Hi all, Can anyone give me a quick way to add bridges when drawing out a stencil pattern?
For example I want a circular stencil which I'll be cutting with a laser cutter, so I draw two concentric circles. Then I want to add 4 bridges, essentially breaking the circle into 4 sections.
Is there a quick way to add the bridges without node editing the circle? Using one of the path combination tools?
If I want to do this with text, I convert the text to a path, ungroup it, then draw a rectangle where I want the bridge and then do a Path Difference. This works great. I can't quite see the difference between a letter O converted to a path and ungrouped and two concentric circles....
OK, I have sorted it. I needed to combine the concentric circles by doing a Path Exclusion first. This makes the two circles into a ring structure with nothing in the middle as opposed to two solid circles on top of each other. Then I can draw on a rectangle where I want my bridges and the do a Path Difference. The rectagle vanishes and just leaves two bridges where it intersects the ring.
You could also have drawn a circle, set the proper stroke witdh and done [path>stroke to path]. [Path > Difference] with rectangles drawn atop your stencil is a good way. Eraser can also work to quickly add these small bits.
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Hi David, As I am laser cutting a stencil, the stroke width makes no difference, the laser just cuts along the line in one pass. I need two concentric circles with bridges to keep the middle in place beacuse there are some more holes to go into the middle.
Making stencils means lots of bridges, so a quick way to add them neatly is vital!
Hi David, As I am laser cutting a stencil, the stroke width makes no difference, the laser just cuts along the line in one pass. I need two concentric circles with bridges to keep the middle in place beacuse there are some more holes to go into the middle.
Yes : for a cutter, strokes wdth doesn't matter but you didn't get what I said : stroke to path results in a shape with two subpaths : inner outline and outer outine (with a fill of the former stroke color and no stroke - actually an unset stroke) : see pic (I assembled screenshots seen with node tool to explain more clearly).
I would use quite a same technique to quickly add bridges, using bezier pen.
Choose the appropriate stroke size (please read until end before thinking "mmmm, stroke widht doesn't matter"๐).
You can either draw multiples paths and later select all these and combine them [path > combine] (or ctrl + K) or draw a first path (press on enter key to end) and hold shift while begining to draw a new path : this way you continue the first path drawn with a new sub-path.
Once all bridges are done and adjusted if necessary with node tool, convert stroke to path and select the stencil and this path an do [path>union] (ctrl ++)
Hi all, Can anyone give me a quick way to add bridges when drawing out a stencil pattern?
For example I want a circular stencil which I'll be cutting with a laser cutter, so I draw two concentric circles. Then I want to add 4 bridges, essentially breaking the circle into 4 sections.
Is there a quick way to add the bridges without node editing the circle? Using one of the path combination tools?
If I want to do this with text, I convert the text to a path, ungroup it, then draw a rectangle where I want the bridge and then do a Path Difference. This works great. I can't quite see the difference between a letter O converted to a path and ungrouped and two concentric circles....
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OK, I have sorted it. I needed to combine the concentric circles by doing a Path Exclusion first. This makes the two circles into a ring structure with nothing in the middle as opposed to two solid circles on top of each other. Then I can draw on a rectangle where I want my bridges and the do a Path Difference. The rectagle vanishes and just leaves two bridges where it intersects the ring.
You could also have drawn a circle, set the proper stroke witdh and done [path>stroke to path].ย
[Path > Difference] with rectangles drawn atop your stencil is a good way. Eraser can also work to quickly add these small bits.
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Sorry, double post !
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Hi David, As I am laser cutting a stencil, the stroke width makes no difference, the laser just cuts along the line in one pass. I need two concentric circles with bridges to keep the middle in place beacuse there are some more holes to go into the middle.
Making stencils means lots of bridges, so a quick way to add them neatly is vital!
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You'llย need to convert the Stroke with Path->Stroke to Path to make it a shape for Path->Union.
Yes : for a cutter, strokes wdth doesn't matter but you didn't get what I said : stroke to path results in a shape with two subpaths : inner outline and outer outine (with a fill of the former stroke color and no stroke - actually an unset stroke) : see pic (I assembled screenshots seen with node tool to explain more clearly).
I would use quite a same technique to quickly add bridges, using bezier pen.