wordbook question 10000000

[doodlebugs]

Okay so maybe not but I make my first WB in inkscape and copied it to SCAL to cut now I am trying to do a book in just SCAL but heres my Q? I make the rectangle and place the letter "A" on the mat now only 1 corner of the A could be weld how do I get it so it is one peice in inkscape there is a strange little button to get rid of that extra peice in order to weld it properly hope this makes sense? well while I am asking what is Layers used for? the welding button I am referring is NODES

[doodlebugs]

Is this not making sense? I have no responses

[HeatherM]

Not sure what you are referring to in Inkscape, but in SCAL2 you can use the Shape tool to move the top node and close the gap.

[doodlebugs]

Heather can you explain this further I pull up the shape tools but how do you close the gap?

[Sheila]

Here is what I do in SCAL. Draw your rectangle. Choose your letter from the font box. Line up your letter to your rectangle at the top. If one or the other is too short, lengthen one by pulling the bottom right arrows in circle (arrows that are crossed, one facing down one facing to the right). Once they line up, top to bottom, select both the rectangle and the letter, then go to -
"Path" at the top of your screen, and then "Union". they should then be combined.

Will follow up with the rest of your question after you have done so and if you need more help.

[Sheila]

I forgot to ask you if you have SCAL2 with the latest update? That may make a difference in what you are doing as well. The latest v.is 2.011D. (You won't see the D when you click on the Help button in SCAL, but you will see it in a download dialog box, when you download). The newest v. have all kinds of new stuff, I think from v. 2.09 on. It's improved a lot!

[doodlebugs]

shelia I have done that thank you, a few issues though there are still several letters that when you weld them there is still a overlay issue like A,S,V,C,O,Y,J because they do not have a straight edge.

Next I am using a MAC so how do I find out what version I have and how do I update. I read somewhere to update you have to have design studio, but DS is not mac compatible thanks for your help

[doodlebugs]

heres a sample hope it come through

[Sheila]

First of all, I don't know if the Mac V. looks different to you on screen or not, but I did download you file, and it looks the same to me. I don't think that they are different, but if so, in that case, IN SCAL, not anywhere else on your computer, go to the top of the screen, click on the HELP button, then click on "About Sure Cuts A Lot 2...". It should come up with a dialog box with the version on it, and your name, and Licensed to: and your serial number. The version number is in the upper left hand corner.

As to your file. I had to ungroup your letter A and rectangle first. Then I selected each one separately, click on the letter or the rectangle first, or visa versa, really does not matter which one, then by holding down the shift key, select the rectangle. Once the 2 of them have a box around each other, then go to Path, then union. They should then be combined. Or you can with your selection tool, drag and draw the blue box around them. Just make sure both are selected.

I made each of the letters that you had on your mat. The only one that I changed of yours is the A. The rest are examples of how they would look in each step. If I am understanding what it is you are trying to accomplish. The last one is were the nodes have been moved in order to "bridge" the gap. The O and the J are a little more tricky as they are rounded and have more nodes. More about that later. If you can accomplish the "union" of the letters then we can do the moving of nodes if you wish. I only did the bottom of the O so you could see how it looks.