Help with AI or Inkscape - joining shapes

Tips, Tricks and Tutorials for using Inkscape
Post Reply
cre8ting
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Apr 18, 2010 10:50 am

Help with AI or Inkscape - joining shapes

Post by cre8ting »

I have a file that I am trying to figure out how to join the shapes in - essentially I am trying to just create the outline -- so not a separate triangle and rectangle but more like a house on its side if that makes sense. Does anyone know how to do this? I keep getting an error message when I try the join function.

Thanks!
Attachments
PocketInvite.svg
(1.44 KiB) Downloaded 142 times
jasenj1
Posts: 364
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:06 am
Location: Newport News, VA, USA; SCAL 2.044-Expression; SCAL 3-Cameo; Mac; Inkscape 0.48; GIMP 2.6

Re: Help with AI or Inkscape - joining shapes

Post by jasenj1 »

The problem with your file is that the diagonal lines are just lines. That is, they are not joined to anything to make a continuous path. When doing this kind of work, the node tools are your friend.
node tools screenshot.jpg
node tools screenshot.jpg (3.93 KiB) Viewed 2536 times
You use them to cut the ends off of bounded areas (rectangles) and attach the end points of separate lines.

It is often better to build objects up from rectangles or polygons, deleting, adding, and moving nodes as needed, rather than using lines.

Another technique is to draw a big rectangle around the entire shape. Then use the paint bucket tool to fill in the surrounding area like this:
paint bucket example.jpg
paint bucket example.jpg (37.78 KiB) Viewed 2536 times
Then you "Break Apart" the filled in shape and delete the outside frame, leaving just the surrounded shape. But the paint bucket can give inaccurate results.

I've attached a fixed up version of your file I made by deleting lines & attaching endpoints.

Hope this helps.
- Jasen.
Attachments
PocketInvite.svg
(2.1 KiB) Downloaded 143 times
hkvalerio
Posts: 629
Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2009 12:33 pm
Location: { Cali } Windows XP, Inkscape .48, SCAL2, Microsoft Digital Image Pro

Re: Help with AI or Inkscape - joining shapes

Post by hkvalerio »

TFS!
Image
Heather
sstehman
Posts: 1964
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 4:29 pm
Location: Sandy in PA (PC&MAC,Inkscape .48, SCAL2,eClips, eCAL)

Re: Help with AI or Inkscape - joining shapes

Post by sstehman »

I need to bookmark this topic. Thanks for the explanation.
Sandy in PA
cre8ting
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Apr 18, 2010 10:50 am

Re: Help with AI or Inkscape - joining shapes

Post by cre8ting »

Thanks everyone.

Does anyone know of any good tutorials that utilize the node tool to do this?
Post Reply