Selecting and moving a combination of curves and geometric shapes with the node tool

[Kal]

I want to grab a bunch of objects, and move them as a group. This is easy with the Move Tool, but I need to use the Node Tool, because I need to snap a node on one of these objects (a curve) to another node in the artwork. These are the steps I'm trying:

1. Select all the objects (a combination of curves and geometric shapes).
2. Drag a marquee selection around all the selected objects. (I'd expect at this point, to see all the nodes/dots on all the objects to be filled, but the geometric shapes still have unfilled dots.)
3. Click and drag on a selected node. (Only the curves move, not the geometric shapes.)

The Node Tool works for selecting and moving normal curves, and it works for selecting and moving geometric shapes—just um, not at the same time. I'd call this a bug, but I’m posting it as a feature request to preempt being told that it’s the expected behaviour.

PS. As a side-note, If you select a geometric shape, then drag a selection marquee around it multiple times, it alternatively deselects and selects it completely, indicating that there is some kind of invisible selection at work. If you then try the same on a normal curve, it does a funky double take, and the marquee vanishes. It's all a bit weird.

[gafvert]

I agree that this is hard to understand and frustrating (see below for similar/related request). Apparently the this is due to Affinity having curve shapes (what you usually think of as vector graphics shapes) with nodes you can select with the node tool. However, most basic shapes like boxes and squares and text fields aren't such curves with nodes when you create them. Instead they have some sort of "control points"/handles that look like nodes for the corners, but aren't. So you have to convert the shape to curves first before you can use the node tool. Why the node tool doesn't allow you to edit these control points as well I don't know.

 

 

[JET_Affinity]

Have you been keeping up with the current beta? If not, you should. It's still not "there" yet, but work is at least being done in this area. You can download and install the current beta and run it next to the release version.

The most debilitating Achilles heel of this program, in the context of serious illustration, is its insistence on transformations being based upon infernal bounding box handles instead of providing a set of transform tools that work by dragging and snapping sub-selections of nodes and segments.

I don't know if the rationale is too much focus on 'finger painting' with mobile devices, an overboard fear of tool glut, an ill-conceived reluctance to ever permanently "reset" the original bounding box orientation of any path, or some combination of those. But bounding boxes are usually just needless and redundant clutter that gets in the way when needing to directly and accurately manipulate deliberately drawn freeform paths; which is the predominate norm in serious illustration, not the occasional exception.

JET

 

[AllAppsUser]

Came in here because I was wondering if the behaviour of the node tool I was experiencing was "normal".

I drew two rectangles. Deducted one from the other.

Then selected the node tool and drag selected around just the nodes I wanted. It selected them all (?! wtf?). So when I tried to move just the two, the whole shape moved.

So you have to select twice, instead of once.. in order to get just the nodes you want... wtf? Illustrator allows direct selection of nodes and makes producing simple compound shapes a really - really - quick exercise.

On 2/25/2020 at 12:49 PM, JET_Affinity said:

needing to directly and accurately manipulate deliberately drawn freeform paths; which is the predominate norm in serious illustration, not the occasional exception.

Yup... Serif have always struggled with the positioning of these apps and I think they still are. They want to be all things to all people.. including amateurs who don't understand nodes and curves. They claim they want to displace Adobe in the 'professional' market... unless they decide what the customer is for these apps and prioritise that, they'll never shift that market.

They should start doing time-and-motion studies on some of the simple but 'stock in trade' actions for professionals. I suspect they trivialise the extra actions .. "ah so what if you have to select it twice, it's nowt"... but that demonstrates they don't know who their customer for this is.

These apps will drift one way or another over the next few iterations... so while I'm getting a feel for this software... I ain't giving up my Adobe commitment anytime soon. The jury is still out as far as I'm concerned - until I see which market Serif are really going for. If they want the long term commitment (stumping up money for the next 'big' releases time and again over a life time.. not just while the next novelty comes along) they'll have to do better than this for the pro market.