What's the easiest way to draw revision clouds? qCAD pro Windows.

[iOne iTwo]

I tried splines.
I tried arcs.
Nothing is super satisfactory.

What's a good way to hand draw a revision cloud in qCAD?

Rev Cloud.png (89.65 KiB) Viewed 29792 times

[Husky]

What is it why you avoid FlexPainter?

[CVH]

Hi,
You didn't answer my question in the other topic.

There I also explain how a 'Cloud' shape as outer contour can be achieved manually.
-> By adapting the segment type of a Polyline and let the straight segments bulge outwards/inwards.
The same can be achieved by drawing each Arc manually.

It is a laborious process and that is why I coded some 'Cloud' painter sets for FlexPainter (FP).
Just a very simplistic mathematical tool that repeats a painter set almost endless following the path of a base shape.
As implemented, in current state, not (yet) capable of fitting and distributing N painter sets.

- - - - - - -

The example you show here is definitely not created with FlexPainter.
I can see that because there is no painter set defined that would produce this outer contour.
The bulges in the example are more at random than what can be expected.

The transparent solid Fill, Hatch lines, Wipeout and text are not a part of what FlexPainter is intended to do.
Such things are all additional art

Care has been taken that the result of FP has a closed nature with a closed base shape.
Tested it and it is hatched without any problem.
First hatch solid and then add the a hatch with lines, the last must have a higher drawing order to be in front of the fill.

It is said that there is no certainty that the produced 'Cloud' shape doesn't self-intersect.
Something that can't be ensured for any painter set at high curvature of the base shape.
Detecting self-intersections of Polylines with bulges is not well handled.
Humans are better in that, 'overlaps' can be removed with D2 'Break out Segments'.

I tried splines. I tried arcs. Nothing is super satisfactory.

Splines with discontinuities are only possible as Control-Point with 2-3 points at the discontinuity.
The bulges would then resemble Parabola (degree 2) or more something like a Hyperbola (degree 3).
A chain of Arc shapes should also do the trick but then a Polyline would be easier.

A Spline as base shape for FlexPainter is perfectly possible, a set of loose entities (Arcs) not really.

What would be satisfactory? ... Let alone super.
Perhaps you could share a DXF with a non-satisfactory result.
Perhaps it is just a matter of proper settings, include a screen-shot of the FP dialog.

Regards,
CVH

[CVH]

A quick and dirty trial.

1) Imported your PNG into QCAD (IM).
2) Drew the details lines and circle (LI & C3).
3) Drew the boundaries for:

• 3.1) The 'Cloud' contour by any means, Dark Red.
  Here I tried to mimic your contour starting from a polyline (PL) connecting the discontinuities, adapting each bulge (OX).
  3.2) The text box (RE).

With both boundaries selected, I created the following Hatches:

• 4.1) A solid background (HA), Custom color: for example #e2a6a7.
  4.2) The patterned Hatch (HA), ANSI31, scale 1.8 is almost a fit, Dark Red.
  In this order so that 4.2 is in front.

With only the TextBox boundary selected I created:

• 4.3) A solid background (HA), White.

5) Then I added the text (TE) in Blue, I don't have a similar font at hand right away.

As last I selected all the details in 2) (YC) and put them in the front (MF) of everything new.
And displaced the image in 1) (YC & MV) to the right for comparison.

Rev Cloud Trial.png (89.83 KiB) Viewed 29661 times

RevCloud_iOne iTwo.dxf

(112.26 KiB) Downloaded 326 times

Something similar as 3.1 can be achieved with FP.
3.2 and 4.3 can be replaced by a Wipeout (WP) and then you don't need the two boundaries for hatching 4.1 and 4.2.

It's close to the original in under 5min ... But is it easy and satisfying enough?

Regards,
CVH

[iOne iTwo]

"Cool".
Easy and satisfying enough.
I need to draw very irregular clouds at times, so the PL OX method is great....

Draw a polyline PL kind of randomly.
Use OX to make artful bulges in the polyline.

Thanks.

[CVH]

I need to draw very irregular clouds at times, so the PL OX method is great....

FlexPainter takes on any kind of base shape as path.
Including Splines and Polylines.

For a complex 'Cloud' painter set the outcome is kinda at random with a theme.

Regard,
CVH