Beautiful curves

I have a little project in mind (I don't really want to say what it is) that requires very neat linework. I have to say that in terms of linework I am superb with straights. I can even do parallel straights!

What I really need though are smooth 90 degree bends and not just for one line, multiple parallel lines.

What is the secret of getting perfect, precise bends? I can do bends but I fiddle for ages to get them to look right.

What really interests me is to take a series of parallel lines and bend them as one.


A very basic question, really, but it's driving me around the bend! ;-)Attachment 81365

An E stroke with Xara. I was curious how this would flow.

Rich

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Originally Posted by molucca

An E stroke with Xara. I was curious how this would flow.

Rich

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Thanks, but I have no idea what an E stroke is, or exactly what's going on in the example.

I don't know what the E thing is either.

Do this. Select the bottom example. Break Shapes. You'll see they are rectangles, solid fill. Select all the rectangles, Join Shapes.

Take care, Mike

Right, so the suggestion is basically to take rounded rectangle, overlap them and join together. I can see that it does do the job, but I was hoping for a cunning way to bend the lines.

Hi Paul,

Try using Contour on a single line [not a closed shape] . You can edit (add points and convert nodes, etc.) on the original line with the Shape Editor tool (F4) within the contour and 'contoured' lines will follow the edits. Use Slice (Control +4) or Break at Points to 'chop off' the wrap-around ends. Use the Line Gallery to adjust the Join and the Caps.

Regards,

The last two suggestions together: Create a curved rectangle with the line width and tightest curve you want. Then use contour tool outwards to create additional lines. Delete three sides of the rectangles

I guess the contour tool will do everything I need. Thanks guys.

This is how I first learnt to do it back in the days of ArtWorks on Acorn RISC OS.
Draw a line pixel width as wide as the total width of all the lines. Clone it on top of itself, change to second colour and reduce width by twice the width you want each line to be. Repeat as many times as necessary. See attached which I have just created in WD7, but as I say it works with everything Computer Concepts or Xara have produced.

bobp

Hi Bobp would please rephrase the steps you used to create the curves? I'm afraid I do not understand the steps you already posted. :o

Try this:

If you know the centre of the corner curvature and the angle where the two bands meet then draw two rays from the center that divide the angle into equal 1/3rds. So for a 90 degree corner the rays are 30 degrees apart and divide the corner into 30, 30, 30 degree sectors. Then make rough corner curves and drag the bezier control points so that they are on the intersections between the rays and the tangents from the line ends.

For corner angles <= 90 degrees that will make near circular corner curves with consistent spacing between the lines in the band. Probably doesn't work for corners > 90 degrees.

It might be possible to make a little template that you can drag into place to quickly set the bezier control points for corners on any bands of lines.

The attached file is not accurate but show the basic idea.

Phil

Thanks, Phil.

Thanks Phil, I can understand that. :)

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Originally Posted by Soquili

Hi Bobp would please rephrase the steps you used to create the curves? I'm afraid I do not understand the steps you already posted. :o

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1. Draw basic curve. I want 5 lines 4 px wide with 2 px gaps so
2. Increase width to 5x4 + 4x2 = 28 px total width
3. Clone in place and change to background colour
4. reduce width by width of two final lines (ie 2x4) to 20 px
5. Clone, change to foreground colour
6. Reduce width by two gaps ie 2x2 to 16px
7. Clone, change to background, reduce by to lines to 8 px
8. Clone, change to foreground, reduce to 4 px for final line.

Vary depending on odd or even which is final.

Originally used this to draw freehand maps. Draw map one pix wide, increase to eg 14 pix, clone, change to background, reduce to 10 pix, and roads with parallel edges 2px wide and 10 pix apart.

bobp

Thank you, I can visualize how it is done therefore I can repeat it when needed.