Using the Trace command
When I use a default polygon like Border, Default, I can use the Trace command. However, the simple drawing commands don't give me that choice. Is this intended behaviour?
The reason I want to use them is that a border (In Mercator style, at least) is a smooth polygon, and it doesn't go into the corners of my fractalised landmasses when I trace the coastline. If someone can tell me how to solve that instead, it would preclude my needing the other solution. Right now, I'm adding extra nodes at each corner, but that's not very efficient.
The reason I want to use them is that a border (In Mercator style, at least) is a smooth polygon, and it doesn't go into the corners of my fractalised landmasses when I trace the coastline. If someone can tell me how to solve that instead, it would preclude my needing the other solution. Right now, I'm adding extra nodes at each corner, but that's not very efficient.
Comments
To solve your problem, I believe editing the drawing tool you are using (or better yet, make a copy of it and edit the copy), and have it use another shape should help.
- Open the drawing tools dialog
- Click Advanced
- Select the desired tool in the list
- Hit 'New'. This will create a copy of the currently selected tool under a new name
- Select the new tool.
- Select the polygon shape in the "Draw Methods" section. Each method has it's own set of options that can be accessed by clicking "Options" after selecting the draw method
- Hit save to save the new tool.
You now have an exact copy of an existing drawing tool, using another shape.
Thanks,
Sorpaw
Thank you,
Sorpaw
If you get an error message referencing "CC2", that does not mean you are using CC2 though, the message popups tend to still have CC2 in the title, no matter which program you are actually in.
Sincerely,
Sorpaw
To actually trace something, hit "T", the click the entity to trace. Click the start point for the trace, then the endpoint. Note that with entities with many nodes (most notably fractalized polygons), tracing can be a bit sluggish. Be patient.
Sincerely,
Sorpaw
Ralf: The "trace" function is pretty unreliable for me. I attempt to choose a starting point (probably using endpoint) to ensure that the function begins smoothly at the starting point) and I have a problem getting the program to recognize the beginning point of the trace.
Is the program going around and around (looping) an entity? What buttons would interfere with the smooth use of the trace function? I want to be sure that there are no errant buttons pressed and confusing the program. Is the "trace" function useless for a fractalized line (lots of little lines) or not? Can they be united short of a multipoly for the purpose of tracing?
Thanks for your attention,
Sorpaw
As to you questions:
1. The program is not looping the entity. But it redraws the tracing line each time you move the mouse and on complex entities this takes a moment. That's why it might seems slow and a bit awkward when you trace complex entities.
2. As with any other commands in CC3, you can use some other commands within Trace and others you can't. Zooms and Redraw are things oyu can always do in between, but if you start an edition command like Move, Erase, etc. the current command (the trace) will be interrupted.
3. No, trace can be used fine on a fractalized entity, but it may be slow. See above.
4. You need to differentiate between line entities and path entities here. A line is just a single stretch between two points. A path is made out of lots of different nodes connected by straight sections. If you explode a path, you get several lines. If you have multiple lines you can't trace them in one go, only ever one at a time. But if you have one path, it can be traced just fine. You can see whether a coastline (or whatever) on ypour map is made out of multiple or a single entities, by selecting it for any command. The command line shows how many entities you have selected.
You CAN make a series of lines into a path, as log as they are all connected (endpoints touching each other): Right-click the Explode button and choose "Line to Path" to do so.