Closing shapes

[JimR]

I'm using Pro Engineer to make accurate outlines of product designs, then importing into Xara for gradients, graphics, shades etc.

The outline imports as lines and I'm looking for a faster way of making a closed, fillable shape out of all those lines.

Now I'm doing it the Eggspressway (!), walking around the nodes with TAB and moving the ends away and back again until I get the"+" sign. Please tell me there's a faster way to do it.

JimR

[JimR]

I found a workaround:

- Select the lines that makes up the closed shape
- CTRL 1 to add shapes (8 lines become 1 shape)
- BREAK SHAPES. Somehow this makes to identical (but closed) shapes
- Delete one of the shapes
- Stop writing shapes in every line...

JimR

[gwpriester]

CAD programs generate lots on unconnected lines. As you have found out.

[JimR]

Yes but they make parametric lines and curves with precise measures and they can round corners and a lot of other nice things

I work with several industrial designers that has the same workflow. One of them use Rhino for 2D product outlines, then import into Illustrator for gradients, colour, shadows, text etc.

JimR

[handrawn]

Hi Jim

AFAIK the way you are doing this is the way to do it in xtreme/designer - the only addition I would make is that you may sometimes need to 'convert line to shape' [arrange menu] after selecting all lines and before ctrl+1, when your shape is complex. Otherwise the combine operation [ctrl+1] may not give you the result you expect


this is based on importing pdf lines from illustrator and inkscape mostly

[JimR]

Here's a small video, Egg-style. How do I get an SWF video playing inside the post?

JimR

[handrawn]

I think there is a sticky or an FAQ somewhere that explains it - opens fine here as an attachment [Firefox 3]