Pen tool for custom paths in Figma - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Understanding Anchor Points with the Pen Tool

When using the Pen tool in Figma to create a custom path, what does an anchor point represent?

A A fixed point that defines the start or end of a path segment

B A color fill applied to the shape

C A shortcut key to switch tools

D A layer style applied to the path

💡 Hint

Think about what defines the shape's outline.

An anchor point is a fixed point on the canvas that marks where a path segment begins or ends. It controls the shape's structure.

❓ dax_lod_result

intermediate

Calculating Total Length of a Custom Path

You created a custom path with the Pen tool in Figma and exported the coordinates. Which DAX measure correctly calculates the total length of the path assuming you have a table 'PathPoints' with columns 'X' and 'Y' ordered by 'PointOrder'?

Figma

PathPoints = 
DATATABLE(
  "PointOrder", INTEGER,
  "X", FLOAT,
  "Y", FLOAT,
  {
    {1, 0, 0},
    {2, 3, 4},
    {3, 6, 0}
  }
)

A TotalLength = SUMX(PathPoints, SQRT(POWER(PathPoints[X] - EARLIER(PathPoints[X]), 2) + POWER(PathPoints[Y] - EARLIER(PathPoints[Y]), 2)))

B TotalLength = SUMX(PathPoints, VAR PrevX = CALCULATE(MAX(PathPoints[X]), FILTER(PathPoints, PathPoints[PointOrder] = EARLIER(PathPoints[PointOrder]) - 1)) VAR PrevY = CALCULATE(MAX(PathPoints[Y]), FILTER(PathPoints, PathPoints[PointOrder] = EARLIER(PathPoints[PointOrder]) - 1)) RETURN SQRT(POWER(PathPoints[X] - PrevX, 2) + POWER(PathPoints[Y] - PrevY, 2)))

C TotalLength = SUMX(PathPoints, PathPoints[X] + PathPoints[Y])

D TotalLength = COUNTROWS(PathPoints)

💡 Hint

Think about how to calculate distance between consecutive points.

Option B calculates the distance between each point and the previous point, then sums these distances to get the total path length.

❓ visualization

advanced

Best Visualization for Custom Path Data

You have data points from a custom path created with the Pen tool. Which visualization best shows the shape and flow of the path in a BI dashboard?

A Bar chart showing X values only

B Pie chart of point counts

C Scatter plot without connecting lines

D Line chart connecting points in order

💡 Hint

Think about how to show a continuous shape.

A line chart connecting points in order shows the path shape clearly by linking points sequentially.

🔧 Formula Fix

advanced

Debugging a Broken Custom Path Visualization

You created a line chart to show a custom path but the shape looks broken with disconnected segments. What is the most likely cause?

A The points are not sorted by their order before plotting

B The color palette is incorrect

C The data contains duplicate X values

D The chart type is set to bar chart

💡 Hint

Think about how the line connects points.

If points are not sorted by their order, the line chart connects points in wrong sequence, breaking the shape.

❓ data_modeling

expert

Modeling Complex Custom Paths with Multiple Segments

You need to model multiple custom paths created with the Pen tool, each with several segments and anchor points. Which data model design best supports efficient querying and visualization?

A One flat table with only X and Y coordinates

B Separate tables for Paths, Segments, and Points without relationships

C One table with columns: PathID, SegmentID, PointOrder, X, Y

D Multiple tables with unrelated keys

💡 Hint

Think about how to organize hierarchical data for paths and segments.

A single table with PathID, SegmentID, and PointOrder allows clear hierarchy and easy filtering for visualization and analysis.