bulia byak wrote:
On Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 3:54 PM, Maximilian Albert <Anhalter42@...173...> wrote:
Good point. An ad-hoc [1] correction could be to store the info in a way that more closely follows 2geom's way of storing path data. Namely, when we think of the path as parametrized by time, each node is on an integer time value. I.e., the initial node is at t=0, the next one at t=1 and so on. Thus a length-along-path value of 1.8 would represent a location on the segment between the second and third node (closer to the latter). This representation is much less susceptible to length adjustments and we can deal with node insertion/deletion more easily.
I'm not excited about this. I would like to eliminate any binding to nodes completely. Nodes are awkward legacy, they should be hidden and not affect anything. All new tools we've been adding recently go in this direction: Tweak tool does not care about nodes; Spiros use nodes but they are much less clumsy than bezier nodes and easier to move around; Alt-drag node sculpting works best when you just have as many nodes as possible, ideally eliminating any difference between node and internode segment; etc.
Nodes are awkward legacy? I understand what you're talking about when it comes to tools hiding how they work... but I guess I'm trying to picture how the Live Pen would work when editing a "stroke" after the fact if one is not looking at nodes. Will there be on-canvas guides or helper paths (or something to that effect)?
As for bezier nodes being clumsy... Are you referring to click-dragging new nodes withe the bezier tool? If so, I'm with you... if that's not what you're talking about, would you please elaborate? Other than occasionally using the tablet to get an organic hand stroke, I create over 90% of my illustrations using the bezier tool to plot my nodes (with no dragging) and the node tool to tweak the nodes & handles. So I'm just kind of scared of the dissing of nodes that you're doing. ;)
I guess I look at this in a way that if I were to use this Live Pen tool, I would probably expect it to be tied to visual nodes... in the same way that on-canvas gradient editing works. Then again, my mindset and workflow is probably more along the lines of a technical illustrator, and as mentioned above I could see it potentially working with helper paths of some sort instead
-Josh.