close a path for multiple curves

[alanl96209007]

Hi (first time poster, user of PS approx 1 year)

I'm trying to create multiple irregular shapes and Ive found that the best way to get the shape that I want is to use the 'curveto' command. If I try to create the shape using just one curveto, the junction where the two ends meet is unnaturally pointed for what i want to create (sub-rounded stones in the bottom of a river)

Ive figured that by using two or three curveto lines and join them together, i can get the shape I want. However I cannot figure out the best way to 'fill' this multi-curveto shape with a desired color.

Is there a way to closepath on several different lines? Here is a sample of one of my shapes....

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

%---Draw a irregular rock #4

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

/Rock#4

{

newpath

12 cm 15 cm moveto

10 cm 0 cm

16 cm 5 cm

19 cm 7 cm curveto

0 0 0 setrgbcolor

1 setlinewidth

%.2 setgray

stroke

newpath

12 cm 15 cm moveto

12 cm 15 cm

14 cm 25 cm

17 cm 25 cm

19 cm 18 cm curveto

0 0 0 setrgbcolor

1 setlinewidth

%.2 setgray

stroke

newpath

19 cm 18 cm moveto

12 cm 15 cm

16 cm 14 cm

20 cm 8 cm

19 cm 7 cm curveto

0 0 0 setrgbcolor

1 setlinewidth

%.2 setgray

stroke

} def

[jdeubert · Accepted solution]

Hi, Alan -

The root of the problem is that you are constructing each of the three bezier curves as a separate path, so they are stroked and, more importantly for you, filled separately. You need to do them as a single path.

Remember that the curveto operator leaves the current point at the far end of the bezier curve. That means that you can immediately follow a call to curveto with another call to curveto. Consider these two curves:

.2 1 .5 setrgbcolor

% 1st curve

300 100 moveto

400 100

400 200

300 200 curveto

fill

% 2nd curve

300 200 moveto

200 200

150 150

200 125 curveto

fill

These curves are constructed and filled separately, so they don’t end up looking like a single filled object:

To fix this, we'll take advantage of the fact that the first curve, before we filled it, left the current point at 300,200; we can use that current point as the beginning of the second curve, thusly:

.2 1 .5 setrgbcolor

% 1st curve

300 100 moveto

400 100

400 200

300 200 curveto     % Leaves CP at 300,200

% 2nd curve  (starts at 300,200)

200 200

150 150

200 125 curveto

fill

We now are adding the two curves to the same path; they will fill as a single object, as you wanted.

I hope this helps (and that this was what you were actually asking :-).

- John

-------

John Deubert

Acumen Training

PostScript & PDF consulting and training

john@acumentraining.com

www.acumentraining.com

[alanl96209007]

Great John, this worked perfectly!