Combining Paths
OK, I'll admit it. I'm a blithering idiot, but even worse, one who needs help with what is likely a really basic question.
I draw two or more paths that I would like to use as a river and its tributaries. To do so I'd like to combine these entities using the Combine Paths command (right click Explode, select Combine Paths). I click on Combine Paths, the cursor turns into the arrow with the tiny box at the point, "Select First Path" appears in bottom dialog box. I click on one of the paths I want to combine, Command (CMB): appears in dialog box, and NOTHING ELSE HAPPENS! The path doesn't turn grey, no dialog box appears, no message to select a second path, zip, nada, zilch, nothing. I'm literally back to having to select the Combine Paths command again.
What the heck am I missing???
I draw two or more paths that I would like to use as a river and its tributaries. To do so I'd like to combine these entities using the Combine Paths command (right click Explode, select Combine Paths). I click on Combine Paths, the cursor turns into the arrow with the tiny box at the point, "Select First Path" appears in bottom dialog box. I click on one of the paths I want to combine, Command (CMB): appears in dialog box, and NOTHING ELSE HAPPENS! The path doesn't turn grey, no dialog box appears, no message to select a second path, zip, nada, zilch, nothing. I'm literally back to having to select the Combine Paths command again.
What the heck am I missing???
Comments
Rivers are usually made from smooth lines (splines) A path is not a spline. It can't combine splines because it would alter the apearance of the adjoining nodes.
One solution would be to do:
Explode both the splines.
Line to Path (select by Prior)
You've now got two paths with lots of nodes.
Then do Combine.
This is good info and a good start, but please comment if you have some further advice. Thanks.
Don't explode the splines, do "Smooth to Straight" instead (right-click Explode button to access). It makes the splines into paths. Now do Combine. Then do Straight to Smooth, turning the combined path into a spline.
Thanks for the help. Still not as proficient as I want to be and don't even know if this is the best way to do what I want to do, but your answers were spot on. Now it all makes a bit more sense.
Regards, Colonel Bill