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Greybeard
11-04-2006, 11:36 AM
I have just started trying to draw the sort of work I hope to use the cw for, and this involves being able to produce tapered designs.
Using other drawing programmes I would rotate one drawn side a small amount, then flip a copy, and join up the two parts.
Having run into the problem of trying to rotate a sine wave line, I searched for this topic, and find numerous examples of the same difficulty and few answers.

It would seem after only a short trial that the only objects that can be freely rotated are pre-drawn elements from the library, text, straight lines and arcs.

If this is the case, then it spells disaster for my possible use of the cw machine.

Can anyone throw me a lifeline ? :( :( :(

John

BobHill
11-09-2006, 04:41 PM
John,

The rotating and flipping options (for some reason) aren't available options for vector objects (but perhaps will be on next update), however what I do is perform the design on my own program (CorelDraw/Adobe Illustrator/AutoCad) and then make that into a JPEG, bring it into Designer, then do an Outline Pattern which is vector. Have you tried that? If, for some reason you aren't happy with the Outline Pattern, use the outline and make your own vector of the whole object, which would include all phases of bezier, sine waves, etc.

Bob Hill
Tampa Florida

Greybeard
11-09-2006, 05:44 PM
Bob,
Yes, I'd come to the same conclusion when I remembered there was an outline function.
When I discovered that was a vector path, I realised that it could be manipulated.
Then I thought it might be a good idea to RTFM, so I printed the help files out (see Sine thread) after solving a few other minor difficulties, like my printer is on a Win98system, networked to the xp on this laptop.
Designer doesn't work on 98, so it took me a bit longer than expected, but it's done now.
More study required.

Regards
John

BobHill
11-09-2006, 08:02 PM
Ugh ... Windows 98, that's anchient now <g>. I would think that it still should have printed though.

Bob

fozziebo
11-09-2006, 08:18 PM
just wondering....when you import jpegs, the "pattern " always includes the square outline of the graphic.....even in photoshop the jpeg format includes a square around the graphic. Anyone find a way to just import the outline of a graphic? The outline pattern function only outlines the square of the graphic.

BobHill
11-09-2006, 08:34 PM
All raster graphics are nothing but squares called pixels with each pixel having a color dependent upon the color mode of the file format. ALL raster images are always a rectangle in shape, although some formats allow the background or selected colors to be transparent, the image itself is still always a rectangle. Since Designer will only allow for a few formats and the prominent format is a JPEG, there is no transparency allowed in that format. Designer will also allow a PNG format, which does allow transparency, but even then, the program itself must support transparency for it to be so, but even then the shape of the image would still be a rectangle even though the background would be transparent, if the program supported transparency. Hope this helps you to understand the process. If you outline the raster pattern, this outline would be in vector which does NOT have to be a rectangle, but the original raster image will still be there and it's outline will be the rectangle. If you no longer need the raster image, then just select the rectangle and then delete it ... no more rectangle.

Bob Hill
Tampa Florida

fozziebo
11-10-2006, 03:07 PM
Got it!!!! Thank you

BobHill
11-10-2006, 03:37 PM
Fozziebo

You are aware that if you use PhotoShop and make the background around your "object" transparent, then save it as a JPEG (where that background will automatically be white) and Save it, then Import that into Designer and use the LOWER option that background will disappear, aren't you? The more you lower it the sharper the edge of the "object" will be (to a point, that is). Now when you save it to your Favorites and bring it inot your work piece you can do a Outline Pattern. This will outline the "object" without the rectangle. The rectangle you still see is the raster image (as I said in last post). When you delete the raster image, you'll have a vector outline of the hard items and especially the outline as you made it when you imported it only.

Bob Hill
Tampa Florida

fozziebo
11-10-2006, 04:40 PM
Yes i am aware of that technique and will resort to that more often....trouble is on some photos, lowering also takes portions of the photo out...however, in most cases, that works well.

thanks