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    Understanding pen tool

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Questions and Support
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    • J Offline
      Jayanta Das @b77
      last edited by

      @b77 Yes can do but in many circumstances pen is more useful and precise.

      Mac Mini M4 Pro | 24Gb
      WIndows 11 | Intel i5 11Gen
      Wacom Intuos Pro

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      • b77B Offline
        b77 @Jayanta Das
        last edited by

        @Jayanta-Das Might be. But with the Path Sketch tool you can press Option to redo the last stroke. πŸ™‚

        MacBook Pro (Intel) running Monterey 12.6.4

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        • S Offline
          Subpath
          last edited by Subpath

          Hi

          could not resist to bring in my fifty cents
          made with the Pen Tool
          0_1646645691817_Eye.png

          Here the Video
          Eye making in VS

          Win 11
          CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, 6-core.
          GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 5070.

          J 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
          • J Offline
            Jayanta Das @Subpath
            last edited by

            @Subpath QuickerπŸ˜‰
            https://recordit.co/hfYiCDOv8C

            Mac Mini M4 Pro | 24Gb
            WIndows 11 | Intel i5 11Gen
            Wacom Intuos Pro

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            • S Offline
              Subpath @Jayanta Das
              last edited by

              @Jayanta-Das said in Understanding pen tool:

              @Subpath QuickerπŸ˜‰
              https://recordit.co/hfYiCDOv8C

              yes indeed, you are right πŸ™‚

              But I was not looking for the fastest way, looking just for
              another possibility with the Pen Tool and I like the shape
              that emerged

              Win 11
              CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, 6-core.
              GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 5070.

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              • Devil DinosaurD Offline
                Devil Dinosaur
                last edited by

                Talking about the pen tool... Let's say I want to create a drop shape. When I change a symmetry node into a cusp node using the tool bar (A), I still need to erase manually the tangents handles to obtain this result (B). I avoid the anchor point tool that gives me an unexpected and ugly result (C).

                alt text

                I also didn't find how to move separately the 2 handles of a node. In AD or AI I usually press "alt" while moving the single handle but it doesn't work here.

                Fred.
                MacBook Pro (M1) - MacOs Sonoma 14

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                • b77B Offline
                  b77 @Devil Dinosaur
                  last edited by

                  I also didn't find how to move separately the 2 handles of a node. In AD or AI I usually press "alt" while moving the single handle but it doesn't work here.

                  If the node is Symmetric and you want to change it to Smooth so that moving one of the control handles doesn't move the other in the opposite direction, select the control handle and press U.

                  If you want to change the node to Cusp, select it or any of its control handles and press L.

                  To change it to Symmetric, press Y.

                  MacBook Pro (Intel) running Monterey 12.6.4

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                  • b77B Offline
                    b77 @Devil Dinosaur
                    last edited by

                    @Devil-Dinosaur If you wanted to include an image in your post, it didn't upload.

                    MacBook Pro (Intel) running Monterey 12.6.4

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                    • VectorStylerV Offline
                      VectorStyler @Devil Dinosaur
                      last edited by

                      @Devil-Dinosaur To void the result in (C) first convert all corner types to Cusp (before converting to lines).

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                      • Devil DinosaurD Offline
                        Devil Dinosaur
                        last edited by

                        Thank you all, I will try.
                        Am I the only one who can see the image I posted ?

                        Fred.
                        MacBook Pro (M1) - MacOs Sonoma 14

                        VectorStylerV 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • VectorStylerV Offline
                          VectorStyler @Devil Dinosaur
                          last edited by

                          @Devil-Dinosaur If you refer to the image with the A, B and C labels, then that is visible.

                          b77B 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                          • b77B Offline
                            b77 @VectorStyler
                            last edited by

                            @vectoradmin Strange… not visible in Brave, visible in Safari and Firefox…

                            MacBook Pro (Intel) running Monterey 12.6.4

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                            • encartE Offline
                              encart
                              last edited by

                              @vectoradmin Photos are not visible on Chrome

                              Windows 11 Home 10.0.22621

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                              • Devil DinosaurD Offline
                                Devil Dinosaur
                                last edited by

                                "L" and "Y" and the C conversion work fine πŸ‘
                                I also use Firefox and Safari, that's why I assumed that everyone could see the picture.πŸ€”

                                Fred.
                                MacBook Pro (M1) - MacOs Sonoma 14

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                                • BoldlineB Offline
                                  Boldline
                                  last edited by

                                  Another option is to use the option/alt key on the last point before you let go to complete the loop.
                                  Then you only need to adjust the line a little after

                                  🍎 macOS Tahoe 26.2, Mac mini (M1, 2020), Chip Apple M1, Memory 16 GB
                                  Cintiq 27QHD Display and LG Ultra HD Display

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                                  • VectorStylerV Offline
                                    VectorStyler @Jayanta Das
                                    last edited by

                                    @Jayanta-Das In AD when you draw with the pen tool, after the second node how to you retract the control handle? (when the node changes from circle to square indicator).

                                    J 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • J Offline
                                      Jayanta Das @VectorStyler
                                      last edited by

                                      @vectoradmin It is same as VS, just click on the node.

                                      Mac Mini M4 Pro | 24Gb
                                      WIndows 11 | Intel i5 11Gen
                                      Wacom Intuos Pro

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                                      • J Offline
                                        Jayanta Das @Jayanta Das
                                        last edited by

                                        @Jayanta-Das Controls of handes while using pen in AD: Record

                                        • Handles of Second node are controlled by Ctrl key

                                        • Handle of Third node is controlled by Ctrl+Alt keys

                                        Mac Mini M4 Pro | 24Gb
                                        WIndows 11 | Intel i5 11Gen
                                        Wacom Intuos Pro

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                                        • Victor VectorV Offline
                                          Victor Vector
                                          last edited by Victor Vector

                                          @Jayanta-Das, @vectoradmin
                                          I have to admit, using ALT to "break the handles" to convert a newly drawn node to a cusp node is something I really miss coming from AI and AD. It's one of those great features that is so handy to have integrated in the pen tool and greatly speeds up one's workflow.

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                                          • BoldlineB Offline
                                            Boldline @Victor Vector
                                            last edited by Boldline

                                            @Victor-Vector @Jayanta-Das I have to admit in all my years using Illustrator I never used the option key for that - I was playing around with it some still trying to figure out how to best use it for cusp nodes.
                                            Typically in Illustrator, I would click again on the node I wanted cusp and then continue onward.
                                            For lack of a better explanation, I get the sense @vectoradmin has a purist mindset in terms of not limiting tools and options with a "quick and dirty" option that may be quick, but limits options. I see this with the node tools where I once advocated for the same quick options (Shift-C was added to VS like it is in Illustrator for example and that was enough for me) I notice it also with things like using the eyedropper to copy attributes
                                            I think the answer is to have options for both quick and dirty and full options

                                            🍎 macOS Tahoe 26.2, Mac mini (M1, 2020), Chip Apple M1, Memory 16 GB
                                            Cintiq 27QHD Display and LG Ultra HD Display

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