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  1. #1
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    Question Can you Find the Focal points of an Ellipse?

    Using the Xara ellipse too, create a Red ellipse of width (major axis) 400px and height (minor axis) 200px.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    The Challenge is to find the focal points F1 & F2 without any calculation.

    Your "proof" will be any triangle with a base of F1F2 (346.4px) and apex on the rim of the ellipse will have a Perimeter of 746.4px.

    P(F1AF2) = P(F1BF2) = P(F1CF2).

    Knowing the length between the focal points and with a rope or twine the length of the perimeter and tied into a single loop, it would be possible to inscribe the ellipse to be the basis of an elliptical pond or garden feature.

    The path from one focus to the rim to the other focus is always goings to be 400px.
    This is the reason whispering galleries work; any sound made at either focus is concentrated at the other one.

    Acorn
    Acorn - installed Xara software: Cloud+/Pro+ and most others back through time (to CC's Artworks). Contact for technical remediation/consultancy for your web designs.
    When we provide assistance, your responses are valuable as they benefit the community. TG Nuggets you might like. Report faults: Xara Cloud+/Pro+/Magix Legacy; Xara KB & Chat

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
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    Italy
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    110

    Default Re: Can you Find the Focal points of an Ellipse?

    This time I try to attach a video with my solution...

    Marco.
    Attached Files Attached Files

  3. #3
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    Info Re: Can you Find the Focal points of an Ellipse?

    Quote Originally Posted by Marco D View Post
    This time I try to attach a video with my solution...
    Marco.
    Nice to watch Marco.

    You are solving these faster than I can make them!

    My solution uses the ellipse, a circle and a line.

    1. Create a Green circle, a Blue Line and a Red ellipse, all 400px wide; the Red ellipse can be a clone of the Green circle, halving its Height.
    2. Place the circle and ellipse bases together; the circle's centre is now on the ellipse edge. the length of a radius to either of the points where the line cuts the circle are, necessarily, 200px. The chord, the line in the green, is what we want.
    3. Select the line and circle and Intersect.
    4. Switch to the Shape tool after selecting the chord (this is a shape and not a line); it has zero Line size.
    5. Click on the chord to add a Node.
    6. Drag the Node to any point of the Red ellipse.

    Focal Points Ellipse.xar

    Instead of a line, I halved a cloned ellipse to the same effect. I found the line solution clearer.

    Acorn
    Acorn - installed Xara software: Cloud+/Pro+ and most others back through time (to CC's Artworks). Contact for technical remediation/consultancy for your web designs.
    When we provide assistance, your responses are valuable as they benefit the community. TG Nuggets you might like. Report faults: Xara Cloud+/Pro+/Magix Legacy; Xara KB & Chat

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
    Location
    Italy
    Posts
    110

    Default Re: Can you Find the Focal points of an Ellipse?

    Quote Originally Posted by Acorn View Post
    Nice to watch Marco.

    You are solving these faster than I can make them!

    My solution uses the ellipse, a circle and a line.

    1. Create a Green circle, a Blue Line and a Red ellipse, all 400px wide; the Red ellipse can be a clone of the Green circle, halving its Height.
    2. Place the circle and ellipse bases together; the circle's centre is now on the ellipse edge. the length of a radius to either of the points where the line cuts the circle are, necessarily, 200px. The chord, the line in the green, is what we want.
    3. Select the line and circle and Intersect.
    4. Switch to the Shape tool after selecting the chord (this is a shape and not a line); it has zero Line size.
    5. Click on the chord to add a Node.
    6. Drag the Node to any point of the Red ellipse.

    Focal Points Ellipse.xar

    Instead of a line, I halved a cloned ellipse to the same effect. I found the line solution clearer.

    Acorn
    You solution is indeed clearer. I hadn't tought interecting a line with a shape (the circle in this case), good to know!
    Next time I'll try to wait a bit longer before posting my solutions

    Marco.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
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    Placitas, New Mexico, USA
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    Default Re: Can you Find the Focal points of an Ellipse?


  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    SW England
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    17,744

    Default Re: Can you Find the Focal points of an Ellipse?

    Quote Originally Posted by gwpriester View Post
    Thank you Gary. clearly Maxim has been following my Threads here.

    It is amazing what can be done with the Xara Desktop applications.

    Acorn
    Acorn - installed Xara software: Cloud+/Pro+ and most others back through time (to CC's Artworks). Contact for technical remediation/consultancy for your web designs.
    When we provide assistance, your responses are valuable as they benefit the community. TG Nuggets you might like. Report faults: Xara Cloud+/Pro+/Magix Legacy; Xara KB & Chat

 

 

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