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Suggested Feature: Line/Cuve Tool Connected Mode


MJW

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A feature I would find very useful is a "connected" mode for the Line/Curve Tool. When activated, the first click would specify the starting point, and all subsequent clicks would specify the endpoint of the current curve and the starting point for the next curve. The nodes for the current segment (possibly excluding the first) could be re-positioned before the next segment was created. (It would be even better if all the nodes in a continuous curve were movable, but in that case, the the begin/end nodes would need to be easily distinguished from the in-between nodes.)

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ShapeMaker will do this for you (without the end caps - something the Dwarf Horde is toying with). Use Cubic Bezier + Cubic Spline option...

 

SMdemo.png

 

All the nodes can be dragged around to your heart's content.

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15 hours ago, Ego Eram Reputo said:

ShapeMaker will do this for you (without the end caps - something the Dwarf Horde is toying with). Use Cubic Bezier + Cubic Spline option...

 

That's true, but there are a couple disadvantages: first, the curve definition is done out of the context of the other layers. Second, unless the end slopes of the splines can specified (and they currently can't be) cubic splines quite often don't do what one wants near the endpoints.  The first problem -- which is very significant -- could be partly alleviated by optionally allowing the clipboard image to serve as a backdrop, so the user could copy the other layers; still, nothing beats being able to freely interact with the other layers in the standard PDN environment.

 

EDIT: When I say "cubic splines quite often don't do what one wants near the endpoints," I'm referring specifically to splines that use "free-end" conditions, where the second derivatives at the ends are set to zero. Because the curvature goes to zero, free-end splines flatten out at the ends, which is often undesirable. There are other "automatic" choices for end conditions that might work better. Except for the problem of choosing good end conditions, cubic splines are very nice.

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On 2/10/2017 at 9:31 PM, MJW said:

The first problem -- which is very significant -- could be partly alleviated by optionally allowing the clipboard image to serve as a backdrop, so the user could copy the other layers ...

I think we can make that happen for the next release of ShapeMaker.

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11 minutes ago, toe_head2001 said:

I think we can make that happen for the next release of ShapeMaker.

 

That would be most welcome for those like me who want to trace shapes. I was going to post the request to the ShapeMaker thread, but now I guess I don't have to.

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