essentially, ive noticed that when i do something like convert an object/stroke to a path, or i use a function like the "union" or "difference" tools, the resulting path will have strange shifts in shape that shouldnt have been there, at least i dont think?

as a demonstration, i have these 4 images here that show before and after i used "difference" on this circle and red line. The resulting shape does not maintain a perfectly circular shape

one strange thing ive noticed (in the last two images) is that using "inverse clip" instead of "difference" does not lead to this same distortion. However, i dont think its very feasible to use as another part of this issue is that the lines are strokes converted to paths, and thus also have their own imperfections. Unless theres some way to use clipping tools with strokes that i just dont know about, idk

anyways, is there anything i can do to prevent these distortions? and if not, are there any alternatives i could use for cropping shapes that wouldnt cause distortion?

thanks for any help!

Circle precision is inherently problematic when converting to paths or using booleans (which automatically convert to path). It's a Bezier math thing.

Instead of circles, I will use a 36 point polygon converted to path, then set the nodes to smooth. 

h/t Lazur

interesting... ill try def try this

though, how exactly should i create these 36 point polygons? is there a way they should be spaced, and how would that vary depending on the shape/curvature of the path being made? is there a reason why you mention 36 specifically, and should i always use 36 points regardless of shape?