Arc (circle segment) doesn't snap to things

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David.P
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Arc (circle segment) doesn't snap to things

Post by David.P »

Am I doing it wrong?

I can't seem to make the arc ends snap to anything when adjusting them.
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Zizi64
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Re: Arc (circle segment) doesn't snap to things

Post by Zizi64 »

The base point of the object (what will be snap to a specific point of an another object) is the left-top corner of the frame rectangle of the object (the left-top point of the green selection points).

Try to enlarge the value of the snap distance (given in pixels) to appropriate working. (and try to switch OFF the other snap options like To Grid, etc...
Snap.png
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David.P
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Re: Arc (circle segment) doesn't snap to things

Post by David.P »

Thanks Tibor, but this doesn't make
David.P wrote:the arc ends snap to anything when adjusting them
-- does it?
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Zizi64
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Re: Arc (circle segment) doesn't snap to things

Post by Zizi64 »

the arc ends snap to anything when adjusting them
This theoretical procedure will distort the circle line, or it will shift the whole object together with the snapped end point. What would be appropriate for you?

I suppose it if only the base point (of the object frame) can snap to a point of an another object.

Otherwise you can snap an other object to the end point of the Circle segment object - when you switch ON the appropriate option: To Object points.
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David.P
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Re: Arc (circle segment) doesn't snap to things

Post by David.P »

I'd need a circle segment to exactly end at two borders of a rectangle that surrounds the circle segment, and not shift the circle relative to the rectangle in doing so. Also, the circle segment must remain a Bézier curve with no more than 3 points...
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Zizi64
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Re: Arc (circle segment) doesn't snap to things

Post by Zizi64 »

Please upload an ODF type sample file here.
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David.P
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Re: Arc (circle segment) doesn't snap to things

Post by David.P »

pls. see attached!
Attachments
Arc inside Rect.odg
(9.86 KiB) Downloaded 368 times
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keme
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Re: Arc (circle segment) doesn't snap to things

Post by keme »

The Draw app is not well developed towards CAD or geometry purposes. You can most likely get something close to what you want by way of helper objects. I would keep them on a separate "Helpers" layer so you can easily show/hide them. The exact procedure depends on whether you need to adjust the circle segment only, not altering the rectangle in any way. In other words, is there one "fixed" and another "dependent" object?

There are good open source tools in the CAD and geometry categories. It is most likely easier to achieve what you need with those.
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Lupp
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Re: Arc (circle segment) doesn't snap to things

Post by Lupp »

Off topic. (?)
I didn't much cad, and Draw I only used for very specific purposes as a kind of cad tool (polygons...).
Since I was mailnly interested in 2D cad, and also used it for interaction-sensitive axonometric figures teaching about geometry in 3D (cones And conics, e.g.), I want to tell something to the next to zero people still being interested in it.
I'm retired now for more than 10 years, and I didn't check the tools much since. Nonetheless I would judge:
The best cad tool for teaching geometry in the hand of an engaged teacher appreciating his didactical and methodical freedom was none of the currently cheered school-oriented programs like geogebra with their lots of materials and "classroom functionality", but a software written by a single German teacher: http://www.dynageo.de/
Unfortunately it seemingly lost the competition. There were a few unfortunate decissions. The software only was available for Windows OS and it used German as its mandatory UI language e.g. The original developer can no longer work on it. He dedicated it to FOSS too late, probably, and may not find a successor. Grieve.
If somebody (like keme probably) is interested for principal reasons he(f/m) may check my claim using the software available from the above linked page. One of my most elaborate applications is availanle from my site linked-to below. (It's named final though it has a few flaws. If an alert shows, simply click it away.) I used it for demonstrations in a course about conics. If you try it: Use the offered ways of interaction! Otherwise it's just an image. The upload restrictions here didn't only reject the file for its extension, but (a fake extension appended) it also was classified as a possible malware vector. It isn't.
The file is available for download from http://psilosoph.de/forfiles/geofiles/K ... dFinal.geo . Since it's technically XML, your browser may open it if you don't explicitly order a download.
On Windows 10: LibreOffice 24.2 (new numbering) and older versions, PortableOpenOffice 4.1.7 and older, StarOffice 5.2
---
Lupp from München
martinwinlow
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Re: Arc (circle segment) doesn't snap to things

Post by martinwinlow »

Is there *seriously* no extraordinarily simple tool to just create an open arc by clicking on a start point, clicking on an end point and then defining a radius? If so, this seems to be a manifestly glaring omission... it is such a common need in just about any drawing ever created!
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keme
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Re: Arc (circle segment) doesn't snap to things

Post by keme »

martinwinlow wrote: Sat Jun 18, 2022 2:35 pm... it is such a common need in just about any drawing ever created!
I do not recall that requirement ever coming up for me while using Draw, so "any drawing ever created" may be stretching the truth a bit. I do have a habit of using different tools for different jobs, which may have impaired my experience in this field.

Of course, I do not doubt that it is a need for most drawings you create. In that case, it is wise to use a tool which caters for your drawing needs. OpenOffice Draw is clearly not that. CAD software has been suggested above. Most CAD packages will output to formats which LibreOffice will happily accept, either from file or copy/paste.

To expect something "extraordinarily simple" for this may also be unrealistic. However, if your "any drawing ever created" claim is anywhere near the truth, someone else will have seen the need for simplifying this particular operation. IOW, there may be an option/plugin available to enable it as a shortcut.

I do not believe that this kind of specializing (towards particular workflows for technical drawing) will be a high priority even in LibreOffice. OpenOffice receives little by way of features these days (just barely keeps up with handling reported issues, it seems). You can of course request it in the relevant bugtracker (for OpenOffice or LibreOffice). Bugtrackers are also the spot for feature requests.

IIRC: What you request is doable in MS Visio (Microsoft's drawing application in their "office family" ; the app corresponding to Draw in AOO/LO), but it still requires visiting a couple of tabs in object properties. You can make your own shortcuts and property sheets for objects, to ease the workflow.
Note that it's been a while since I used Visio, so my memory may be flawed. Check the facts first. They have a 30-day trial available.
Note that Visio is a different league from Draw (install size about twice the entire OpenOffice/LibreOffice suite, and "single instance" license costs twice as much as similarly licensed Microsoft Office).
Last edited by keme on Sun Jun 19, 2022 8:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.
John_Ha
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Re: Arc (circle segment) doesn't snap to things

Post by John_Ha »

Draw is not designed as a CAD system. It is designed to do things like flow charts, organisation charts etc where actual dimensions are not important - it is just general shapes which matter. Drawing to scale is virtually impossible with Draw. The Draw manual says:
Drawing to scale

Draw is not a CAD (computer-aided design) program but a graphics program with which you can produce drawings to scale. The example used for this chapter is a drawing of a Logic Circuit Diagram.
If you need to snap end points of specific dimension arcs you need a CAD system.

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