Round shapes distorting

Question

To reproduce in Design 2 (Beta):

1. I made several ellipses sequentially rolling clockwise around their respective centers in 20 degree intervals.
2. I grouped them and made them into a new stroke (repeating.)
3. Using the new stroke, I made a line with the polyline tool.
4. I copied and pasted (Control + C, Control + F) the line and converted it to a path.

Problems:

1. Re: 3 above--The stroke at approximately the same size looks faceted.
2. Re: 4 above--When converted the shapes distort badly.

Expected behavior:

1. The stroke should have the same sharp edges as the originals.
2. No distortion after converting to path.

I tried a similar process with straight line shapes and rectangles and the distortion (Problems #2) did not happen; of course no facets were expected with straight elements. I tried the same round shapes in Design 1 and got distortion, but less severe.

Design 2 file:
http://cid-b6d1dabbf49f6e3c.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Expression%20Stuff/circ%20error.design

(XP Pro SP2 w/ all updates)

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Fred

Answer 1

It looks like thinks are worst for objects that born "small". If you paint a small line with a small stroke width and convert it the result can be like in your example. If the line & stroke width are born big, things go better. At the same size of conversion, an object born big behave better that one born small.
Another thing. If I draw two circles with the default stroke with a width of, for example, 10, then change one to a custom stroke, and after I enlarge them, both circles still reports they have strokes of width 10. (I have the scale stroke unchecked in the options).
But while the line stroke is really unchanged in width, the custom one has grown in width with the circle, so that a stroke width of 5 may in fact be some 50 pixel wide. (This happens also in designer 1).
I do not know if this problem may be related to the other and may explain why born small objects are more likely to create errors in the conversion.
Is someone else seeing the same things?

Answer 2

I'm seeing the same thing Elena; 'born small'--Good description!. I've had 'stock/preset' strokes with round elements go 'bananas' when converted or resized, and when made repeating. I have not found a pattern yet, but I'm going to keep experimenting. Thanks.

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Fred

Answer 3

Hi Fred

I know that it has been a while since you belt with this issue. I'm having the same problem with a 'born small' circle it has facets

 

Did you overcome this? If so how!

Answer 4

No, at least the problem(s) were not fixed in ED4. (I tried the trial 'til it expired)  My last purchase was ED2.  MS took a good program, Creature House Expression, and butchered it.   I've moved on!

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~Fred