How to create a curved edge

[jen0dorf]

Hi

I've attached a xar filr and simply I can't work out how to create the lurved edge in the right image on the left. I've tried using a circle and slice but failed .

Can someone point me in the right direction.

thanks Ian

[Christine Farrelly]

Convert the rectangle to editable shape, add nodes where you want the curve to begin. Delete the corner node and stretch the resulting line to a curve.

Christine

[-=Drifter=-]

I'm late... but here

[parahandy]

You could of course, cloned the right-hand image, then reversed it but nothing like learning the proper way.Itoo was typing this Bob and you got in ahead of me.

.Norman.

[jen0dorf]

Thanks one and all, as usual I was on the wrong track

Ian

[-=Drifter=-]

Boy Norm, I never even thought of that! Yikers, I'm an idiot! What a simple direct solution you had. Good thinking!!!!

[Egg Bramhill]

Here's my favourite way of doing this.

1: Create your rectangle (blue). Create a second rectangle (orange)
2: Select the 2nd orange rectangle and set the rotation to 45 degrees in the rotaion text box
3: Move the orange rectangle over the blue rectangle. Select both rectangles, Arrange / Combine Shapes / Subtract shapes.
4: With the Shape Editor tool select the 2 new corner nodes. Hit the 'Make Curve C' icon and the 'Smooth Join S' icon
5: The final shape

This might sound long winded but in fact is extremely fast and also allows for better placed nodes than can be acheived by just clicking the 'add node' method.

[jen0dorf]

Thanks yet again, it seems everything I try to do has at least ten ways of doing it.

cheers

Ian

[-=Drifter=-]

yes, thanks from me too Egg, i have never even used the make curve icon
this technique of yours will keep me from having to constantly fiddle with trying to get those curves just right

[bigdaftal]

I do a lot of copying logos from bitmaps in my work and I am a stickler for precision. Here is my recommended method for creating the shape with a perfectly symmetrical rounded corner.

All of the above methods work just fine, but each rely on judging the curve of the path or position of the nodes by eye. If you need (or insist upon) perfection, it makes sense to allow Xara to do the drawing for you by using the available shape tools to achieve an exact copy. Of course, this approach only applies if the shape being copied is perfectly regular to begin with, which you must judge by eye (or ruler, perhaps) anyway. You soon find out the shape insn't an exact circle/square/equilateral triangle/whatever when you put the lines in and nothing matches up, which happens annoyingly often to me. Then it's time to wing it with the pen tool!

ONE TIP: when dragging the first rectangle, it helps to make it large enough to give the rounded corners room to slide into place and still leave enough straight path to complete your shape. Widening or heightening a rectangle after drawing stretches the rounded corners and ruins the symmetry.

Forgive me if I sound like I think my version supecedes everyone else's, that is not my intention, and I don't want to bruise any egos. I guess we all just prefer our own methods for doing most things in life, eh?

Al