How to snap handle to the tangent line?

[Devil Dinosaur]

You can press ctrl+click (Mac) on the handle and set it to "symmetric" or press "y" while the handle is selected.

[Ayo]

@Devil-Dinosaur
Thanks but that makes p2 a smooth point with two new handles between p1 and p2. It does not make point handle 'h1' snap to the tangent line.

[VectorStyler]

@Ayo said in How to snap handle to the tangent line?:

It does not make point handle 'h1' snap to the tangent line.

No such feature.

A workaround is to use the path panel: select the p2 node and (depending on the path direction) set the tangent angle to the other angle +180.

[Ayo]

@VectorStyler
Cumbersome.
Maybe an idea for the future to add a tangent point to the cusp and smooth point series? Like Freehand/Fontographer has?

[debraspicher]

I would use this quite a bit if a shortcut/snapping option existed.

[debraspicher]

@Ayo I have done Devil's method by sometimes selecting the P1<->P2 line segment and right clicking "Line" or pressing 1. Then if I convert P2, sometimes I can get a nice transition.. but it's never exact as you say.

[VectorStyler]

@debraspicher @Ayo Not sure I can do this before 1.3, but for 1.3 it might be possible as an action from the Path panel.

[Subpath]

For those who may not know, in some cases it's possible to align handles
using the alignment panel. (Horizontal, Vertical)

Here's a video

[Ayo]

@Subpath said in How to snap handle to the tangent line?:

possible to align handles
using the alignment panel. (Horizontal, Vertical)

For horizontal and vertical angles (0 and 90 degrees) the existing snapping option is sufficient. It is precisely when the segment p1_p2 has an unusual angle that the problem occurs.

[Ayo]

@Ayo
FYI

Astutegraphics PathScribe
When dragging the handle it snaps and gives a small red "c" (connector point) indicating when aligned precisely.
After released, dragging the handle keeps the constrain angle.

Freehand
Freehand needs a connector point for this. Also here, after assigned point to "Connector Point", dragging the handle keeps the constrain angle.

[debraspicher]

@VectorStyler Thank you. It's an important function for things like lettering/logotype. An easy example, if someone is designing a custom typeface that's based on a skew, having a snapping feature would speed things up for getting those clean curves...