Better Curve Shaping and Editing

[barnes2000]

I come from 14 years of using CorelDRAW. After starting to use VectorWorks a few years ago, I have definitely found myself using it more than any other program.

One thing I do miss with Corel is how fluid and easy it is to draw and edit freehand curves. Here are some of the things I would love to see applied to VW...

First, the manipulation of the vertices is a bit difficult. When I lasso a vertice(s), it should chnage color to indicate that it is selected. Next, when a vertice is selected, there should be a place that tells me what kind it is...corner, bezier, cubic? Also, when I draw the curve, they should all be the same type of vertice, then I can edit later.

It would be nice if adding and deleting vertices could be as simple as double clicking along the curve somewhere to add, and double clicking on a vertice to delete. Having to change tools for every little thing can slow me down.

I haven't found this, but maybe it already exist...aligning vertices would be great.

One of the biggest things I would love to see is a way to easily reduce the vertice count along a curve that keeps the shape of the curve as much as possible. Obviously if you reduce down to 2 vertices, it wont look much like the curve you had, but this could be a powerful tool...like a slider that you just slide to reduce the count.

Lastly, a fall off option when more than one vertice is selected would be cool. When the fall off is disabled all of the selected vertice move together, and when it is enabled, pulling from one of the vertices also pulls the others that are selected, but they act more elastic. For example, if you have a curve that has ten vertices and you select them all; with fall off enabled, when you pull the fith vertice and move it across your page, the first and tenth vertice don't move at all(like anchors), and the others move a bit more as you get closer to the fifth.

Edited April 18, 2008 by barnes2000

[mike m oz]

I mostly agree with the thoughts expressed above. These improvements are long overdue.

[Greg_at_ils]

I have to agree too.

[Pat Stanford]

It sounds like you already know most of what I am about to say, but I will say it for the benefit of others reading this post.

Also, when I draw the curve, they should all be the same type of vertice, then I can edit later.

This is the way it works now. Draw with the freehand, or polygon tool and you get all corner vertices. If you use the polyline tool, you can pick the type of vertex you want, but if you don't change in the middle, they will all be the same.

It would be nice if adding and deleting vertices could be as simple as double clicking along the curve somewhere to add, and double clicking on a vertice to delete. Having to change tools for every little thing can slow me down.

You can use the U key to step between the modes in the Reshape tool. Yes it is slower, but not bad once you get used to it.

haven't found this, but maybe it already exist...aligning vertices would be great.

Not that I know of

One of the biggest things I would love to see is a way to easily reduce the vertice count along a curve that keeps the shape of the curve as much as possible. Obviously if you reduce down to 2 vertices, it wont look much like the curve you had, but this could be a powerful tool...like a slider that you just slide to reduce the count.

John Williams, one of the Manager/programmers at NNA published a script to do this a while back. It has not been updated, but probably can be. It is no longer on his site, but I tracked it down on the internet archive (Yes John, the internet really is forever). It seems to compile and run just fine in VW2008, but I have not done any sophisticated testing.

Lastly, a fall off option when more than one vertice is selected would be cool. When the fall off is disabled all of the selected vertice move together, and when it is enabled, pulling from one of the vertices also pulls the others that are selected, but they act more elastic. For example, if you have a curve that has ten vertices and you select them all; with fall off enabled, when you pull the fith vertice and move it across your page, the first and tenth vertice don't move at all(like anchors), and the others move a bit more as you get closer to the fifth.

And this is the real reason for my post. Many people don't realize that when you are using the 2D Reshape tool, you can draw a marque around a group of vertices and move them all at once. Actually, everything inside the marquee moves together. You can also nudge using the marquee. It works well for moving doors/windows/symbols in walls. Watchout though if you have a diagonal wall, eventually the objects will start falling out of the marquee.

The fall-off would be a nice addition.

Pat

[barnes2000]

This is the way it works now. Draw with the freehand, or polygon tool and you get all corner vertices. If you use the polyline tool, you can pick the type of vertex you want, but if you don't change in the middle, they will all be the same.

So freehand is always corner vertices...good to know. It's frustrating not having any indication as to what type of vertices they are when selected.

I understand what you are saying about the Polyline tool having the ability to choose the vertex, but then, the polyline really isn't a freehand tool. Many of my nurbs models start with simple (or maybe not so simple) freehand curves. The amount and type of vertices that are in that curve greatly effects the nurbs model that I eventually make. This is my primary reason for bringing up these request for more user friendly curve editing. Thank You for all your replies.

[Jershaun]

Hi

Another feature I would like to add to this wish list is the need for the handles of a bezier point. Just like CorelDraw, Freehand and Illustrator, it's easier to edit how a point looks/curves by editing the handles.

In addition to this, when one imports a curve created in CorelDraw (or another similar program), the curve comes into VW as a whole lot of points when in fact it is made up of a couple of bezier points in CorelDraw.

Please re-look at the whole polyline object.

Thanks,

[barnes2000]

Pat,

I added the John Williams Script. It does help, though it could be improved. I'm not much of a script writer. I was thinking more of an interactive tool that changes the amount of vertices in real time.

Also, in addition to seeing what vertice mode they are when you lasso your vertices, it would be cool if while they are selected you could change their mode.

I'd like to second what Shaun says about handles.

Edited April 21, 2008 by barnes2000

[Semtex77]

The Curveshaping is kinda awful in VW.

Compared /w Illustrator it is really complicated. With Illustrator you can shape things really easy and even afterwards you can use the bezier handles to define the shape.

would be great if vw could adope this fine tool.

[islandmon]

Example of curve editing with X11 > FontForge showing the vertexes and control handles which are used to create a font character.