Affinity Photo: Now need help smoothing traced curves

[HealingDoodle]

I really am searching what help is out there before posting my questions. But I can't find what I need or at least I can't make it work on my own.

So I'm hand drawing my art and scanning in. Then, because the drawn black outline looks cruddy , but I want to keep the color inside, I'm using the pen tool to create the outline.

This is the top of a letter "D" and you can see how uneven the curves are. I know how to move a node, but moving one doesn't shift the rest properly. I tried using the Segment tool, but again, when I converted it to curves, I couldn't get a smooth curve when I moved it.

Bear in mind it's still all uneven because I wanted to figure this out first. I can do straight lines fine, but these curves are a problem.

I saw something called a corner tool but it seems only to be in Designer. I couldn't find it in Photo. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks, Susan

[dutchshader]

It would be better to not make so many sharp nodes, while tracing drag the pen, this way you will get smooth nodes

[HealingDoodle]

Thanks. I'll try that. I just don't have a steady hand and am doing this with a mouse. But I see why it's a good idea. I appreciate the help, Dutchshader.

[gdenby]

Hand tracing is a good skill to learn. But it is rather tricky. Your starting point using lots of sharp nodes can get you going. Here are some steps.

Many sharp nodes.

All nodes selected, and turned to smooth.

Nodes reduced by using the smooth curve widget.

Select a few nodes, and make them sharp again.

After selecting some of the nodes manually that the smoothing routine left that were not really necessary, and adjusting the node tensioning handles for the ones left. If one becomes handy w. manual tracing, this can be done fairly easily. One just needs to look for points of inflection on the curve. Places where it is close to vertical or horizontal, or where it bends up/down or left/right. Just a few nodes with proper handle adjustment will work for simple shapes like this letter "g".

The stroke made thicker, and aligned inside the curve perimeter. This example probably would have been better if I'd bothered w. the stroke miter options to get a tighter alignment for the stroke to the outer curve.

 

[HealingDoodle]

Gdenby, this is terrific. But I'm unsure of how to do most of the steps you suggest:

1. You wrote, "All nodes selected, and turned to smooth." I don't know how to do that. Can you please explain a bit more?

2. You wrote, "Nodes reduced by using the smooth curve widget." I see it (in screenshot), but don't know how to use it. Can you please explain?

3. You wrote, "Select a few nodes, and make them sharp again." I'm not sure what you mean.

4. You wrote, "This example probably would have been better if I'd bothered w. the stroke miter options to get a tighter alignment for the stroke to the outer curve." What are the stroke miter options? And I don't understand about tighter alignment to the outer curve.

5. An overall question: I have been able to do some of the curving, but the handles on other nodes seem to mean that when I fix one area, another goes out of alignment. Is there a way to remove the handles, so just the node is left so if I pull up the other side doesn't curve down?

Thank you again.

Susan

 

[dutchshader]

Point 5  press alt while moving the handle

[HealingDoodle]

Thank you. :-) That's great.

 

[gdenby]

i haven't used Windows for years, so I don't recall the key selection, but when in node tool mode on a Mac, you press command-a to select all. Then click on the smooth node icon, and all the segments will be turned to curves. When the node tool is active, the smooth routine can reduce the number of nodes on the selected object if there were lots of tiny sections. W. fewer arc portions, it may increase the number of nodes, trying to make a better balance. For what you are doing, the smooth routine will probably reduce the number of nodes.

Where the shape outline should be an angle, one needs to go back to those intersections and make the nodes sharp. Smooth nodes, as you've seen, spread the "tension" on them to other nodes on either side, while sharp nodes create a break. Smooth nodes can be adjusted to be similar if their control handles are reduced to almost nothing, but just going sharp is much easier.

The stroke miter is what defines how the stroke traces along the underlying vector. The options are in the stroke dialogue panel under join. A miter join will give pointy crisp shapes at sharp points, while a round join can make a puffy bulge. Its a matter of finesse.

What dutchshader describes causes the node to become sharp, so the tension doesn't spread, and distort the curves running between the neighboring nodes. If you are doing really convoluted curves, classical acanthus scroll work for instance, adjusting the control handles and adding extra nodes is in my experience necessary. 

[HealingDoodle]

OK. Thanks.