How to manipulate nodes

Software Carbide Create
1

Is there a good video on how to manipulate nodes. I can add & delete nodes but trying to manipulate them is a little difficult. If I wanted to split a circle in half or anything like that how could I do this. Separating 2 lines etc. Please advise…

2

There is a cut vector option in the right click I think that I overlooked for a long time. It’s very useful

3

This is true…the trim vectors capability is great — the only problem is that it’s not always available - or not available at the points you’d like it to be. Cutting a circle in half is a great example of what doesn’t work with Trim. Frustrating, actually. Your best bet might be drawing a line vector and then curving it to match the circle. Unless someone knows of a better way…and that someone is usually @WillAdams

4

I guess I will have to play with it more because I cant figure out how to cut certain ones or extend another line to another. If there is not a CC video tutorial out there it would be super helpful if CC would create one. If there is one out there please send me a link. Thanks

5

I agree about the trim vectors, it works on some of the vectors but not on others.

I was talking about the cut vector option inside the node edit capability. I can’t remember the exact terminology and can’t check the computer right now.

EDIT: although on a circle you may not have nodes where you need to make a nice cut. Boolean subtract with a rectangle maybe?

6

Unfortunately, Boolean subtraction will leave the meridian as part of your resulting vector. If you want a semi-circle as a result of cutting a circle in half, I’m afraid the Booleans aren’t going to help you.

7

I have been trying to figure out the pattern for how the trim vectors works and have not figured it out. Seems like either the first or last vector you select can’t be trimmed or something like that.

8

Not a video, but I wrote up a bit at:

If you’ll post your file noting what you are having difficulty with we will do our best to assist.

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9

I’ve run into what I think is your problem a few times before. The root of the problem for me has been that Carbide Create doesn’t make it easy to separate a closed path into open paths. I think I may have stumbled upon a technique that will work for you.

  1. Draw a line segment (polyline) that passes through the circle (or any other polygon) and extends beyond the circle at both ends.
  2. Select both the circle and the line segment.
  3. Click the Trim Vectors icon. (The points where circle and line intersect should appear.)
  4. Click on the region of the line segment inside the circle. (As expected the line segment within the circle is gone.)
  5. Click on one side of the circle. (CC pops up a panel that complains there was no vector to delete, but it still deletes the selected chord.) The resulting image is actually three open paths - one is the remaining chord of the circle and the others are the left over parts of the line segments beyond the circle.

I’m guess this isn’t intentional behavior because of the popup panel, but I’m glad it behaves this way. I should also clarify that I’m using Build 757 on MacOS in case that matters.

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10

I will try that on Win 11. I have been trying to use a line to bisect a vector and then do other operations but as you say it is tricky to get CC to cut that closed vector. It seems to behave sometimes and not others so I have never figured out the pattern.

This is the way that the sketcher in CATIA behaves and what I was used to.

11

If you have a file which you are having a problem editing, post it here and we will walk through it with you.

12

I’ve been faced with this same challenge. Here’s my approach.
CC How To Split a Circle.pdf (1.5 MB)

13

That works but creates closed vectors. If you had a shape you need to work on that is irregular but symmetrical instead of fixing both sides it is nice to bisect it, fix one side and mirror and then join the vectors.

I can’t create a specific example right now but it seems that Trim Vectors doesn’t like creating open ones or something like that. You can use the Cut Vector option in the node editor assuming there is a node in the place you want to bisect the shape. Your example would probably work in that case as it would have to create nodes at the corners.

So, it can be done but probably could be done easier. Although it’s all in how you are used to working. Others may feel that the current approach in CC it logical. To me it is just different.

EDIT: Weird, I just tried creating this condition and it seems to work ok. I created an irregular shape, bisected with a line and then used trim vectors to cut the shape in half. It left a bit of the bisecting line at the bottom which I had to remove. I created a copy and flipped it to join back together. All of this is very difficult when trying it on a laptop while my wife is driving down the interstate but that isn’t a CC issue.

I know I have run into issues with this before. I will keep an eye out for it and create a reproducible scenario then it crops back up.

14

Here’s another step by step to address irregular, but symmetrical shapes.

You can insert a step to alter the “half vector”, then perform a copy/paste, flip horizontal (or vertical) before joining the two halves.

Irregual but symmetrical vector.pdf (2.5 MB)

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