Smooth tool
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This is the missing smooth path tool in VS. the video itself is dumb but the demonstration of the illustrator smooth tool at the end is what I care about.
The ability to finesse the path in specific locations and choosing the intensity would be awesome
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The smooth tool is notorious for destroying curves and erratically removing nodes. It works for very simple scenarios. Perhaps the simplest of them such as the one the lady showed. Of course no designer worth their salt would choose to smooth a curve in the way she showed initially. However, what VS needs is a Vector Curve Optimisation function. Both Xara and PL have unique approaches. I love Xara's non-destructive approach but I love PL's live preview. So a combo of both would be amazing.
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@Daniel said in Smooth tool:
The smooth tool is notorious for destroying curves and erratically removing nodes.
Yeah the video itself was really dumb - it just came up in my feed and reminded me about that smooth tool and how I missed it lol.
I used the smooth tool a LOT back in my Illustrator days. I found if you have the setting to high it will quickly destroy path curves, but once you get the settings dialed in, it was a quick and dirty tool that helped solve issues on the fly.
If you're needing absolute precision of a curve, then this is probably not the tool for that. I used it for subjective situations in my artwork - "hand drawn" designs I would make that needed slight adjustments, or cleaning up a vector trace, etc. I used it enough that I miss having it available in VS.The "simplify path" tool could be handy in some cases, but I feel it needs more control options and right now it affects the entire shape, not a specific portion.
@Daniel said in Smooth tool:
However, what VS needs is a Vector Curve Optimisation function. Both Xara and PL have unique approaches. I love Xara's non-destructive approach but I love PL's live preview. So a combo of both would be amazing.
I was trying unsuccessfully to find these online to see how they function. If you get a chance, would you post a couple videos showing both methods? I'm always open to new ideas and methods.
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VS Path Simplifier Tool does this. It's no way perfect and mileage will vary based on your path content, but replicating the video example is not too bad : https://somup.com/cTXUFzRD4q
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@EricP I appreciate you sharing that tool - I either forgot or never used it before and it's very close to what I was looking for in that silly IG post I linked.
That said, when I went to use it, there were errors; it seemed to keep replicating the path instead of refining the existing one
0_1764444033069_simplifier tool.vstyler
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@Boldline I will fix these issues
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@Boldline https://imgbox.com/uREIHee5 - There it is. There are two gifs. One done through percentages. The other through factors. Both are better than what's available in Illustrator.
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I actually compared the curve smoothing algorithm across Vectorstyler, Illustrator, Inkscape, Affinity, PhotoLine and Xara. Here's how they performed:
- Poorest of them all: Affinity. Affinity does not have a separate function for this. It is included into the node delete function. "Fit to curve delete node" Completely destroys the curve.
Here's the result. It is a completely different curve altogether.
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Vectorstyler: The simplifier tool is very poor in it's current form. It does not do what it is supposed to do per the tool tip.
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Inkscape: Simplify path produces erratic results. There's no way to compare before/after. It is comparable to Illustrator in performance.
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PhotoLine: Curve Optimisation also destroys curve form if the factor is raised by more than a few points. Practically useless.
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Illustrator: Smooth tool is again drag and pray. Hopeless for except the most simple scenarios. This is why Astute Plugins still sell. Astute Plugins do this brilliant.
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Xara: It still has - after 30 years - the best algorithm for curve optimisation! https://imgbox.com/501rb5PJ - Here's the gif of my experiment. Reducing 50 nodes to a mere 4. Notice the ability to see before/after in real-time and course correct. I love that!
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@Daniel said in Smooth tool:
The simplifier tool is very poor in it's current form. It does not do what it is supposed to do per the tool tip.
Send me some examples where this did not work.
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@VectorStyler: https://imgbox.com/KTPwu6su - Here's an example. The smoothing is rather weak. I didn't have a tablet at hand so it is done with a mouse. But still.
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@Daniel Can you send me the file with that shape?
