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JoinAdjacentPaths

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Module: FoundationPro

Joins those paths of an array which endpoints lie near enough.

Name Type Range Description
Input value
 inPaths PathArray
Input value
 inMaxDistance Real 0.0 - Maximal distance between paths that can be joined
Input value
 inMaxAngle Real 0.0 - 180.0 Maximal allowed angle between paths being joined
Input value
 inMaxDeviation Real* 0.0 - Maximal allowed thickness of a minimal stripe containing both paths being joined
Input value
 inExcessTrim Real 0.0 - Length of the part of each path to be removed from its both sides
Input value
 inEndingLength Real* 0.0 - Determines the length of the path end used for path angle computing
Input value
 inJoiningMethod PathJoiningMethod Determines a method to join two paths in one
Input value
 inAngleMeasure PathJoiningAngleMeasure Determines a method to measure the angle between two input paths
Input value
 inIgnorePathEndsOrder Bool If set to false, only the end of a path can be joined with the begin of another path
Input value
 inAllowCycles Bool Determines if cycles can be created during joining process
Input value
 inMinPathLength Real 0.0 - Minimal length of a path
Output value
 outPaths PathArray
Output value
 outMatchedPieces PathArray Input paths that have been joined with another path

Description

The operation repeatedly connects the pair of endpoints of open paths of an array until no such pair can be connected. If an endpoint can be joined with more than one another, the endpoint which generates smallest joining value is chosen. The joining value is computed by combining distance between endpoints being joined, their angle difference and their deviation value. An endpoint can be joined with another one in its vicinity only if the distance between them is not greater than inMaxDistance. Their angle difference, which is computed in one of available ways depending on inAngleMeasure value, cannot be greater than inMaxAngle. Their deviation value, which is the thickness of a minimal stripe containing both path endings being joined, cannot exceed inMaxDeviation.

The deviation value for two orange segments is the distance between two parallel blue lines.
Before joining process begins, the input paths are shortened by inExcessTrim on both their ends. The parameter makes it possible to use the filter for paths that can be a bit curly on their ends.

Only orange part of the path takes part in joining process. The curly blue path ending is removed by inExcessTrim parameter.
While joining takes place, the inEndingLength parameter determines what part of the path ending is used to determine the angle between two paths. If it is set to Nil, the segment connecting path begin and path end is decisive.

The last orange segment is taken into account while determining angle between two paths. The omitted blue path ending has length inEndingLength.
There are also two flags controlling the joining process. If the inIgnorePathEndsOrder is set, a path begin can also be joined with another path begin and a path end with another path end. Otherwise a path begin can be joined with a path end only. The inAllowCycles parameter determines if a cycle is allowed to emerge during joining. Finally, after the joining phase paths that are shorter than inMinPathLength are removed from the final results.

Examples

JoinAdjacentPaths run on the sample path array with inMaxDistance = 25.

JoinAdjacentPaths run on the sample path array with inMaxDistance = 1000.

Complexity Level

This filter is available on Advanced Complexity Level.

See Also

  • ClosePath – Adds the segment connecting the last point with the first one in a path.