How to draw equally split circle segments with letters inside?

Hi,

I need to draw a circle segment with letters distributed near the outer radius, and with lines drawn from the circle center evenly distributed -- as if you cut pieces of the round cake and you want to put one letter into each of the pieces.

The attached image shows the fragments of what should be there (colours will be black and white, but for easy reference...).

How to construct the yellow segment? I did it using a cirle and slicing by lines that goes through the center (twice). However, I cannot change the angle later when needed. Is there any better way? Actually, I draw two concentric circles and the inner one was intended to wrap the text around. Actually third circle was drawn because I do not know how to Fit text to certain portion of the curve (I fit it to the invisible circle and then added spaces to move it to the position -- which is uggly and there should be a better way :)

So, I have the text with characters and spaces. Some characters are narrow (like "I"), some are wide (like the "CH" which is considered one letter for the purpose). There is 30 of them, in my case. When distributing the letters, I did use spaces and kerning (not nice, but doable). Anyway, because of the "A" being positioned by spaces in front of it and centered on the circle, the whole text is "breathing" when changing at one place. What way you recommend?

I need to draw the lines to "cut" evenly the yellow portion to 30 pieces. In other words, I need 29 lines that will separate the letters, and any two neighbour lines will form the same angle. I tried the star shape to at least mark the points on the outer radius. Anyway, not being able to change the angle of the yellow segment, I cannot do it precisely.

Is there any way to draw more easily (than one by one) the lines from the center to the outer radius?


I have just downloaded Xara Photo & Graphic Designer 16, so the brand new features can be used.

Thank you, and wishing nice Christmas time,
Petr

Attachment 122984

I would add a character in the center (in this case the M) and center align the character.

Click twice on the character then drag the center of rotation down as shown in my example.

Rotate and drop a duplicate (right click to drop the duplicate). When you have all the characters placed, then edit each with the Text Tool to the correct letter.

This work?

Here's an example of how I'd go about it.

And a very poor video explaining it.

Here's the xar file, make of it what you can ;)

Hallo Gary and Egg,

Thank you both for the excellent hints. I have combined your approaches and combined with my addition

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gwpriester

I would add a character in the center (in this case the M) and center align the character.

Click twice on the character then drag the center of rotation down as shown in my example.

Rotate and drop a duplicate (right click to drop the duplicate). When you have all the characters placed, then edit each with the Text Tool to the correct letter.

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This is excelent hint, indeed. When the letter is centered, and the rotation point is moved, then it behaves like a lollipop independently on the letter inside :) Then it is much easier to edit and to place exactly.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Egg Bramhill

Here's an example of how I'd go about it.

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Egg, I used your idea to combine the letter with the square and rotate them together.

Now how I have solve the rest of my problems. Firstly I used the star with 64 beams (for 30 letter segment + 2 not used segment at the sides, all multiplied by 2 as only upper half is used), two guidelines and a circle. I have moved all of them to the Guides layer. Instead of the rectangle, I tried the "Ring segment" shape (the grey part; in my opinion, it would be nice if it was able to switch on classical handles for rotation and rotation center; anyway, it is a nice tool). I have rotated the start to allign beams with the horizontal guideline.
Attachment 122989

Then I have adjusted the ring shape to create a small flag, adding the flagpole, and alligned it exactly to the pins of the star for one segment.
Attachment 122990

Then I grouped the flagpole and the flag together, moved the center of rotation and rotated it to allign the middle of the flag exactly up (to add the letter in the base position)
Attachment 122991Attachment 122992

Later, I have extended left part of the flag to create overlap.

Attachment 122993

Then I ungruped it, grouped together with the character, and set the rotation center again.

Attachment 122994

Zooming to the radius, I have cloned the rotated image right-clicking the mouse, using the star beam as the position hint. This approach was precise enough for me. Working from right to the left, the next flag hides the overlap part of the previous flag. As the start beams were less visible over the new flag, I have adjusted the star to have pins at the lower part of the flag.

Attachment 122995

As Egg suggested, it is then possible to select more flags together, fix the center of rotation, and duplicate it more at once. I did it for the two half. Working from left to right, the top violet flag only overlapped the yellow one -- easy fix with putting it back

Attachment 122996

The leftmost flag was shortened to remove the overlap area. It is easy with the ring shape (would be easy also with rectangle). The leftmost line was added manually (as if the other flagpole).

Attachment 122997

I have learned something from you ;)

Have a nice Christmas time and happy start to the New Year,
Petr

Petr, I also simplified the construction to a flagpole and a flag pointing to the right.
I chose a flag as a square of 0pt Line Width and no Fill that had a centred Text Inside character.
The flagpole was 1pt Line Width and the length, the radius of the outer circle.

I rotated the grouped flag and flagpole around the centre and copied onto each star point.
I ensured the text was initially horizontal so the flagpole was leaning to the left slightly.

I finally created a Yellow ring with a Black line and placed behind.

Attachment 123001

Acorn

Thanks, Acorn, for another idea.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Acorn

Petr, I also simplified the construction to a flagpole and a flag pointing to the right.
I chose a flag as a square of 0pt Line Width and no Fill that had a centred Text Inside character.
The flagpole was 1pt Line Width and the length, the radius of the outer circle.

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Actually, there is no need for a flag -- nor the square, nor the small ring segment is necessary. The flagpole with the character grouped together would be enough. And the yellow part could be the one big "ring segment".

Have a nice Chrismas time,
Petr

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pepr

Thanks, Acorn, for another idea.
Actually, there is no need for a flag -- nor the square, nor the small ring segment is necessary. The flagpole with the character grouped together would be enough. And the yellow part could be the one big "ring segment".
Have a nice Chrismas time,
Petr

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Petr, I chose the flag as Text Inside keeps it all nicely bounded together but I agree that the flagpole is the key part of the rotation so anything grouped to it will work.
The ring does go all the way around; my image was just a clip view of the important parts.

Festive greetings.

Acorn

I'd prefer to use Placards rather than Flags. With placards everything is auto centred. ;)

Hi Petr,
I have a 'grid' that might help you; 60 divisions radially. Upper figure has arc segments and lower has line segments (both shown in red @ same scale.)
A little cut'n paste'n could help you out.

Merry Christmas to All