Totally Lost Making Flag

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wolfeman
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Totally Lost Making Flag

Post by wolfeman »

1st - For over a week I have been trying to get this flag so that I can Pocket (Not Profile) out every other stripe. Starting at the top I want the 1st stripe to remain at normal height then the next stripe, cut down .125, then back up to normal height. 13 Stripes not 26. I can not get it to stop telling me there are open vectors. I have un-grouped / gouped them and tried to join / un-join them, Cut / re-connect, Node edit til I am blue in the face, will not let me join them. I have tried to draw lines at each end, No help. I have drawn this 10-12 times. Checked to make sure there are no double lines which in some programs causes problems. Read everything I can find on vectors. Like I said over a week on this. I know it is simple but I am totally lost now that I have tried so many different thing. I use V-carve Pro 9.5 NOT ASPIRE. Is it possible to even do this? I will try to attach the file I currently have. I started out with a square then drew a smaller square for the star area, used Vector Texture to create the stripes. After a lot of problems the current drawing was done with a big square then drew two lines connected to the big square to make the area for the stars. All the stripes seem to be connected to the other lines at the ends but must not be or there would not be open vectors. The star area is fine just the stripe area that will not work.

2nd - When I click on a vector some have been dotted and some have been solid. Can you tell me the difference.

Thank you in advance for any help. Please keep it simple for a moron that can not do something as simple as this. I also know some discussions can get really long, if we can keep this kinda short due to my health I would really appreciate it. Thank you.!!

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highpockets
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Re: Totally Lost Making Flag

Post by highpockets »

Like this?
Image 681.png
As to number 2. If you have grouped vectors when you click on the vector it will show solid, also if you have two vectors one on top of the other the vectors will show solid (ish).
John
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highpockets
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Re: Totally Lost Making Flag

Post by highpockets »

Image 682.png
Clicking twice on Join Vectors with straight line will create a closed vector.
Image 683.png
Rinse and repeat.

Create Pocket Toolpath
Image 684.png
John
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wolfeman
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Re: Totally Lost Making Flag

Post by wolfeman »

I do not know how to thank you for setting me straight. I kept single clicking. I would also try the right click and connect with straight line but just could not get any where. I knew you would be the one to know. That is exactly what I wanted to do. I wish I knew 1/100th of what you know about this and I have been at it for a few years now. I really appreciate it more then you know. Thanks again. :D :D :D

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highpockets
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Re: Totally Lost Making Flag

Post by highpockets »

Happy to help....

Thanks for the vote of confidence, I wish I knew 1/100th of what I'm accused of knowing :D :D :D

Back to the flag, you might consider changing the stripes just a bit and applying a distortion to the stars.
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Image 685.png
John
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wolfeman
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Re: Totally Lost Making Flag

Post by wolfeman »

Distort will have to be the next step. I had to get the basics down before I could do anything else. Now that you told me about the distort I will try that. You help out so many people I do not know how you get any other work out. Thanks again.

wolfeman
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Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2018 4:15 am
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Re: Totally Lost Making Flag

Post by wolfeman »

Well Highpockets you helped me out so much then you went and did it. You mentioned distorting the starts, so I went back and figured out one way of doing that. I was looking at the edges of the flag and how they were contoured in your last picture. It started out seeing that there were 14 stripes not 13 so I tried to delete one stripe. After 6 more hours I did figure that out, what a mess. It has to be simpler then a bunch of inserting points on the vector, cutting the vector, deleting the vectors not needed. and there should be able to to make the stars follow the wave along a line like text. I am done with this for now. If you tell me where you live I will come visit for a week and maybe be able to get my HEAD OUT OF MY ASS. :D :D It all seems so easy when watching videos but when it comes down to doing it, it is so much harder. I have done several other things that worked out fine like rings in a dish with names and dates so I am not really that stupid. Maybe when I feel better I will get back to you for help if I have to. Thanks for your help.

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highpockets
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Re: Totally Lost Making Flag

Post by highpockets »

Wolfman,

Keep working through the Vectric Tutorials, don't just watch them, download the files and work along with the video.

You might consider downloading jimandi5000's US Flag gadget, Jim has done a good job of removing the heartburn of making a flag from scratch (14 stripes).
http://forum.vectric.com/viewtopic.php? ... lag+gadget

I'd suggest starting out learning how to Node Edit, this is the base for all types of vector work. The Distort tool uses node editing and with that you can create some nice looking flags with just little effort.

Keep plugging away, learn to crawl....
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Image 701.png
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ctdodge
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Re: Totally Lost Making Flag

Post by ctdodge »

highpockets wrote:Wolfman,

The Distort tool uses node editing and with that you can create some nice looking flags with just little effort.

Keep plugging away, learn to crawl....

Highpockets - I just tried a quick distort on a US Flag and was able to get a decent shape pretty easily. But after the distort I am unable to select
individual vectors. I can't ungroup it and selecting anything selects everything. Is there a trick to being able to break it up so I can select vectors?

Thanks

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highpockets
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Re: Totally Lost Making Flag

Post by highpockets »

Once your are satisfied with the distortion, click the Bake Distortion button.
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John
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ctdodge
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Re: Totally Lost Making Flag

Post by ctdodge »

highpockets wrote:Once your are satisfied with the distortion, click the Bake Distortion button.

That was too easy - thanks Highpockets!

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