Need help understanding open/closed vector problem

[jcizek]

Hi everyone,
I am brand new to Vcarve, but I think I am getting a handle on most of it pretty well. I am having one issue I can'f figure out. I am working on an inlay project that started as a picture of a buffalo. I took the bitmap and did a "trace bitmap" to turn it into vectors. Worked great. It's in layer 1. I set an offset vector inside the edge of the drawing and Vcarved to that, while setting another offset between the outer line and the center to use a roughing endmill to clear out the large area. Worked great. The problem is down in the rear legs of the buffalo. They are very skinny. I want to separate the rear legs into their own "zone" and JUST vcarve that area, no endmill. I thought I could draw a line across (also in layer 1), trim it with trim tool, and since I had the "rejoin vectors" box checked, it would do so. It does not. It leaves the line as an open vector. I've tried everything, all the vector tools do nothing. I've tried node editting and dropping the ends of the line on top of one of the vector black boxes.

I think my problem is that that section of the drawing doesn't contain the END of any vectors and so my line can't join them. I can replicate this same behavior simply by drawing a box, cutting it in half with a line, then snipping the line back to the box. Same issue, the line remains "open". I am positive I am missing something simple, but after hours of forum searches and youtube crawling, I can't figure it out. Anyone offer any advice please?

Many thanks in advance!
James

[Adrian]

You can't join an open vector to a close vector. Imagine a rectangle that you draw a line from corner to corner in. To the human eye it looks like two triangle but to the program it's a rectangle and a line. If you then join the line to the corners of the rectangle you get a closed triangle and an open right angle.

The solution? Make two overlapping shapes. In the rectangle triangle example you would join the corners twice so the diagonal vectors overlap.

[mtylerfl]

Hi James,

You’ll need to create duplicates of adjoining shapes so they are separate (closed) vector shapes.

For example, your rectangle “cut in half with a line” won’t make two closed-shape rectangles, as you discovered. You can Copy the rectangle, trim it to make the top half closed rectangle, then Paste the Copy and trim it to make the bottom half rectangle.

Of course, you’ll need to use different layers for the original vs the copy - trim the first one on Layer 1, then paste your copy on Layer 2, turn off visibility of Layer 1, then trim your second rectangle, then move it to Layer 1 if you wish and then restore visibility.

Lots of techniques you can use, but that’s just one method. I often trim vectors of overlapping copies of shapes off the workspace using the shortcut move keys after setting a value of say, several inches, then move them back into precise position using the same shortcut keys to “put it back” to its original place on the workspace. Doing it this particular way doesn’t require using separate layers since there is no chance the original vectors would interfere with the copied vectors.

Gosh, trying to describe this without showing you “live” makes it sound complicated, but it’s really not.

[jcizek]

Thanks guys!! That solved it entirely. I copied it to another layer, snipped it, removed the other half and Voila, it worked! I already have it carved out on the machine.

Thanks so much for the help, I knew it was something simple I was missing!

James

[mtylerfl]

It’s always good to hear a success story! Good job, James!