Trying to understand nodes

**jimhanus** · 05 March 2010, 10:17 AM

Can someone explain to me how nodes are created? If I draw a wavy line with the freehand tool, there is a node at each end and nodes created in the middle. I can try to duplicate the line several times as precisely as possible the nodes along the line will be in different places. If I draw any curved line as smoothly as possible the nodes still appear at different points, and not where I expect them to be. Could my mouse be causing the nodes as I draw without my knowledge? The attached file shows what I'm asking about. Note the 2 nodes at each end, I don't understand why they appear where they do. I never know what I'll end up with until I stop drawing. On the second file I would expect the node to appear near where the arrow is, but one appeared at the other end instead. Please enlighten me!

Jim

**willdean** · 05 March 2010, 12:41 PM

My guess would be that there are a large number of different ways of representing any given freehand line with a set of nodes. I've no idea what algorithm Xara use, but it might just be very hard to predict its outcome because it might be very sensitive to tiny differences in the way a line is drawn.

If you want good control on node placement as you draw, F4 (edit points? Can't remember it's proper name right now) is often a very good drawing tool - it's not just for editing.

**jimhanus** · 05 March 2010, 12:56 PM

willdean,
Thanks, F4 does help as it puts the node right where I expect one to be. Always learning!

Jim

**willdean** · 05 March 2010, 01:07 PM

Glad it helped!

This video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQKIbTIEAwQ

has several different ways of drawing things in XX - around 5mins in Bob's drawing shapes with F4.

**gwpriester** · 05 March 2010, 02:36 PM

Jim

When you draw with the Freehand and Brush Tool, there is a smoothness slider on the Infobar which you can adjust to make your freehand line smoother (fewer control points), or more accurate (more control points).

Basically, when you are drawing freehand, Xara tries to determine a logical place on the path where a control point is appropriate. The simple the path, the fewer control points are needed.

Here's something to try. Select the Freehand and Brush Tool, set the Smoothness slider setting to a low number, let's say about 5-10%.

Draw a path or shape. With the path or shape selected and the Freehand and Brush Tool still selected, increase the smoothness slider until you are happy with the path or shape.

In the past if you deselected the Freehand and Brush Tool, you could not go back and reedit the smoothness setting. But I see that now the path remembers and you can go back and reedit the smoothness setting, even after selecting another tool. (I did not know this. I just learned something

)

Also, and I believe this may be a fairly new behavior as well, as you adjust the smoothness slider setting, you can see the original path as well as the edited smoothness.

One more thing I just discovered. You can go back to the shape or path but if you do, only the last Smoothness setting will appear. So I you drew with a smoothness setting of 10% and adjusted the setting to 75%, then when you reedit the shape or path, the setting will be at 75% and not at 10%. And it would seem in this case that you cannot go backwards.