[Tex/LaTex] TikZ: Arbitrary shapes and filling

tikz-pgf

Inspired by the suggestion to use the plot function and and some randomly generated points in

Which package can easily write a graph, as an arbitrary curve or area, just for indication

(the answer from March 15, 2011), I now manage to make arbitrary shapes. However, I would like to fill these with different colors, and I suppose the fill-command in TikZ can be applied – but don't manage to do it.

Does anyone know how this can be done?

The code for the arbitrary shape is

\begin{tikzpicture}[line cap=round,line join=round,>=triangle 45,x=1.0cm,y=1.0cm, scale = 0.47]

\pgfmathsetseed{3}
\draw plot [smooth cycle, samples=8,domain={1:8}] (\x*360/8+5*rnd:0.5cm+1cm*rnd) node at (0,0) {};

\end{tikzpicture}

Best Answer

You have to supply the fill options to the \draw command

\begin{tikzpicture}    
\pgfmathsetseed{3}
\draw[fill=blue] plot [smooth cycle, samples=8,domain={1:8}]
     (\x*360/8+5*rnd:0.5cm+1cm*rnd) node at (0,0) {};
\end{tikzpicture}

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Subdividing and Filling a Tikz Rectangle

You could use a chain and position the first node in the chain using the anchors of the unsplit nodes:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{positioning}
\usetikzlibrary{chains}



\begin{document}

\newlength\nodewidth
\setlength\nodewidth{40mm}

\tikzset{%
    fill1/.style={fill=red!30,outer sep=0pt},
    fill2/.style={fill=green!30,outer sep=0pt},
    split/.style={%
        minimum width=0.5/3*\nodewidth,
        minimum height=5mm,
        %inner sep=0pt,
        outer sep=0pt,
        on chain},
    split1/.style={split,fill1},
    split2/.style={split,fill2},
}

\begin{tikzpicture}[%
    start chain,
    node distance=0pt]

    \node [fill1,minimum width=\nodewidth] (b1) {Bank 1 1024 MiB};
    \node [fill2,minimum width=\nodewidth,right=of b1] (b2) {Bank 2 1024 MiB};

    \node [split1,anchor=north west] at (b1.south west) {};
    \node [split2] {};
    \foreach \n in {0,1,...,4} {%
        \node [split1] {};
        \node [split2] {};
    };

\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}

[Tex/LaTex] Filling Shapes in tikz

As Hans-Peter E. Kristiansen suggests in his comment, when you know exactly what you want to fill you can add the code performing the filling without touching the rest of your code. In this way, some lines would be drawn twice and your code would become longer.

On the other hand, I would suggest rewriting your code and taking advantage of macros to make it much shorter. As I'm not sure what you want to fill, I've filled all possible choices. Notice the \hex building block that produces the hexagonal petals of your flowers. Also notice that if you want to fill an area (e.g., what I call the flower's outline or the hexagonal block itself) you must not break it into smaller connecting shapes: use \draw ... \foreach ... if you have to.

Drawing with tikz-pgf is just like programming IMHO. You don't want just some code that does the job. You want short, readable, maintainable, and efficient code that does the job.

\documentclass[border=5pt]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikz}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\coordinate (O) at (0,0);
% the building block
\newcommand\hex[1]{%
  -- ++(#1:1) -- ++(#1+30:1) -- ++(#1+60:1)
  -- ++(#1+180:1) -- ++(#1+210:1) -- cycle
}
% the outer circle
\draw[fill=orange!25!white] (0,0) circle (5);
% the flower's outline
\draw[fill=lightgray] (0:1)++(-30:1)++(-60:1)
  \foreach \x in {0,60,...,359}
    { -- ++(\x+30:1) -- ++(\x+60:1) -- ++(\x+120:1) -- ++(\x+150:1) };
% the inner flower
\foreach \x in {0,60,...,359} \draw[fill=yellow] (0,0) \hex{\x};
% the petals of the outer flower
\foreach \x in {0,60,...,359} \draw[fill=green] (\x:1) \hex{\x-30};
% the outer lines
\foreach \x in {0,60,...,359} {
  \draw (\x:1)++(\x+30:1)++(\x:1)++(\x-30:1) -- ++(\x+30:1) -- ++(\x+90:1) -- ++(\x+150:1);
  \draw (\x:1)++(\x+30:1)++(\x:1)++(\x-30:1) -- ++(\x-30:1) -- ++(\x-90:1) -- ++(\x-150:1);
}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

result

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Subdividing and Filling a Tikz Rectangle

[Tex/LaTex] Filling Shapes in tikz

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