Pen tool behaviour when extending an open path



  • When drawing with the pen tool, with an end node currently selected, it isn't easy to extend the path with a new node that coincides with any segment of that same path.

    Clicking on or near a segment adds a node within that segment.
    Click-dragging on or near a segment puts a selection triangle within that segment.
    Clicking/dragging on or near a node just selects/adjusts that node.

    The "Preview next segment in pen tool" option matches the above - no preview appears when the pen tool moves over a segment or node.

    Those behaviours are useful if you spend more time adjusting paths than placing nodes, but if an end node is currently selected then I generally want the pen tool to extend the path from it to 'here', even if there is an earlier segment/node 'here'.

    Is there a preference or modifier key that governs the behaviour?

    Currently, to draw a path that intersects itself:

    1. Click down with the pen tool somewhere else, hold the spacebar, move the new node then release the click then release the spacebar. That's the Illustrator standard but gets tiresome after many nodes. Affinity Designer works as expected.
    2. If only wanting cusp nodes, can use the line tool, dragging from the last selected node to the new location. Works but not as streamlined as click, click, click. Need a Bezigon tool.

    NB: Cannot seem to get the node being moved with the spacebar method to snap to the segments or nodes of the same path (if snapping is enabled). Illustrator and Designer do.

    1.1.119


  • administrators

    @Raven said in Pen tool behaviour when extending an open path:

    Is there a preference or modifier key that governs the behaviour?

    In the context panel, uncheck "Adjustments"

    Cannot seem to get the node being moved with the spacebar method to snap to the segments or nodes of the same path (if snapping is enabled).

    Yes, there seems to be an issue here, I opened a bug on this one.