Joining 3 lines together at one point.

[Ungarmax]

I have finally discovered how to join two lines at a corner to enclose a shape, but how do you add another line to the joint? Incidentally the method im using to connect lines is like this;

Select Line A + B.
Select Line editor.
Click and hold on one node of line that is to join the other.
Drag held node on top of counterpart node.
Release and joint is made.

Why doesn't this work when i try to add a third line to the same joint.

What solutions are there?

Thanks all!

[James Allen]

Hi Ungarmax,

The two lines you joined first became one line. You were trying to add the second line to the corner of another line. A line only has one beginning and one end as opposed to multiple endings. You would have to overlay another line to the first.

You can either group the lines, or select all the lines and convert them to shapes (arrange/convert line to shape)

[Black Panther]

Hi Ungermax,
Here in attached image, explain you how you can join 3 lines to become 1 line.
I hope you can see all stepes clear in this image.
Tell me please if any points need more explain.
Best Regards BP

[James Allen]

He means joining three lines to the same joint, BP. See the attached.

[tonylondon]

An interesting question. After creating the third line, set 'snap to objects' on then drag the point to the intersection. Group both objects and they will act as a single object.

[handrawn]

why do you want to do this Ungarmax ?

I only ask because often it helps to understand the actual requirement

Designer is an object oriented editor - it has two basic objects:

a line [unclosed]
a shape filled or unfilled

a shape may be created by closing a line - and may optionally have an outline

a drawing is made up of lots of these objects, and one way to make them 'act as one' is to group them, as has been mentioned by Tony and James

this is very different from a canvas oriented editor such as photoshop for example

[Ungarmax]

I am trying to do this so that I can fill modestly complex shapes. I have posted the image i'm trying to fill, and the image was most helpfully returned with the shapes I had trouble with, filled. But it only solved one problem, and I would rather not repeatedly ask for other people to fill my drawings. I was also suggested another solution to use shapes as a guide rathwer than drawing using lines, but I am mainly an illustrator anyway, so when drawing human figures and various objects, this isnt going to work.

I've now tried grouping them together- I still can't fill. I know this is a comewhat convaluted process for filling a shape, but once understood it is clearly hard to describe. I know this because the whole line joining thing is difficult enough to explain when you are only joining two lines together.

[handrawn]

ok

here is a methodology:

draw all your lines and make sure there are no gaps - ie do not worry about joining them at this stage just make sure that all areas to be filled are totally enclosed

select all lines

from arrange menu 'convert line to shape'

then from arrange menu 'combine shapes' > 'add shapes'

[all your lines are now one shape]

duplicate your layer

lock and hide the duplicate and ensure that your working layer is the first one and your shape is selected

from arrange menu 'break shapes' - you will now have a group of [fill] shapes

ungroup this [arrange menu again] select only the white background and drag it away [or delete] - do the same for the top fill shape

you should now have fill shapes on this layer that match your shape on the duplicate layer

[xufa]

I am mainly an illustrator anyway, so when drawing human figures and various objects, this isnt going to work.

Xara is vector where you can join line 'ends' only to make one closed shape. Xara is not 'raster' where you can join pixels at any place.
Illustrators mostly create solid shapes behind lines that look like fills but are not.
See youtube for sofafire he will show you.

[handrawn]

I'll agree sofafire [Bob Hahn] has some excellent videos to show you how to draw using enclosed shapes, and seperate fill shapes also

If you want a traditional way of looking at Xara - you might do worse than think of traditional acetate cell animation drawing, where a cell stack may contain many acetates with lines on, and fills are seperate on the reverse side[s] - visually they are one, but they are seperate

this is not the only way you can work though - as has been pointed out in this and the 'colour fill frustration!' thread