Connecting pencil lines in the middle of the line

[bushu919]

I understand how to connect two pencil lines on their ends, but is it possible to connect the end of one to the middle of another?

 

I am a newb working with AD to make files for laser cutting wood veneer.  While using the pencil to trace a photo, I wish to connect the lines so as to 1) make shapes that I can fill and/or copy and 2) make sure the line does not end before/after the other one (and will then laser cut correctly).

 

Thank you for your suggestions.

 

 

[MEB]

Hi bushu919,

 

...but is it possible to connect the end of one to the middle of another?

 

You can do it visually on screen but they remain separate entities, so not really connected in the same way as a closed shape.

To give you an example: you can draw a vertical line in the middle of a rectangle touching (visually) both sides, but you will not be able to fill each of the parts individually with different colours. It will remain a single rectangle with just a line in the middle.

 

Pencil lines (even continuous) work the same way. They may be visually connected but still remain independent entities if you don't join them (their end nodes).

How do you know this? click on them with the Move tool. If only part of the line is selected, then it's not a single line but two or more lines that are simply overlapping each other at their ends.

 

How do you connect them, turning them into single entities? You must change to the Node Tool and ensure their end nodes overlap (using snapping) and then clicking on Join Curves button from the context toolbar. Check this clip to see how it's done.