Joining 2 lines together

[gpholman]

Michael - Thanks but I want to end up with a line not a shape so it's not quite what I'm after.

Mike - Cheers, I think the Magic Snap in V7 removes the need to do the guidelines. I had tried the Join method you suggest before but found that although the end result was a single line it did not behave as I expected - please see the attached .xar for an explanation.

[mwenz]

Well, from reading the thread I failed to understand you were trying to end up with shapes that can then be acted upon. I also missed using v7.

In XDP7, you can use magic snap to align the two ends in your example file. Zoom into where the respective end nodes sit on each other. Then select both lines. Then slightly move one of the end nodes, move back and it will then change to the + symbol.

Then you can draw your third line to connect as per your example file. It is a shape now.

With XDP6, the guidelines are needed (for me) to accurately place and join the nodes. Works the same as above with that exception.

Take care, Mike

[amoore]

When you Joined the two lines, they didn't actually merge even though the status line reports that you now have one line. To see what I mean, select the Joined line, access the Shape tool, select a point handle where the two connect and press Tab to select an adjacent point handle. Watch the selection sequence as you continue to press Tab.

With the two experimental lines I drew, it was easy to see the odd sequence because I had drawn them starting in different directions. Even if you happened to start and end in the same direction when drawing each line, you'll find that there are two point handles at the place where the two lines supposedly join. Delete one and you lose a line segment.

However, if you connect the lines by dragging the point at the end of one line over the point at the end of the other, then do the tabbing thing, you'll see that the points tab in sequence and there's only one point where the two lines came together. That indicates that they really have become one line. You can now use the Freehand & Brush tool to complete your line.

I don't think that "Join Shapes" is really intended to work on lines. It's called "Join Shapes" for a reason.

[gpholman]

Hi Mike, thanks, that's spot on for me. One thing I did note is that the point where the two nodes overlap then the node marker (i.e. the little square) no longer appears which is less than ideal when doing the procedure you describe for joining them.

amoore - cheers, that helped me see why a line may not necessarily be a 'true' line. We live and learn.

[amoore]

Glad to help.

[ad1066]

Hi Mike, thanks, that's spot on for me. One thing I did note is that the point where the two nodes overlap then the node marker (i.e. the little square) no longer appears which is less than ideal when doing the procedure you describe for joining them.

There was a post about that in Dear Xara a couple of weeks ago, requesting that overlapping nodes be noted in a separate color, rather than just being functionally invisible.

-- Ben