optimize-paths

Optimize-paths reorders, filters and merges polylines, for example in preparation to send to a pen plotter.

To use with SVGs, first convert the SVG to linear paths with flatten-svg.

Installation

$ npm install optimize-paths

Usage

import { reorder, elideShort, merge } from 'optimize-paths'

const paths = [
  [{x: 0, y: 0}, {x: 10, y: 10}, {x: 20, y: 10}],
  // ...
]

const elided = elideShorterThan(paths, 0.5)
const reordered = reorder(elided)
const merged = merge(reordered, /* tolerance = */ 0.5)

API

Struct: Vec2

All points are represented as objects of type { x: number, y: number }.

elideShorterThan(paths, minimumPathLength)

• paths: Vec2[][] - List of paths to filter
• minimumPathLength: number - Paths whose length is less than this value will be filtered out.

Returns Vec2[][] - A new path list, with short paths excluded.

Filters out paths shorter than a certain length.

reorder(paths)

• paths: Vec2[][] - List of paths to reorder

Returns Vec2[][] - A new path list, reordered for minimal pen-up travel time.

Reorders paths greedily, attempting to minimize the amount of pen-up travel time.

merge(paths[, tolerance])

• paths: Vec2[][] - List of paths to join
• tolerance: number - When the endpoints of adjacent paths are closer than this, they will be joined into one path. Defaults to 0.5.

Returns Vec2[][] - A new path list, with nearby paths merged.

Joins adjacent pairs of pointLists where the first ends within tolerance of where the second begins. e.g. with tolerance >= 0.1, [[{x: 0, y: 0}, {x: 10, y: 0}], [{x: 10.1, y: 0}, {x: 20, y: 0}]] becomes [[{x: 0, y: 0}, {x: 10, y: 0}, {x: 20, y: 0}]].