Cut a Path

[Markus Allen]

Excellent. 

On 8/8/2018 at 5:19 AM, MEB said:

Hi MyAmazingDiscoveries.com,
On the iPad, to convert the text to paths select the text object then tap the ellipsis icon on the top left of the interface and select Convert to Curves (it's on the right column). The text is now covered to a group containing all the letters inside (as individual objects). Select the letter/path you have to cut/break, change to the Node Tool, tap the node where you want to break the path then tap the Break button in the context toolbar on bottom. If you want to delete a segment you have to break a second node in that path as you did for the first one - then change to the Move Tool, tap the segment you "isolated from the path" and press the Delete icon on the bottom left of the interface (the trash icon).

Excellent. Thank you for this.

[simonlayfield]

Hey team,

So I'm working with this vector that I need to break apart, that is, I need to remove part of the vector shape.

The first issue is that it's a complex-ish path that I want to combine with other smaller shapes that make up the lettering etc. (indicated in purple below)

If I attempt to combine these two curves there's a section of the main path (the face) that doesn't quite act as intended.

It seems that the only choice I have from here is to divide the curve and reconstruct the path as intended by subtracting the letter sections. I feel like this use case is simple enough to warrant not having to do that.

The second issue is that I need to break the main path in order to remove the top section - effectively I need to erase an unnecessary part of the path (indicated below).

 

Using both methods suggested in this thread doesn't appear to do this effectively. Creating a shape and subtracting (as below) takes me to the point mentioned above where the main path breaks apart.

Creating nodes and selecting Break Curve doesn't work because the nodes still appear as connected i.e. the fill colour persists between the broken nodes.

I've uploaded the file if anyone wants to give it a go and see if I'm missing something.

Thanks in advance

And apologies for massive screenshots.

happy-shopper.afdesign

[firstdefence]

1. Divide the Logo and delete the bottom two layers.
2. Delete the three bit shapes to the right side of the splash shape.
3. There is also a tiny bit shape near to the right of the R delete that too.
4. Select all the layers apart from the layer that you want to use to punch through and Add them together.
5. Now subtract the punch through layer from the layer underneath.

happy-shopper edited.afdesign Saved with history so you can jog back on forth in the history panel. 

 

[gdenby]

Hi, simonlayfield,

I did download the file, and the problems are really numerous. Attached may be a solution.

Here is the problem as I understand it, hoping my explanation is clear enough. All of the "curves" objects are comprised of multiple joined curve objects. About 25 if I counted right. The way I came at it was to select all, and divide, which made all the curve objects inherit the bottom most object's attributes, which was a black fill. However, once divided, they are pretty easy to re-work. The holes in the letters, which had been in a separate "curves" can now be subtracted one by one from the surrounding letter shapes. Likewise the eye holes from the face, and the interior of the mouth. The only way I could think of to get the cut out along the top was to subtract the area above the letters, but within the outermost shape. Once there is a curve w. just an inside and outside, its perimeters can be broken w. the node tool, cut sections removed, then rejoined, and closed. All the remain shapes just need to have their fill attribute changed to white. 

Total time was under 10 min., tho' I did spend more time coming at it from other directions w/o better results.

happy-shopper-rework.afdesign

[R C-R]

I wasn't sure how much of the top section you wanted to remove so I took it no farther than this:

happy shopper fix+history.afdesign includes the history of what I did to get that far, so you can scrub back & forth in the history panel & hopefully see the steps I took. Everything is a separate curve except for the mouth -- the smaller shape was subtracted from the larger one to create the Curves layer for that.

The key step for the second Curves object in the original was, after the subtraction broke it apart into individual curves, to select all of them except the bottom one & set their fill color to white.

It took less than a minute to get this far (minus my false starts).

[simonlayfield]

Ah, ok I see.

Thanks all for your time, I'll move ahead with the solution @R C-R has suggested.

I guess I'm used to Compound Paths in Illustrator maintaining their structure when adding and subtracting separate shapes.

This is fine though, just a little less intuitive - thanks all!

[JimmyJack]

4 hours ago, simonlayfield said:

The first issue is that it's a complex-ish path that I want to combine with other smaller shapes that make up the lettering etc. (indicated in purple below)

The second issue is that I need to break the main path in order to remove the top section...

@simonlayfield Maybe I'm really not getting it .... just two clicks right?? An add and a subtract?

[R C-R]

5 minutes ago, JimmyJack said:

@simonlayfield Maybe I'm really not getting it .... just two clicks right?? An add and a subtract?

That does not work with the original file without an extra step because the two Curves layers are set to use the "Winding (Non-Zero)" Fill mode. But if after the subtract, the Fill mode of the final Curves layer is set to "Alternate (Even-Odd)" it will result in a single Curves object with the desired white on black effect.

Personally, I still prefer the method I mentioned above, but only because for things like this I usually want to break apart & regroup the various curves for further editing.

[JimmyJack]

11 minutes ago, R C-R said:

1) That does not work with the original file without an extra step because the two Curves layers are set to use the "Winding (Non-Zero)" Fill mode. But if after the subtract, the Fill mode of the final Curves layer is set to "Alternate (Even-Odd)" it will result in a single Curves object with the desired white on black effect.

2) Personally, I still prefer the method I mentioned above, but only because for things like this I usually want to break apart & regroup the various curves for further editing.

1) Works for me regardless of fill Mode .

2) Okay. But not what the OP was asking.

[R C-R]

8 minutes ago, JimmyJack said:

Works for me regardless of fill Mode .

