Trying to combine a frame with a design (combine and union not working)

[Allison]

Hello,

I'm trying to combine a square frame with a design so that they attach and when I laser cut them, they are all one piece of wood. However, every time i go to combine and union the pieces, the square "overtakes" the design and the square becomes empty (except for the the little pieces of the design that i have overlapped). I would like it the other way around where the design (a tree) is now attached to the frame. Any help? I've attached the file if any genius could just help me . I've spent hours on this one problem already trying various combinations.

Thanks!

Allison

[brynn]

Welcome to the forum!

See if this works for you.

Select the 2 square paths, and do Path menu > Combine.
Next, select the result of that, and the tree, then do Path menu > Union.

You might have to do some node editing.  Like for example, see the attached screenshot.  Where that leaf overlaps the frame, if you don't fix the path in that area, I think the leaf shape would get cut into the frame.  And if I understand what you want, you don't want that. 

See the 2nd screenshot -- is that what you want?  If so, do you need instructions for the node editing?

[Allison]

Hi Brynn,

Thank you so much! I have tried those first two steps before node editing but the union makes the tree disappear and is "absorbed" into the square (the parts that overlap with the square remain, file attached). What you have shown in picture two is exactly what i want. I'm trying to attach the tree to the square so that when I laser cut it, the tree is attached to the frame.

I would also love some suggestions for node editing. When I try it, I delete the whole tree each time!

Thanks,
Allison

[brynn]

Ok, I made a little video, to show.  Go to  full screen, for best view.  When the video starts, I've already Combined and Unioned the 3 paths.  In case it's not clear, there are 4 places where I break the path between 2 nodes.  I did the first one by itself.  But the other 3, I did all at the same time.

You don't necessarily have to use 'break path between selected nodes'.  If you like, you can select the 4 nodes along the vertical path, and click 'break path at selected nodes'.  (This is one of those '6 of one and half dozen of the other' situations.)  It's just for myself, I find it less confusing this way.

After the leftover part of the paths is deleted, then you only need to re-connect the path in one place.  And it would be similar steps in the other places where the leaf overlaps.

Just be sure that while you're learning, you keep a backup of the file -- just in case.

[Allison]

Thank you! Ok i've gotten to the point where I have re-connected the two nodes in the straight line down. However, I want to delete that segment, just like the second screenshot you shared in your first response. I tried to just delete the segment after I joined the two nodes but it did not work. So basically, I've gotten to where the tutorial left off but still need to get to screen shot number two. How do I get there? I've attached the file again (i have have deleted too many nodes at the bottom of the tree, not sure).

Thanks again, this is so very helpful.

P.S. In my previous response to you I couldn't get the union to work but I realized it's because i hadn't done "object to path" with the tree and "stroke to path" with the squares. Not totally sure if i needed to do that for each, but it worked. I'm writing this out just in case someone else reads this thread.

[brynn]

Ooohh - I'm sorry!  I guess I've got a lot on my mind today.  I'll make a new video, and I'll be right back.

Edit
Ok, I edited the same video, in my last message above.  There are a few more steps now.  I think I forgot to say before, but you can hold the shift key to allow you to select multiple nodes.

In some places, where you can see I move the mouse over the edge of the line, back and forth.  I'm doing that to show that when you see the little hand pop up when the mouse crosses the edge, that indicates there is a path there.  It's a little tricky to edit this particular image, a closed path with a fill and no stroke.  Without the stroke, it's hard to see where the actual path is.  But moving the mouse over the edge can tell you if the path is there or not.  Then you can see in the section where the little hand does not show up, there is not a path there.

When I was first learning to do this kind of editing, I would always remove the fill and add a stroke, so I could see the actual path, and know for sure what I was doing.  Now that I think of it, I probably should have done that, to show you.  But I guess the video is clear enough.

But let me know if you have any questions 

[Allison]

THANK YOU! The file is all ready and I'll let you know how the laser cutting goes! My outline looks good though- pretty sure it will work!