Fillet Tool Not Working? Here's How to Fix That
In this quick tip, we look at how to fix common issues with the fillet tool by node editing. This works in Vectric Aspire, VCarve, and Cut2D.
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Video Transcript:
Hello, everyone. In this quick tip, we're going to look at some common issues with the fillet tool and how to fix them. Okay. To start, you could see I have a simple star here and we're going to go to the fillet tool, which is in the Edit Objects menu. And let's say we wanted a normal fillet with a quarter inch radius.
So in the 2D view, all you have to do is click on the corners that you want the radius. So as you can see, when you click on that corner, it will put a nice radius corner and then you could also click on it again. And that will remove it. So any time you hover over a corner and you see that little checkmark and then click that will mean that it did it successfully.
So we're going to click on all these corners and see if we have any issues. Okay. You can see this one. We're not getting a checkmark and that's a common issue a lot of people see. So we're going to look at how we could fix that one. Let's go all the way around Okay. Down here, I'm getting the same issue and right here I'm getting the same issue.
So I actually created these issues just for this video. And each one of these is a separate issue. So we're going to look at all of those individually. So let's close down this tool and let's zoom into that first one. And this one is one of the most common issues. So if we select the shape and then click the letter N to go to our node editing, you could see this looks just fine.
But if we zoom in even closer we could start to see the issue there. And if you want to get even closer to that corner, you can go up to your Zoom tool. And the very first one, you can zoom to a drawn box so we can draw a box around there. And now you could see the issue even closer.
And the issue is this extra node right here. We only need that one in the corner. We don't need that one right here next to the corner. So you can just right click on that node and click delete point And you can see that did not change the line at all. And now when we zoom out and then go back to our fillet tool and then select this corner.
You can see now it work properly. So that's one of the most common issues. There's an extra node too close to the corner. Let's look at another common issue. This one over here. If we select this one and click the letter N to go to our node editing and we can zoom in closer to this one. We can even draw the zoom box around the corner.
And you can see we don't see any extra nodes. So that's not the issue. But we do see this green node, which means it's the start point. And that doesn't necessarily mean it's the issue. But if you click on that and move it, you could see these two nodes were not connected together. So if we undo that move to move it back now, those nodes are touching, but they're not connected.
So in order to connect them, we're going to use our join tool, which the keyboard shortcut for this is the letter J. And you can see we have selected one open vector. And when we click join, it's going to make one close vector. And that's exactly what we want. So we're going to click join. Now click close. And then if we zoom out and now we try to use the fillet tool and click on this corner.
You can see that fixed that issue. So that's probably the second most common issue is the nodes are not joined together. All right. Let's look at our final issue down here. And we're going to select this one and click the letter N. And you can see this one looks a little bit different. And that's because these are considered bezier curves when instead they should be straight lines.
And you can tell they're bezier curves by the blue smooth points and these handles here. So if you grab one of these handles and move it, you can see it's actually a curved line. So I'm going to undo that. In order to make these straight lines, you can right click on the curve and then click to line and that will make it a straight line.
The keyboard shortcut for that to make it a little bit easier is hover over the line and click the letter L. L for line And now it will be a straight line. And then this corner here. This is a curve as well. So we can turn that into a line by clicking the letter L and then this point is going to be an extra point so we can right click on that and click delete point.
And now if we zoom out, you can see that looks much better. So now if we go to the fillet tool and click on that corner, you can see now it's going to work properly. Now, if we zoom out, you can see now our star has all rounded corners. And one thing to note with that last issue, let me undo that.
Bring it back. And if we go back to the note editing, let's say you had a shape that needed that curve line, but you wanted that corner to be fillet. You can also insert a point near the end, but not too close to the end to make it work properly. So, for instance, you can insert a point right about here and you just right click on the line and click insert point, making sure you're in the note edit mode.
I'll do that on both sides. So now we have these extra points near the end, but not too close to the end. And then these lines here, if you wanted them to be a curve line, you can leave them this way.
