Hi Michael,

Thanks for writing back.

I didn't really want to post the design I was working on...so I tried to create a design that was similar. In doing so I identified and fixed the bulk of my issues.

So, in hopes they help someone else, a few things I learned about the way I'm using the app:

1) If you're drawing a curve freehand, the points of the line are /guides/. I was assuming that the snap would link lines, but it doesn't...it links points. That meant that the lines didn't, in fact, intersect...which meant I was trying to make a network on a non-closed polygon.

2) Similarly, when trying to do an offset, if the calculation lasts forever, slice it into smaller (and more importantly simpler) sections. That lead to interesting things like the time I sliced an irregular shape into four sections, and then did an offset. One of them popped up, the other four popped down. No biggie, I just set the one to 'flip' the offset, and all was well.

3) Out of the box, the app doesn't enforce units. When sent to other folks, this will appear as mm, so something I meant to be 30cm was actually 3cm. After settings the units, it's now in cm, so should measure the right size.

There were other things, but those were the biggest problems in my design by a long shot.

Thanks,

-Ken

Hi Ken, I'm glad you've made good progress!

re:
> 1) If you're drawing a curve freehand, the points of the line are /guides/.

It depends on which particular freeform curve drawing tool you are using - if you use Draw curve > Freeform > "Control points", then it works like you're describing. If you use the one next to it that says "Through points", then it will behave differently and the curve that you draw will be forced to go directly through the points you pick.

But often times it's more difficult to get pleasant shaping when forcing a curve through many points, the control points method where the curve is generally guided by the hull of the points you pick tends to make a more gently curving shape.


> 3) Out of the box, the app doesn't enforce units. When sent to other folks, this will appear as
> mm, so something I meant to be 30cm was actually 3cm. After settings the units, it's now in
> cm, so should measure the right size.

Yeah the very original default will be "No unit system", and some CAD programs do not have this concept in them and may interpret it as mm or inches depending on which file format you use. But yes if you need things at a particular unit size make sure to set the current unit system under Options > General > "Unit system". You can also change the default for startup under the "Unit options" button on that same spot.

- Michael