Combine / Slice stopped working

**mudwoman** · 24 March 2006, 05:56 AM

I've enjoyed working with Xara Xtreme, since figuring out how a vector program works, but I've run into a problem with cutting out unwanted parts of a shape, or erasing, etc. I was doing the "Combine Shapes / Slice" routine, and it was working great, but then it stopped working for a while. Then it just seemed to start working again, and now tonight it's gone AWOL once more. Is there some variable I'm missing? Does the transparency setting matter? Colors? The way the masking shape is drawn (freehand vs shape tool vs shape editor, etc)? I've tried shutting down all other programs, rebooting, chocolate (for me) - no luck. So why would it just stop working? What am I missing?

(ps - I've also tried the line breaking trick, in desperation, but can't get it to break in the direction I want. Also, the line break won't work for cutting out particular shapes, so I just want my Combine/Slice back!!!)

**stratocast** · 24 March 2006, 06:38 AM

Maybe you could post a xar file showing a situation when slice is not working for you and I'm sure someone will come up with an answer.

**jens g.r. benthien** · 24 March 2006, 07:45 AM

As far as I understand you want to chop off an unwanted part of an object. If so, and if this object does have an irregular shape, the cutting line must exceed the outline of the part. If the cutting line is too short, it won't work. The objects can be on different layers - shouldn't be a problem. The state of an object (transparent, fill, no fill, gradient) does not influence the cutting/slicing.

**Jon G** · 24 March 2006, 08:06 AM

Hi,

The colors or tools don't matter, neither transparency, shadows or grouping of objects, the combine shapes-substract should work all the time.

You can also slice shapes with the pen tool - hover it over the outer edge of an object and you see a little curved line appear next to the pen. Then draw the shape you want erased, and close it on the edge again.

**jens g.r. benthien** · 24 March 2006, 08:23 AM

oooops, I forgot to mention that the cutting lines must be in front of the object -> select cutting lines and press CTRL+F

Can you post your *.xar file here so that we can dig into it?

**mudwoman** · 24 March 2006, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by jens g.r. benthien

Can you post your *.xar file here so that we can dig into it?

I wish I COULD post it, but I've already played with it. But here's a rough approximation of the problem (see picture) - to replicate it, I drew some random lines, connected them, and then inserted a circle to close the gap that I left. I then did Combine/Add, so it's all into one shape. What I would like to do now is trim the nubs off the end of the lines that overshot the shape. I think the problem is the nature of what I'm trying to trim - shape vs line. If I remove the circle, and then close the gap with a line, "Comine/Add" to make it all one shape, I can trim all the nubs I want! So it's the shape within a shape that's tripping this up, maybe? Any brief explanation of why?

**jens g.r. benthien** · 24 March 2006, 09:28 PM

ok, you' ve messed up something. The lines are not single lines, but two lines stacked onto each other. Even worse, if you move one node, you get a shape! Seems you've added and combined several shapes.

I really have no idea what you've done or how you've accomplished this weird result, but I suggest that you start over, drawing a line as a line and modify its weight. If you draw clean lines there is no need to chop off anything.

Ooooops, just noticed that your file size blew up to 222 k - and all I've modified is one single line. This means there is definitely something wrong in your drawing.

**mudwoman** · 24 March 2006, 09:50 PM

Originally Posted by jens g.r. benthien

ok, you' ve messed up something. The lines are not single lines, but two lines stacked onto each other. Even worse, if you move one node, you get a shape! Seems you've added and combined several shapes.

This fits with what I saw on my original drawing, when I went back and looked at it after my post. My "lines" had a hollow track in the middle, although the nubs I was trying to cut did not - could just be that the scale hid them. I tried to replicate that particular situation in the picture I sent for the post, but could not. Seems I came close enough, though, for you to detect it. And I have NO idea how that happened, in order to avoid it in the future. I will just start over tracing the shape I was trying to replicate, and see if I either avoid it or duplicate it. If I duplicate it, I'll let you know. THANKS!

**mudwoman** · 25 March 2006, 03:49 AM

OK, somehow I did it again. I am trying to trace the borders of a logo I designed in a raster program. I used the Shape Editor tool, and plotted both ends of each line, and then "bent" the line into the curve I wanted. I did this with each successive curve, and then for the connecting lines. I traced just ONE line for each border. When I got all my lines plotted, I then used the "Combine / Add" to make all the lines into one shape. But somewhere along the way, additional lines were created along the path of the lines I was bending before I joined them all. Is there any way to keep the lines from multiplying? My drawing is attached.

**Mickie** · 25 March 2006, 06:52 AM

Why are you combining/adding the lines? Don't you want each section a separate shape? Continue drawing along each section and when the last node overlaps the first you have a shape...then go on to the next section and do the same.

Mickie