How to create or bend a shape to exact angle?

[Dr. Hans W.]

I'm trying to lay out a shape for CNC plasma cutter.  It needs to be 2" wide strip with a bend (elbow) that is 38 degrees and an overal length 14".  One end above the bend needs to be 6" long and the segment below the bend needs to be 8" long. I cannot figure out how to keep the lines perfectly parallel at 2" width as they go through the bend.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks,

Hans

[Jacob Bugge · Accepted solution]

Hans,

As I (mis)understand it, you can:

1) Create one of the sides of the strip as an open stroke/nofill path (presumably 6" straight, then the 38 degrees bend, then 8" straight);

2) Object>Path>Offset Path with an Offset of 2";

3) Deselect, then DirectSelect first each end segment and then the unneeded side segment of the offset path;

4) Join the original side/path and the new side/path (you can Direct Select corresponding end Anchor Points and Ctrl/Cmd+J).

You can set the stroke and/or fill as desired.

[Dr. Hans W.]

Jacob:

Awesome, that got me 90% there but I think I am doing something wrong.  I end up with a bowstringing line segment

[Jacob Bugge]

Hans,

After 3) you ought to have (only) the two separate side paths, and in 4) when you DirectSelect the Anchor Points at one end and Ctrl/Cmd+J you ought to join them at that end, and then you ought to be able to do the same at the other end, and no bowstring line/path/segment.

What happens if you Select (black arrow) the bowstring line and press Delete?

If the adjacent side of the desired shape also diappears, Ctrl/Cmd+Z to undo.

In that case, what can you see as selected in the Layers palette (with the Layer fully expanded (also expand whatever can be expanded within it) if you DirectSelect the bowstring line?

[Dr. Hans W.]

Below is what I get when I create the offset...the original line is in the middle.  The new offset is a single closed continuous path that contains a segment that matches my original line and another with the nonrounded angle.  The individual sides of the newly created offset path are not selectable using the direct select tool...it just selects the entire path.  I don't know how to convert it to open line segments instead of the closed path.  In the layers panel, the newly created offset does not have any individually selectable components, just the one closed path.  

[Jacob Bugge]

Hans,

I believe the key is the Deselect in 3); that is always needed in order to use the Direct Selection Tool on parts of paths.