Trying to achieve symmetry

[royalcrown28]

With the 1.7 updates it looks like I have all the features I need to start creating assets for my game development now.

I'm trying to ink my sketch that was drawn using symmetry feature in Affinity Photo.

I'm drawing my path on half the image, duplicating>flipping>shifting>selecting both curves>joining

Then I'm fine tuning the best i can with the wonky snapping I have going on to get both endpoint on the centerline.

This results in me having 2 nodes in exactly the same place. Which causes issue when making any future adjustments.

What better option do I have for achieving symmetry, or how do I "merge" two nodes occupying the same space.

 

Leaf Cutter.afdesign

[royalcrown28]

While on the topic of symmetry, I have a centerline path. When I select two different objects, how do I ensure they are equidistant from the center line?

For instance, the mandibles here, how can i be sure they are both the same distance from center?

Leaf Cutter.afdesign

[walt.farrell]

4 minutes ago, royalcrown28 said:

For instance, the mandibles here, how can i be sure they are both the same distance from center?

With Snapping enabled:

1. Select the center line (probably using the Layers panel, in your case).
2. With the Move Tool active, press and hold Ctrl. (Or possibly Cmd if you're on Mac.)
3. Hover the mouse over one mandible. Read the distance from the center line to the mandible.
4. Repeat for the other one.

[firstdefence]

Why not start a curve and make it a symbol, drag the symbol onto the workspace and flip it, then continue drawing in one symbol and the other will mirror it. You access the curve from the layers panel under the Symbol layer. You can also drag created curves into symbols and they will be reflected.

 

[royalcrown28]

here is what i'm trying to fix without having to start over completely,

Because there are 2 points in one location, they dont line up across the center line. I just need one node on the center lane after duplication and joining.

[firstdefence]

Select both curves and then drag over the node to select them both and use the Join curves option on the context menu for the pen tool

[royalcrown28]

2 minutes ago, firstdefence said:

Select both curves and then drag over the node to select them both and use the Join curves option on the context menu for the pen tool

I've been doing that, it's not been merging the nodes in the same place, just connecting them. So when their arms(whatever the two control points from the nodes are called) it distorts the smooth curve

[firstdefence]

Have you tried making them sharp nodes first

[royalcrown28]

Ah, that would be it. Thank you

[royalcrown28]

Well, i'm nearly there, I created a symbol for the spikes.

I'm trying to edit the symbol so that all the instances have shading on them, but they don't seem to be synced at all. No edits I make seem to propagate to the instances.

Leaf Cutter.afdesign

[JimmyJack]

1 hour ago, firstdefence said:

Have you tried making them sharp nodes first

Okay, that's one half of the equation.... the joining. Now close it.  

(kinda silly for a drawing program to require sharp nodes to close a shape)

[royalcrown28]

1 minute ago, JimmyJack said:

Okay, that's one half of the equation. Now close it.  

I ended up solving it by joining them, creating a 3rd point between the two, deleting the original two, then re-positioning the new point where i wanted it.

Now i'm just trying to figure out why my symbols aren't working as expected.

[JimmyJack]

3 minutes ago, royalcrown28 said:

I ended up solving it by joining them, creating a 3rd point between the two, deleting the original two, then re-positioning the new point where i wanted it.

Well I'm glad you have a solution, but does that sound like an acceptable workflow??

[royalcrown28]

20 minutes ago, JimmyJack said:

Well I'm glad you have a solution, but does that sound like an acceptable workflow??

Honestly, none of this is really an acceptable work flow. There should be a mirror function/tool. But I think i've got joining the paths working now