A quick question about the vector shape paintbrush Warp

Hi all!

I'm not sure if this is the proper place to ask,
if this needs to be moved thanks in advance!

I currently use xara photo & graphic designer v11
and really like the vector paintbrush Warp feature!

Each time I use it, and deform the selected shape, it creates new points.
that's practical...and not.
If i'd like to saaaay morph exported SVG it won't work as all points index changes if theres more points from svg A to svg B...

I'd like to know if there's a way to use it without creating new points, or its a feature I could submit?

That should be hard to add as an option, no?

regards,
An Happy xara user
:DAttachment 124503

Hello Remi

You can select the control points with the Shape Tool and use the Smoothing slider on the Infobar to simplify the points. Try a low setting at first and increase until the shape is still good but the number of points is reduced.

So no way to work with the initial points, right?
Do you think its valid for a feature request?
;)

Remi - I am not sure how you mean to work with the original points. But each control point can be edited separately or collectively with the Shape Tool.

This sort of goes hand in hand with the question that ICY PRO asked about the node tool ...

Remi, you can add or delete control points as you wish. However, I'm not sure why you want to reduce the number of control points as changing the control points changes the geometry of the shape ... and surely, you want to preserve the chosen shape or it was pointless creating it in the first place!

Sorry, let me try to explain myself better hehe, (sorry if my english is a bit wonky, i'm french canadian)

you said "each control points can be edited separately or collectively with the Shape Tool", very true.
but,
what the "painbrush+warp" does very nicely, with a very intuitive, fluid (or natural) user experience is
push ANY and ALL point(s) or curve(s) it encounters along the path of the stroke you make.

each stroke move the points you want to move, gradually, with each stroke, and tweaks the shape.

its like sculpting, or painting if you have thick paint on the canvas.

no need to select the points you want or not, if a point is in the path of the stroke you made, it will move.

that's more natural and intuitive than selecting each time the points you want to move them.

the method you described works to adjust a few points, in a vector containing 500 points it quickly falls into time consuming waste of time...

(i do know about the point reducing slide, which works beautifully, i do use it for any static/still vector project, but stay with me here)

the reason behind my initial question is that when you use the paintbrush+warp, it creates new points along the process.

if i want to use the vector as an SVG with programming (like morphing, animation, or javascript) i can't anymore if i used the paintbrush+warp.

if i make (say) shape A, shape A has serie A of points, bearing names, in a certain order.
then copy it into shape B.
right now that shape B has the same serie A of points, all identical in names and order.
select a few points, move them, and resave shapeB: still save vector content.

tweak shape B with the paintbrush+warp: it wont be the save data anymore.
because of the new points added by the paintbrush+warp, the vector content is a serie F or whatever name you want to name it, all point name and order have changed.

reducing the points with the slider doesnt reorganize and rename the points to the serie A it was, it may look pretty much identical, but its a whole new set of data.

that is why i was asking if there was a way to use the paintbrush+warp tool without having new points created.

if i use two of theses vectors as two svg file A and B (or more) with coding, all the created points name and order are important, and must remain identical.

morphing is impossible because I can't move point #15 of shape A to the new X,Y location of point #15 of shape B, because its not the same point #15 anymore in shape B.

I use to be 3D tech artist in the gaming industry, i know that sort of discussion melts a brain easely lol...

Am I making any more sense?

;)

Keith, the point here is Xara sometimes creates way more control points than. Often a small reduction in the number of control points does not change the geometry of the shape but makes the shape simpler. It times past, if an object had too many control points it could not export to EPS without the shape being broken into many smaller shapes. I don't think this is a problem today. No more than the necessity of web safe colors.

Hi SS-Kalm!
(maybe i'm not explaining clearly enough - check my additional comment i just posted at 8:47 as my attempt to clarify myself)
My request is related to the use of the vector as SVG afterward (along with coding for morphing or animating)
in my usage scenario, i cant add or delete point(s) in shape B as it changes the whole data...

if i create shape A
clone it into a shape B
(two files on the hard drive)
reopen shape B to change its shape and save it, it needs to contain the same point names and order. i'm just shifting points to change the form of the vector, then saving it.
later using code i need the points to be the same name for shape A as for shape B


sure if i select and move the points by hand it works, but in a vector with 250 points its faster and nicer with the paintbrush+warp tool.
BUT cant do that, as the paintbrush+warp tool doesnt just move the points, it creates a whole additional set of points...

in any way clearer?

:)

Quote:

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Am I making any more sense?

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Heh heh, I don't know, I fell asleep several times, I may have missed something. :)

When you say Paintbrush do you mean the Photo Tool > FX tools > Deformation filters? If yes then these are bitmap operations and not vector operations. The object, even if it is a vector to start, becomes a bitmap object.

What specific tool are you using? I think we are not on the same page.

Nooo no no i mean the VECTOR shape paintbrush + warp ! (see jpg 2)

All vector aint talkin about any bitmap/pixels here

:)

Attachment 124506Attachment 124507Attachment 124508

Hi Remi,

I can understand your issue when you are creating two svg files with a different number of nodes. What I don't understand is what 'software' / 'css' / 'javascript' you're using to achieve the animation?

i'm coding my own javascript...
but also, I just started revisiting greensock GSAP, which is something i used a looooong time ago... they do have a morph tool including solutions for non-identical svgs...
that kinda makes my whole trend useless, but still,
I dont think it would be that much a challenge to add a checkbox and a few lines of code for a "use existing points only"

i'm a "techy" artist, humbly, i cant state definitively that it would be easy, but i'm fairly convinced it wouldn't be that much of a challenge...

anyway...right now, can't do it...

thats ok, still love and use my xara photo and graphic designer with a huge smile!
;)

Work backwards and reconstruct the previous by flattening down the extra points but not deleting them.

Acorn