If this GIF file works, it shows the process I used to turn a pair of circles overlaid on a grid to properly intersect the grid and create a cohesive “fillable” shape for the entire grid.
It’s only seven steps which had to be performed for each of these double circles. This project is completed, but could there have been an easier method?
Seems like there should be an easier way. Can you post that grid so I can play with it?
Why don’t you try getting 2 squares with an adjacent corner cut by the circle, then group, then use the matrix tool to step them? You would need to use the boolean operators 2 - 4 times depending on what design you want.
grid with circles.lbrn2 (76.4 KB)
The attached file has the starting grid as well as one each of the representative circles. If the cut type is changed to fill, one can see the completed project on the right, but it’s easier to perform the booleans when it’s set to line, or the view is set to non-filled.
@patricr, this is one of those circumstances in which one word is worth one one-thousandth of a picture. I’m not sure how to perform the steps you’ve noted. It’s important to recognize that the placement of the circles will vary and will have not regular placement for using the matrix tool. I did use the matrix tool to create the grid, followed by using the offset tool to get the desired line width.
I agree- I did my quick test with line not fll. Fill can be set later. I’ll see if I can do a video and post it.
Here is a quick video. I think, depending on your design, you could even start with 1 square, cut the corner, then use the duplicate-flip vertical - group- use matrix and flip rows as needed. Hope this helps.
That’s great, doc, but can you do dis? (Bugs Bunny)
That provides for a uniform array of the solid circles. They were a piece of pie. The trick part is the ringed circles as well as the non-uniform placement as noted in the post.
I suspect there isn’t a less labor-intensive method.
Yeah there is. Very similar. Hold on… thought I had it. Close. But now I gotta go eat.
I did download your file, which I didn’t do at first. One key thing you can do to cut down on the boolean ops is to “weld” 4 of the squares into a single shape. Put the big circle in the middle of the squares then do the boolean op on them. Then you have a base set of shapes you can matrix around and take more circles out of them as needed. You can then position the smaller circles as needed inside the square sets. Yes it is a bit tedious, but I am not sure any program like Illustrator or Inkscape could make this any easier. Tomorrow I will do another video.
Yes, as noted above, those are the easier circles. It’s exactly how I performed the task for the single line circles. I suspect that creating single line circles for all locations would be step one. The locations for the double line circles would require to duplicate the circles to be used as reference point for simple placement of the double line circles inner circle, then en mass deletion of the outer rings.
If you can get to the first step here, the rest is pretty straightforward (I skipped a few steps)… I have no idea if any of this makes sense.
How well does that work with an arbitrary placement of the ringed circles and non-ringed circles?
Not sure I understand the question…
Your well documented example shows an array of ringed circles on the grid. The question is directed at creating a grid with arbitrary (not necessarily random) placement of a combination of blank intersections, single line circles and double line circles.
I suspect that the method I chose is about as close to optimum as possible.
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