Ideas for the future of the shape builder tool

[handrawn]

yes but the shape builder tool is an alternative way of changing a shape [or constructing one] - the shape is changed and that's that - this is nothing more [or less] destructive than in using the shape editor tool - right?

I think that if you consider shapes to be only constructable from nodes and any 'none-node' enhancements to be either 'destructive' or 'non-destructive' you might miss the point

vector drawing is [on one level] moving away from nodes entirely - there is a class of user who no more wants to get involved in node manipulation than does another class of programmers wish to have to code in binary - this is a step in that direction

I see your point - but I don't think that is what this tool is really for...

[handrawn]

as for a totally non destructive form of shape building - at what point do you set your baseline? - and you have a 'make vector copy' function to fix changes like you do in bitmaps?

[Squeaky]

For non destructive you can use Xaras Join function or Clipview, They are are both pretty vital in my work flow in the correct circumstances. The Shape builder is something else entirely and maybe not something that is useful to your work. It is very useful to me though. That is the beauty of XDP. It's a real swiss army knife and does many things very well indeed :-)

[Nostaw]

I guess you're right it's designed for a whole different purpose, for quck and simple real time vector based drawing. The reason I'm suggesting a more non destructive approach is the 'messy' result it creates.

[MarcT]

In the same idea of the eraser and shape builder, a shape tweaker/deformer would be very nice, with softedge faloff.

Marc

[handrawn]

its not a messy result if you look at it in terms of painting

look if you use a raster painting program likely you don't worry too much about this destructive hangup - for a start it can make you complacent or even lazy - and anyway there is always CTRL+Z, if you need to go back any further than a couple of these maybe you didn't think things out well enough in the first place

I'm not knocking your point of view - I understand it, but what you call 'messy' I call 'organic'

I can't see how it could be made non-destructive any more than the shape [editor] tool could be... they both do the same job in different ways - and the fact that they can both be used on shapes generated by the other is good implementation ...

[handrawn]

shape tweaker - you mean like the liquid color deformation filter in live effects, except vector... yes, that would be cool

[MarcT]

Yeah, a bit like the warp tool in illustrator but better!

It would be nice to see a falloff like those 3d programs, points close to the center would be more affected, etc..

Marc