Getting arrowheads to end on line

[D. Plank]

Is it me, or is Freehand's method to draw arrowheads flawed.

Usually, I draw lines with that snap to objects and other lines
but then when arrowheads are added, the arrowheads extend beyond
the end point of the line.

I have made custom arrowheads that have the point at the end of
the line but that gets to be a pain.

Does anyone have a suggestion on how to draw arrowheads that
touch the object they point to?

[Ron Rockwell]

Sounds like you're doing what has to be done. But what's the pain? Once you
draw the arrowhead, it's available in your arrowhead menu.

Ron


in article cedqqo$68g$1@forums.macromedia.com, D. Plank at [email]plankd@alltel.net[/email]
wrote on 7/30/04 11:52:

>
> Is it me, or is Freehand's method to draw arrowheads flawed.
>
> Usually, I draw lines with that snap to objects and other lines
> but then when arrowheads are added, the arrowheads extend beyond
> the end point of the line.
>
> I have made custom arrowheads that have the point at the end of
> the line but that gets to be a pain.
>
> Does anyone have a suggestion on how to draw arrowheads that
> touch the object they point to?

[Judy Arndt]

Ron Rockwell wrote:

> Sounds like you're doing what has to be done. But what's the pain?

The pain is that you can't make a pointy arrowhead with the tip of the
arrowhead snapping to another object. The squared-off ends of the stroke
always show behind the arrowhead.

Judy Arndt

[James E. Talmage]

> The squared-off ends of the stroke always show behind the arrowhead.

Judy,

Have you tried turning on the Stroke checkbox in the Arrowhead Editor and
setting the mitre limit to maximum (57)? This causes the custom arrowhead be
stroked with the same weight stroke as the path. Thereafter, when you snap
the endpoint of the arrow path you are drawing to another object, the
visible offset of the head is 1/2 the arrow's stroke weight, but still
pointy.

JET

[Judy Arndt]

Hi James,
Using a stroked arrowhead solves the problem of getting a sharp pointy
arrowhead, but then the stroke extends beyond the path's endpoint and beyond
a guide or object to which you have snapped.

Judy Arndt

James E. Talmage wrote:

> Have you tried turning on the Stroke checkbox in the Arrowhead Editor and
> setting the mitre limit to maximum (57)? This causes the custom arrowhead be
> stroked with the same weight stroke as the path. Thereafter, when you snap
> the endpoint of the arrow path you are drawing to another object, the
> visible offset of the head is 1/2 the arrow's stroke weight, but still
> pointy.

[D. Plank]

Judy

Can you think of any reason why Freehand creates arrowheads in
the manner that it does? I can't think of any situation where
having the arrow drawn beyond the end point of the line would be
desirable. Is it because the programmers don't understand how
artists use the line with arrowheads.

dp

Judy Arndt wrote:

> Hi James,
> Using a stroked arrowhead solves the problem of getting a sharp pointy
> arrowhead, but then the stroke extends beyond the path's endpoint and beyond
> a guide or object to which you have snapped.
>
> Judy Arndt
>
> James E. Talmage wrote:
>
>

>>Have you tried turning on the Stroke checkbox in the Arrowhead Editor and
>>setting the mitre limit to maximum (57)? This causes the custom arrowhead be
>>stroked with the same weight stroke as the path. Thereafter, when you snap
>>the endpoint of the arrow path you are drawing to another object, the
>>visible offset of the head is 1/2 the arrow's stroke weight, but still
>>pointy.

>
>

[Judy Arndt]

A basic Postscript stroke is drawn equally on both sides of the path. I have
no idea what sort of programming would be required to mask the end of the
stroke to accommodate the shape of the arrowhead, but I'm guessing it might
be tricky.

Judy Arndt


D. Plank wrote:

> Judy
>
> Can you think of any reason why Freehand creates arrowheads in
> the manner that it does? I can't think of any situation where
> having the arrow drawn beyond the end point of the line would be
> desirable. Is it because the programmers don't understand how
> artists use the line with arrowheads.