Pen Tut for Jack

[Steve Newport]

Below is a how to add a node, real easy! As for the rest of the questions, I may not be sure as to what you mean.

Jack, to continue a broken line, select the freehand tool and move it over one of the tips of the lines until the + sign appears then click and draw, that should be it. Now, you're using a tablet, so it may give you some problems but I wouldn't know not having one!

Ramwolf, when splicing a line you bring the freehand tool anywhere on the line except the ends and you get ~ click and draw over onto another spot on the same line until you get another ~ this will replace all the line matter in between the start and endpoint of the path you just drew with the new shape you just drew.

As I said, I don't know what could be happening with your problems, but maybe understanding these functions may help you come to a conclusion!
Hope this help [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Steve Newport

[RAMWolff44]

WOW Steve, don't know how I missed that one. Great piece you did there [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Thanks for the explanation on splicing. Yea, I know how to do all that, but the thing I was curious about is that if I have an object that I am doing that with, seems that there have been some times when I am doing the splicing with the freehand tool and when I get that little ~ I do the connect thing and then the whole image dissapears except for the line I just spliced. I can't explain it any better with out showing you an example but I really don't know how to show you that sort of an example.

The NODE tutoiral is very helpful I thank you for that very much [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

RAMWolff [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[Old Dog]

I can't say it enough times Steve.

I am ok with adding nodes, but I do have one problem. Sometimes I can't get the little thingie's to come out so I can make adjustments. Is there a trick?

Sometimes I can barely see them hiding behind the node and when I try to get them out I screw up the position of the node itself, and the next thing you know, I've got nodes and lines and all sorts of things all over the place. Ha Ha

Sometimes I just stop, laugh at myself and start over.

I am having fun learning, and your help along with all the other generous people here makes it even more fun.

Ramwolff, I told you you'd like that one. Looks like you could almost reach out and flick the switch and start talking.....

Jack

[Bob C.]

Ramwolff,

I can post the .xar file of the feather I made in the recent thread "Not exactly a bird" but I suspect you don't want that kind of detail for an entire set of wings.

Maya's little feather tut might be better for that application, but let me know I'd be happy to post it.

Bob C.

[dalel]

I tried the methods Steve mentioned, and I think I might see the problem that some are having with the Freehand tool. Maybe the fresh eyes of a newbie can be helpful. (and maybe not, too)

Seems that when you are using the ~ function, if you have an unclosed line, that is not yet a connected filled shape (I hope that makes sense), when you connect two ~ points, you lose anything between those two points, in order to create your newly shaped line. If the line has been connected to form a shape, you still lose everything between the ~ points, but not the entire connected shape.

Hope that makes sense. See below.

Steve, is this correct?

http://eyesitewebdesign.com/lines.gif

Dale

[JF Slater]

I think I had your problem and finally figured this out a couple of days ago!

Jess

[img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[RAMWolff44]

YUP, the fresh eyes of a "newbie" had shown this 7 month user something that he couldn't figure out for himself. Thanks so much Jessica S and thanks for getting the spelling of my name right. Upper case: R A M W lower case: o l f f. Perfect!! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

Thanks to Dale and Bob C too!! I think that Maya just posted a feather tutorial but your .xar file might come in handy to learn from, Bob C. Much appreciated

RAMWolff [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[dalel]

That's gotta be it!

I have had that happen, too, but had assumed that I had made a bonehead newbie mistake. It's great to see the problem demonstrated so clearly.

This calls for some experimenting.

Thanks for the great input! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Dale

Why, I’m afraid I can’t explain myself, sir, because I’m not myself, you know...
- Lewis Carroll

[Bob C.]

Hi RAMWolff,

My feather .xar file as requested. Hope it helps.

Bob C.

[dalel]

I tried this with a simple connected curve:

I made a simple curve, then connected it together with another.

I tried several ways of modifying the connected line using the ~'s, and noticed a tendency for Xara to preserve the area with the greater number of nodes (also called points or anchor points).

I added quite a few additional nodes with the Shape Editor tool.

It seemed that if I used the ~ to attempt to modify the connected line, the area with the most nodes took precedence, and was preserved.

If the number of nodes between the ~'s was the same, Xara preserved the largest segment.

My conclusion: to prevent losing the area you are trying to preserve, make sure it has more nodes than the area you are trying to modify.

Pretty smart, those Xara X programmers! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

In the following example, the smaller, bottom segment of the shape will be preserved, because it has 3 more nodes than the upper part.

http://www.eyesitewebdesign.com/nodes2.gif

Dale