

 

Though the naming convention of "convert to curves" falls apart here because these tools will spend a lot of their time being used on things that are already thought of as "curves".

[MattP]

I like the idea of a HUD info panel while holding a key... :)

[deeds]

I think you need a purpose built thing for turning off the HUD elements, too. There's not much more irritating than editing text properties with those big handles in the way, or trying to ascertain the appropriateness of curve edits with all the bezier handles and bits and pieces in the way.

 

Spacebar works sometimes, but (for example) when working with text it's sometimes just adding a space.

[rui_mac]

Having a HUD panel while holding a key is VERY useful.
Maya does that (with the Space key) and Cinema 4D does that with the V key (I remapped it to the < > key since I have that key in the portuguese keyboard and the HUD panel displays with a <> shape ;) )

 

Having access to often used commands (and/or contextual commands) is a very powerful tool.

[ronnyb]

+1 for HUDs, radial pop-up menus, and any contextual and interactive tool / controls which keep my eyes and attention on the work and not searching through palettes for controls...

[DrPocter]

Here's my vote for HUDs.

[sheppy29]

Is there an instructional video on how to apply scalloping filleting and chamfering to bot straight an curved lines?

[acapstick]

Sheppy29,

 

We have a Corner Tool video here. It demonstrates cornering on geometric shapes but you can apply the principles to curves with sharp corner nodes. Hope this helps.

 

AndyC