Eraser Tool Healing Open Path

Igull

@b77 Hi Thanks for the quick reply.
Yes, you are correct, I want to break a closed shape with the eraser tool.
However, I want the DIMENSION of the break to be the diameter of the eraser.
The purpose of this is to create tabs in a laser cut path - the tab size being the diameter of the tool.
Doing it with a scissor/knife tool is very long winded and you can't control the size of the break easily.
My current method in AI is to create a tab breaker - a rectangle the size of the tab, place the rectangle over the contour, then trim the overlapping portion within the rectangle with the trim function - less long-winded than it sounds and gives an accurate cut size. I can do this in VS too of course (much easier in VS BTW !), but a one-trick tool would be so time saving
I only came to Vectorstyler this morning after a comment in the AD forum and am absolutely overwhelmed with how good it is compared to AI. I've used AI for 30+ years - even just being able to edit the toolboxes and contextual menus is a phenomenal time saver.
There IS a bug in the eraser tool 'though, it shouldn't heal the already open contour. It could just be an issue in the algorithm that does this - it may see the contour ends as being at the same co-ordinate and make the assumption that the object is closed.
Cheers
Neil

Igull

@b77 said in Eraser Tool Healing Open Path:

you can use the free Recordit app to record the screen

Just a quick note, cmd + shift + 5 on the Mac does the same thing :-))

Boldline

@Igull said in Eraser Tool Healing Open Path:

I only came to Vectorstyler this morning after a comment in the AD forum and am absolutely overwhelmed with how good it is compared to AI. I've used AI for 30+ years - even just being able to edit the toolboxes and contextual menus is a phenomenal time saver.

Welcome aboard! I also first found Vectorstyler (VS) by way of the Affinity forum a few years ago and I keep making reference to it over there in hopes it helps others the way I was helped. In my journey, VS started as a way to accomplish tasks missing from Affinity for so many years and then has evolved to become my primary vector editing program over the last year. There's certainly room for more than one alternative out there to combat adobe!
The developer of VS is very receptive to new ideas and solutions and welcomes healthy discussion here on the forum. Keep sharing your ideas and include screenshots and video links where you can to help expedite the understanding.
The developer has laid out a tentative plan for where VS will go over the next few years, so you can see the direction ahead.

b77

@Igull For open shapes, I think what you need is Option-dragging over the path or Option-clicking the path with the same Eraser tool.

Just a quick note, cmd + shift + 5 on the Mac does the same thing :-))

Sure, but Recordit saves a small video on their server and you can just paste the video link here. It's more convenient IMO.

Igull

@b77 said in Eraser Tool Healing Open Path:

@Igull For open shapes, I think what you need is Option-dragging over the path or Option-clicking the path with the same Eraser tool.

My thoughts precisely, make it so

OK on the Recordit app, I'll take look at that !

b77

@Igull Option-clicking an open path with the Eraser tool does that already.
Please try it to see if it does what you need.

VectorStyler

@Igull Hi! Welcome to VectorStyler.

Yes, the Eraser tool currently will auto close a path if the path ends are overlapping.

A workaround would be to cut the path at any two nodes, and then use Object -> Break Apart to have the shapes separate and non overlapping ends.
To open the path: just select any two nodes using the Node tool and then click the open path icon in the context panel

As for the Eraser tool, I think cutting closed paths open should be automatic if the path is not filled. I added this to the backlog.

Igull

@VectorStyler said in Eraser Tool Healing Open Path:

As for the Eraser tool, I think cutting closed paths open should be automatic if the path is not filled. I added this to the backlog.

That's great, thanks a lot for that, it really will save a heap of time !

I have a temporary solution that I already used from AI, so I can continue with that until the Super Eraser comes along

Thanks

Neil

Igull

@b77 said in Eraser Tool Healing Open Path:

@Igull Option-clicking an open path with the Eraser tool does that already.
Please try it to see if it does what you need.

Yes, open paths are fine, it's the closed paths (no fill) that are the issue.

VectorStyler

@Igull This problem should be fixed in 1.1.049