Lines with arrowhead and dot end?

[Ballyshannon]

In Affinity Designer, I've not found an arrowhead/dot end line feature, so have learned how to create a custom arrowhead and dot-end line brush and it works okay as long as the line length isn't changed, which changes the arrow and dot shape, making it impossible to maintain a consistent look. When doing projects that require arrowhead and dot line ends of different lengths, how do you maintain the geometry/size of the arrowhead/dot when changing line length without having to do each line individually separated from the dot? I just created an eye anatomy design with dot-end lines indicating the various named parts and had to create every one using individual line and dot for each item in order to maintain a consistent dot size with different line lengths, which is a bit tedious. Is there an easier way?

[Dan C]

Hi Ballyshannon

Unfortunately there's no tool or standard way of doing this in Affinity currently. Arrow heads (and therefore likely dot ends) are on our Designer Roadmap to be added in the future. Hopefully this will be sooner rather than later, but we have no eta for this at this time, apologies.

You may find that creating an asset helps your workflow, but you will still have to use individual objects for each line if you're not happy using a created vector brush.

[R C-R]

21 hours ago, Ballyshannon said:

When doing projects that require arrowhead and dot line ends of different lengths, how do you maintain the geometry/size of the arrowhead/dot when changing line length without having to do each line individually separated from the dot?

It is only effective for straight lines but as a workaround you can create a line with the line end shapes you want with the Arrow Tool & use copies of it for each instance of the line in the document. That allows you to drag on either center end handle with the Move Tool to change the line length without changing the size of either end shape.

For example, each of these 6 arrow shapes is a duplicate of the selected one, with their lengths changed by dragging on the circled controlled handle.

[walt.farrell]

32 minutes ago, R C-R said:

It is only effective for straight lines

I don't understand that comment. Can't you curve one of those curves by dragging on the center node?

[R C-R]

1 hour ago, walt.farrell said:

I don't understand that comment. Can't you curve one of those curves by dragging on the center node?

What center node? Those shapes are not really lines, they are shapes made with the Arrow Tool.

[walt.farrell]

9 minutes ago, R C-R said:

What center node? Those shapes are not really lines, they are shapes made with the Arrow Tool.

Hmm. Sorry. I was misremembering something.

You can convert one of those arrows to curves, then use the Node tool to make adjustments including curving the arrow. (But you really have to work on the arrow heads at that point, though it can be done.)

[R C-R]

7 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

You can convert one of those arrows to curves, then use the Node tool to make adjustments including curving the arrow.

Yes, but if you do that changing the length distorts the ends, which is what the OP wants to avoid.

[rtloon]

R C-R

Where would one find the "arrow tool"

[rtloon]

Ah. Found it. Just above the type tool, among all the shape tools