I really enjoy MTC thick line feature. I use thick lines when I am tracing hand sketched images uploaded from my phone.
The problem I am having is that is takes me forever to edit these thick lines. There are too many small lines generated. I created this bad example to illustrate my point. For example, let prettend I finished tracing a peace and love symbol (I know you can do this using circles, but let's pretend we are tracing it), it would like this.

Then if I begin to shape it I run into these smaller line sections,

Most of my designs require that thick border outline. Is there a better way to do this? I read in another thread than using shadows can accomplish the same effect. Any suggestion is VERY welcomed. I am spending too much time in these simple designs. Thank you!!!!
Comments
I know that looking at your designs your idea is that they have borders, but technically in MTC, they are not. MTC doesn't really do borders...we have ways in which we can achieve a border like effect, but in MTC terminology, borders don't exist. Other vector drawings allow you to apply a "stroke width" which in essence is also known as a border, but MTC does not do this. The developer of Make The Cut! explained this very well in a webinar early in the development of MTC. It made sense to me at the time, but the whole logic behind it evades me at this time.
To apply a shadow to the shapes you have shown above, use the Shadow Layer tool, apply a Shadow Width, then a Corner Join style, and Accept. Now you have one continuous shape around your drawing. It will cut as one shape, not a bunch of disjointed shapes.
I am sure others will come along and perhaps offer you more tips.
I am still strugling to understand how can I make MTC work. It was a large investment to buy the software and I am determined to make it work.
I agree the border could be created using two independent lines. I think I remember watching that in one of the tutorials the solution was to duplicate the line and then later scale it down to a smaller size to simulate a border.
Are you aware if there is a directory with all the topics covered in each tutorial video? It would take a long time to go back and find the right video with the demo described above. I have simply watched too many videos and cannot recall where I watched that trick.
Again thanks for your help.
Someone did create an Excel spreadsheet with a listing of all the videos for one year, I believe, but that was a one time only event.
You can try searching the forum, and see if you get a hit on one of the posts where the topics of the webinars would be announced - this pinned topic is where the announcements were made:
[UPDATED for May 2016] A weekly Q&A Webinar
can you give up a few more clues so we can point you in the right direction
I sort of think drawing in single lines > node edit > the when you satisfied with you manual trace use shadowing to create the thickness to the lines
Can you provide an example of the original artwork and the mtc file you have attempted to create from it ?
Paper Modellers I Revere Marc Hagan-Guirey ----- Yoshinobu Miyamoto ----- Peter Dahmen
Gallery ID #26944 ----- Link to My Cloud Have a Look your Welcome to Make Use of the Files
I use a thick marker after sketching it because I wanted the thick border. When I trace it if comes out as a thick border.
You could try altering the resample setting so you trace has less detail
Paper Modellers I Revere Marc Hagan-Guirey ----- Yoshinobu Miyamoto ----- Peter Dahmen
Gallery ID #26944 ----- Link to My Cloud Have a Look your Welcome to Make Use of the Files
You should be able to search them, to possibly find which webinars hold the answers you need. Also, after I trace something and need to node edit, the first thing I do is select my shape, click on the wrench icon at the bottom and apply the top menu choice: Auto Simplify Path. That will often reduce the number of nodes making it easier to then path edit, as needed.
http://www.iloveknk.com/Support/Tutorials/Make-The-Cut/Webinar-Contents/
Cutting with KNK Force, Maxx Air, Zing Orbit
Need help with your KNK? Visit this link: http://knkusa.com/contact/
Over 90 free MTC videos: http://www.iloveknk.com/support/mtc-support/
Latest KNK / MTC User Manuals: http://www.iloveknk.com/Support/user-manuals/
Cutting with KNK Force, Maxx Air, Zing Orbit
Need help with your KNK? Visit this link: http://knkusa.com/contact/
Over 90 free MTC videos: http://www.iloveknk.com/support/mtc-support/
Latest KNK / MTC User Manuals: http://www.iloveknk.com/Support/user-manuals/
Never mind, Liz helped me get them corrected. Thanks, @Liz!
Cutting with KNK Force, Maxx Air, Zing Orbit
Need help with your KNK? Visit this link: http://knkusa.com/contact/
Over 90 free MTC videos: http://www.iloveknk.com/support/mtc-support/
Latest KNK / MTC User Manuals: http://www.iloveknk.com/Support/user-manuals/
UK, Cameo, Serif Draw, Win10.
Link to My Craft Bazaar | Link to Skool | Force Bazaar - Archimedes
Feel free to use anything in these links.
Thanks all of you for your help.