By switching these two busier curves. Now we can go back to our fillet tool and click on this corner. And now that will work and keep the curve because those points were not too close to the end. So that's how to fix the three most common issues when you're using the fillet tool. And if those tips helped you out, make sure you like and subscribe for more.
So in the 2D view, all you have to do is click on the corners that you want the radius. So as you can see, when you click on that corner, it will put a nice radius corner and then you could also click on it again. And that will remove it. So any time you hover over a corner and you see that little checkmark and then click that will mean that it did it successfully.
So we're going to click on all these corners and see if we have any issues. Okay. You can see this one. We're not getting a checkmark and that's a common issue a lot of people see. So we're going to look at how we could fix that one. Let's go all the way around Okay. Down here, I'm getting the same issue and right here I'm getting the same issue.
So I actually created these issues just for this video. And each one of these is a separate issue. So we're going to look at all of those individually. So let's close down this tool and let's zoom into that first one. And this one is one of the most common issues. So if we select the shape and then click the letter N to go to our node editing, you could see this looks just fine.
But if we zoom in even closer we could start to see the issue there. And if you want to get even closer to that corner, you can go up to your Zoom tool. And the very first one, you can zoom to a drawn box so we can draw a box around there. And now you could see the issue even closer.
And the issue is this extra node right here. We only need that one in the corner. We don't need that one right here next to the corner. So you can just right click on that node and click delete point And you can see that did not change the line at all. And now when we zoom out and then go back to our fillet tool and then select this corner.
You can see now it work properly. So that's one of the most common issues. There's an extra node too close to the corner. Let's look at another common issue. This one over here. If we select this one and click the letter N to go to our node editing and we can zoom in closer to this one. We can even draw the zoom box around the corner.
And you can see we don't see any extra nodes. So that's not the issue. But we do see this green node, which means it's the start point. And that doesn't necessarily mean it's the issue. But if you click on that and move it, you could see these two nodes were not connected together. So if we undo that move to move it back now, those nodes are touching, but they're not connected.
So in order to connect them, we're going to use our join tool, which the keyboard shortcut for this is the letter J. And you can see we have selected one open vector. And when we click join, it's going to make one close vector. And that's exactly what we want. So we're going to click join. Now click close. And then if we zoom out and now we try to use the fillet tool and click on this corner.
You can see that fixed that issue. So that's probably the second most common issue is the nodes are not joined together. All right. Let's look at our final issue down here. And we're going to select this one and click the letter N. And you can see this one looks a little bit different. And that's because these are considered bezier curves when instead they should be straight lines.
And you can tell they're bezier curves by the blue smooth points and these handles here. So if you grab one of these handles and move it, you can see it's actually a curved line. So I'm going to undo that. In order to make these straight lines, you can right click on the curve and then click to line and that will make it a straight line.
The keyboard shortcut for that to make it a little bit easier is hover over the line and click the letter L. L for line And now it will be a straight line. And then this corner here. This is a curve as well. So we can turn that into a line by clicking the letter L and then this point is going to be an extra point so we can right click on that and click delete point.
And now if we zoom out, you can see that looks much better. So now if we go to the fillet tool and click on that corner, you can see now it's going to work properly. Now, if we zoom out, you can see now our star has all rounded corners. And one thing to note with that last issue, let me undo that.
Bring it back. And if we go back to the note editing, let's say you had a shape that needed that curve line, but you wanted that corner to be fillet. You can also insert a point near the end, but not too close to the end to make it work properly. So, for instance, you can insert a point right about here and you just right click on the line and click insert point, making sure you're in the note edit mode.
I'll do that on both sides. So now we have these extra points near the end, but not too close to the end. And then these lines here, if you wanted them to be a curve line, you can leave them this way.
By switching these two busier curves. Now we can go back to our fillet tool and click on this corner. And now that will work and keep the curve because those points were not too close to the end. So that's how to fix the three most common issues when you're using the fillet tool. And if those tips helped you out, make sure you like and subscribe for more.
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