How to connect curved objects

[Nev]

Hello guys!

I have just a simple question like in the title - how to connect curved objects? To better explain this I will use two screenshots.

I want to connect both parts of the arm and create a curved elbow (the second screen doesnt show the perfect curve).

Thanks for help!

[Lazur]

Hi.

There are many ways to skin the cat.
Adding the paths together (Ctrl++) while they are overlapping and doing some cleanup with the node tool after would be my choice here.

But depending your process you may want to recreate those two shapes with a path that only has a stroke, three nodes and two straight path segments and no fill. That way the shape could be adjusted later on to draw other sprites.

[Nev]

Hi.

There are many ways to skin the cat.
Adding the paths together (Ctrl++) while they are overlapping and doing some cleanup with the node tool after would be my choice here.

But depending your process you may want to recreate those two shapes with a path that only has a stroke, three nodes and two straight path segments and no fill. That way the shape could be adjusted later on to draw other sprites.

Thanks for the reply but how to do some cleanup that you said? I mean it isnt as easy as it sounds.

I know that I can create a path but I want to do it with two rectangles with curved corners.

[Lazur]

Once you add those rectangles together they will become a path.
Use the node tool (F2) to select clunky/unnecessary nodes, delete them/merge them etc.; set nodes to smooth ones.

Besides why else would you want to join them?
Like it's also an option to simply group them together (Ctrl+G) or to create a compound path from them by combining them together (Ctrl+K).

[flamingolady]

First, I'd save a copy of the original - in making people 'part', you're prob going to want to use the same parts over and over for diff positions, and that can't happen easily if you only have one path.  So I agree with Lazur (have learned my lesson the hard way).

Basically, put the 2 rectangle objects where you want them to be as the end result (overlapping), you might want to add a few nodes to each before starting (ie at the top and bottom of the arm), so your shape remains the same.  Select just the overlapping nodes on both objects and go into the node tool, select join nodes.  Then finagle it any way you want.  That to me is the easiest way.

[brynn]

I want to connect both parts of the arm and create a curved elbow (the second screen doesnt show the perfect curve

The curve looks pretty close to me.  I can't think of any way to make a perfect curve every time, like with snapping or something, under these circumstances.  But one trick that I use is to make one of the parts temporarily a different color.  Then it makes it easier to manually drag one of the parts into a good position, and visually align it like you want.

When they are in a position that you like, select both, and do Path menu > Union.  That will make them into one solid piece - a path.  If your visual alignment was good, you won't need much cleanup.  But they will no longer be rounded rectangles.

Is there some reason you want them to remain as 2 rounded rectangles?

By chance, are you working towards some kind of animation?

[Nev]

Well, I've found the solution.

I just made the first rectangle rounded on both sides (I didnt change it) and the second one curved at only one side.

Since creating this post I have made some changes to the picture but it doesnt really matter.

And... creating perfectly rounded objects by these nodes and strokes its for me kind of black magic

I saw some questions to me but I'm not about to reply when the solution is found.

Thank you all for help! 

[brynn]

I'm glad you found something that works.  That's what it's all about, after all!