Creating Puzzle Pieces
Affinity Designer Video Tutorials
Creating simple puzzle pieces using Boolean operations
In this mini tutorial, I explain two simple approaches to creating puzzle pieces using
– Snapping,
– Boolean operations [Add and Subtract], and
– Compound groups for a more complex and varied approach.
Working with compounds
Compound groups allow quick variations to puzzle pieces by changing the settings [Add or Subtract] of the connector shapes in the layer panel.
Affinity Designer Mini Tutorial – Easily Align Puzzle Pieces using a Grid
In this 2nd mini tutorial on puzzle pieces, I explain an easy way to set up and align a larger number of pieces by using
– Grids,
– Compound groups, and
– Symbols
After facing some snapping issues in the first video, ‘Creating Puzzle Pieces’, I use a grid in this mini video. By reducing the shapes to the core square, it’s easy to align them to a grid. Place a larger number of pieces precisely and connect them properly.
Adding Content Inside Puzzle Pieces
In this mini tutorial, I show different ways to add content to puzzle pieces by using:
– Mask to Below with compound shapes,
– Separate clipping masks, and
– a single contoured and combined mask.
When clipping content to a shape, the clipping mask is the easiest and fastest approach. Compound groups can’t be turned into clipping masks. They need a different approach.
Adding Content Inside Puzzle Pieces – v2 bug
In the last mini tutorial, I used a single contoured and combined curve to act as a clipping mask. A kind user approached me with a problem with this workflow in v2. It’s simply not working! When clipping content to a shape, the clipping mask is usually the easiest and fastest approach, but in v2, dividing a complex curve loses the content inside the mask. The Gradient Fill Tool’s Bitmap option offers a working alternative.
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