Union/Intersection/Exclusion contours issue in version 10

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1

Hi. I’ve recently updated to version 10 and the first complication I’ve come across was with Union/Intersection/Exclusion operations. I used to create shapes directly in Font Creator and could edit them using features mentioned above, but now, when I use them for even very simple shapes the software halts so I have no choice but force close it with task manager.

What I’m trying to do is to unite or exclude shape A with shape B, see the attachment. Why can’t I do these operations with version 10? Version 9 was able to do them within a click…
Untitled-1.png

2

I can confirm the issue on FontCreator 10, but I just get an error dialogue. I don’t need to close FontCreator with Task Manager.
Contours Too Complex.png
While you’re waiting for a fix, here is a work around:-

  1. Move the shapes apart slightly so that they no longer overlap (Ctrl + Cursor keys to move by 1 funit, and enable Real-time glyph valdiation in the Validation Toolbar to show when they no longer intersect).
  2. Insert another rectangle overlapping both of them
  3. Get Union of Contours
  4. Delete the unwanted nodes and redundant points.

Connector.png

3

This feature sometime can handle very complex outlines, and sometime it just isn’t able to work with a basic merge as you mention.

I’ll see if this is indeed worse since version 10, and if we can further improve it.

4

Interesting.

I think why I haven’t run into this issue with v.10 is because I always overlap the pieces by a single funit. Using the two shapes above, if I align them directly touching, I get the described problem, including having to force close. If I overlap by a single funit, it instantly joins the two into a single piece.

5

Note that to get the two shapes in my screen shot I just inserted two rectangles, and changed one corner node to off-curve.

6

Thanks for the quick reply. Yes, I’m aware of workarounds (and they are more complicated when excluding), but I didn’t need to do them with v.9, so it’s better that you look into it. Thank you all.

7

That would be my natural inclination, too. I think butting up two shapes without overlap in any vector application and trying to add them together is asking for trouble!

8

Hi. I wonder if there’s any update on this?

9

I too am having some trouble with the union/intersection/exclusion feature in version 10, it seems a lot more picky than version 9 but usually there is a workaround. I think the problem is with coincident edges, edges which follow the same path (especially when they are going in opposite directions).

The answer is, save your project before doing a union, don’t have too much coincident edge, if the operation fails then don’t be impatient, the program becomes unresponsive for a time proportional to the amount of coincident edge but it will recover from it’s catatonic state most of the time so wait for the error message and re-arrange the curves and try again.

Sometimes reversing all the curves works, you can always reverse them again when the operation is over.

10

Hi. I’ve just updated to version 10.1 and it seems the issue has been fixed. Correct me if I’m wrong.

11

It as been improved. You will still encounter issues if trying to join contours, one of which has intersecting co-ordinates. Contours may disappear, for example. Use the glyph validation toolbar (f7) to see if there are any problems besides the expected warnings. Move overlapping contours apart to see the other errors.

12

Hi, for simple Union error, try this test:

  1. Snap grid: ON
  2. Create trianlgle as show below (follow the order of the points 1,2,3)
  3. Create second triangle (follow the order of the points 4,5,6)
  4. Second triangle slighly shift (only) left (image step 7)
  5. Try Union (bad result), Intersection (OK), Exclusion (bad result)

Simple project attach (below this image).
BadUnionTest.png
BadUnionTest.fcp (3.03 KB)

13

I don’t see anything wrong there. The contours are in opposite directions. Reverse one and the operations work as usual.

14

But exist procedure, how combine these curves?

If change direction one triangle, result is,
not the expected merged curve:
BadUnionTest2.png

15

My mistake, I should have tested with your file instead of creating my own.

16

Thanks, it’s OK. :slight_smile: And result?

17

You will have to wait until Erwin has time to respond to this. He’s busy working on something else at the moment.

18

We are aware of the fact that feature is far from perfect. It sometimes is able to cope with rather complex overlapping contours, but also fails on very basic ones like your sample illustrates.

It is on the to-do list to further improve this feature.

19

Thank You Bhikkhu and Erwin! :slight_smile: