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?

I use this method just for circles/arcs/ellipses, using the Star/Polygon tool.

Other path objects should be fine.

hmm, well, if i use them for circles, arc and ellipses, i'm still curious as to how these points should be arranged for the shape? how far apart should the be? how should they be distributed? how can i align all these pieces and know the end result will be a perfect circular shape? is it possible you could maybe attach a video/image example of this being done so i have a better idea of what i should do?

There`s an extension to distribute nodes along a path due given criteria.

oh, really? could you share a little more about that extension and how to use it?

Like so for example:

To make more accurate arcs/circles:

Thanks so much from both of yall!

just one more question, is there any way i could use this sort of technique (or something similar) to make rounded lines like this?

If that's an arc you can use the circle tool for this.

Maybe this: