Join overlapping nodes (useful for boogie board sync exports)

[blurymind]

I recently bought a boogie board sync.It exports drawings as pdf vector files. As a result I can import the lines as actual vectorlines - not filled shapes like in wacom bamboo spark!

There  is however one problem. The lines are broken up by the pressure variation. So a each line is actually broken into several chained lines - each made of 2 nodes.

 

My question is- can affinity deigner join only nodes that are overlapping each other. If a node is not overlapping another- dont join it.

 

So that way for example I can select all the lines of the sketch and with a single command - reassemble their chains- without joining the separate lines. Simply merge nodes that overlap. Those that dont - ignore

[firstdefence]

I don't think that's possible blurymind.

 

[Gabe]

Hi both, 

That's not something Designer can do. Sorry

Thanks,

Gabe. 

[MEB]

Hi blurymind,
Welcome to Affinity Forums
I'm not sure I understood your question totally, but if you select all lines, change to the Node Tool, drag a marquee selection around all nodes and click the Join Curves button in the Action section in the context toolbar doesn't it join them all into a single curve? There's a known bug that may prevent this from working with perfect horizontal/vertical lines but for the others it should work. Not sure if it helps.

[blurymind]

Hi Meb,

In my case I only want to merge the overlapping ones. Doing what you describe leads to also joining the ends of non overlapping nodes to those of others.

 

I am attaching the file as It is exported from the boogie board sync. You can give it a try if you would like to

Import to designer and try.

Joining works fine on the twirl  and simple lines, but when you try it on the sketch of a head- it fails

 

More info about what the boogie board sync is

https://myboogieboard.com/products/sync

 

Its a great little tablet that creates clean vector pdf files.

 

Btw, if there is anything I can offer to help implement this- there is an extension for inkscape that does exactly that:

https://github.com/fablabnbg/inkscape-chain-paths

Many commercial CAD packages create object contours consisting of separate path snippets using adjacent end points. Such objects cannot be used in path operations like "add", "intersect", "difference", as they are technically a set of objects, rather than a single stroke.This extension forms a longer path from multiple shorter path segments.

 

 

BB_00105.PDF