---
title: Simplifying paths
---

<p>
    If you Play the wireframe example above, and click on 'show path names' you will see that many lines have been created as a result of the expansion.
    This is an artefact of all of the boolean operations with <b>combine</b>. The outmost chain for example, should be able to represented with only four lines.
    To remedy this, there is <a href="/docs/api/modules/makerjs.model.html#simplify">makerjs.model.simplify</a> - however there is an important caveat:
    <b>your model must be originated before you can call the simplify function.</b>
    This is to make sure that all of the segmented paths share the same coordinate space.
</p>

{% highlight javascript %}
//expand a truss wireframe

var m = require('makerjs');

function trussWireframe(w, h) {

  this.models = {
    frame: new m.models.ConnectTheDots(true, [ [0, h], [w, 0], [0, 0] ])
  };

  var angled = this.models.frame.paths.ShapeLine1;

  var bracepoints = [
    [0, 0],
    m.point.middle(angled, 1/3),
    [w/2 , 0],
    m.point.middle(angled, 2/3)
  ];

  this.models.brace = new m.models.ConnectTheDots(false, bracepoints);
}

var truss = new trussWireframe(200, 50);
var expansion = m.model.expandPaths(truss, 3, 1);

//call originate before calling simplify:
m.model.originate(expansion);
m.model.simplify(expansion);

var svg = m.exporter.toSVG(expansion);

document.write(svg);
{% endhighlight %}

<script>
    LiveDoc.evalLastCode();
</script>

<p>
    Be sure to play this example, and click 'show path names' for comparison.
</p>