It does not for me. Leaving everything in "Winding (Non-Zero)" Fill mode, after the add I get this:

Then, after the subtract I get this:

[JimmyJack]

1 hour ago, R C-R said:

It does not for me. Leaving everything in "Winding (Non-Zero)" Fill mode, after the add I get this:

Then, after the subtract I get this:

Don't know what to tell ya.
Apart from the Winding start point, (which still works for me, see gif... (every boolean operation in Affinity ends with an Alternate result.)) going back to winding (which is the only way I got to your Add result) is an (simple) extra step.
Perhaps something changed going fom 1.6.1 beta to 1.6.1 MAS? Yes this was done in 1.6.0, but it's the same in my .1 Beta.
.... and if something did change, isn't it pretty simple to just change the fill mode on your second image there? Wait!! Don't answer that! To each his own !

 

 

[R C-R]

1 hour ago, JimmyJack said:

... because every boolean operation in Affinity ends with an Alternate result.

Not for me, not with the OP's file or with others I have created myself or downloaded from other forum users complaining about the same problem. I am not sure why it is different for you, but it most certainly is for me. I am using the current 1.6.1 build for Macs, so maybe that explains it?

[tymcat]

Hi experts,
the aforementioned solutions with boolean subtraction don't work in my case as I sometimes construct shapes with open paths which are joined later.
This is useful if you have repeating shapes like serifs or specially curved edges. I have no idea how to connect two separate shapes, if I activate both parts, click "join" they only connect their own two end points. Is there a way to connect two separate open curves without closing them?

I started working with path programs in the 90ies, changed from Freehand and Canvas to Illustrator, creating fonts, illustrations and constructions for laser cutting. I tried Inkscape, but on the Mac it has its issues. All Bezier programs I knew so far work in a similar manner and I do not understand how a very basic operation can be so difficult.

[tymcat]

I found the answer myself in another forum:
select both open shapes,
select the two nodes to be connected and click "join curves" (not "close curve"),
which is the fourth in the Action menu

Phew! Long time since I've searched that long for a simple, single operation.

[v_kyr]

1 minute ago, tymcat said:

I found the answer myself in another forum:

Well if you had instead just looked quickly in your AD help or here, or the tutorials, you would have find it probably faster.

[tymcat]

4 hours ago, v_kyr said:

Well if you had instead just looked quickly in your AD help or here, or the tutorials, you would have find it probably faster. 

Thank you for the helpful links.
I tried. My native AD help is white on white, I will find out later why it doesn't work.
For a quick shot, before searching and watching YT/Vimeo tuts I googled: the first source I trusted was here... so please...

I bought AD+AP half a year ago and trying to start I turned several times to my old tools because AD isn't intuitive to me in very basic operations.
Having changed computer to a Retina and OS from Yosemite to Mojave, I finally decided to do the step, not to install AI/PS or Inkscape anymore which are getting less reliable with each OS update.
After Christmas I won't ask stupid questions anymore

[v_kyr]

36 minutes ago, tymcat said:

I tried. My native AD help is white on white, I will find out later why it doesn't work.

That sounds strange, though I can't tell how things may behave under Mojave now here.

38 minutes ago, tymcat said:

For a quick shot, before searching and watching YT/Vimeo tuts I googled: the first source I trusted was here... so please...

Na don't get me wrong, I was just wondering that you didn't found the answer here in this forum, since you wrote above "in another forum" and "Phew! Long time since I've searched that long for a simple, single operation".

42 minutes ago, tymcat said:

After Christmas I won't ask stupid questions anymore 

The purpose of this forum is to ask questions and then to hopefully get help and answer, as far as they are related to the products or their usage etc.

[Thomahawk]

On 11/8/2016 at 12:32 AM, Wilfred Hildonen said:

I am trying to clean up something which will become part of a logo but I would need to separate or cut or divide (I am sorry but it is hard to explain in words, so perhaps the screenshot may be of help)

I want to cut the "lasso" so it won't look like an "e", but I am highlighting nodes and click on Break Curve ut it looks like new nodes are coming up all the time. What I would need is a kind of scissors or a blade just to cut loose and then fix the nodes as they should be. 

I am not that experienced with bezier-curves and nodes, so perhaps it is something obvious for those in the know, but I hope someone can explain the obvious to me:)

Yes, a cut tool would be the easiest.

I was not able to open a curve with the described method of the node tool. Not even sure if, after choosing the function open curve on top, it is active on that tool, because that action/function does not stay selected. And when I click in the path all it does is add new ponts, none of them is breaking the path.

[Thomahawk]

Adding points with the path tool to an existing path does also behave irrational. Sometimes a single point gets added, despite it is not instantly visible. Sometimes it looks like it is adding, but then the second point makes both new points their own path, while the original paths gets deselected. All very confusing!

[Thomahawk]

Affinity: I get it that I have to select a point with the node tool and then go up to the palette and click in "split" f.e. to open a path at that point. This is unnecessary complicated. If I can once activate the "split" feature to stay active, I would not have to go all that way and two different clicks for each point, then I could just click once on every point and done.

[SuperVicento]

I think this method does not work with curves that were already broken once (using the break curve action)

In My case i havent been able to "cut" an open path in two different points. 

Any hints?

[MEB]

Hi SuperVicento,
Welcome to Affinity Forums
Can you attach the afdesign file for us to check what's going on (you can delete all the other objects if you wish). Thanks.

[David 9]

Still not getting how to remove ("cut") a segment of a line. The previous posts seem so convoluted to achieve a simple scissor task (at least in comparison to Adobe Illustrator). 

 

 

 

Edited January 23, 2021 by David 9