Edit Bar controls: none.
This tool may be used to modify existing Bezier entities. Select one or more Beziers before starting the tool. It is recommended that you do not choose too many entities at once, as this may affect performance - if you have a number of paths to edit it is usually best to select and edit them one at a time.
With the tool active, pick one of the selected Bezier entities. The node nearest your pick is highlighted with a square marker and two direction vector indicators (each direction indicator shows two of the control points of the Bezier entity adjacent to the node).
Also the direction vectors of the nodes either side of the picked node are shown.
Only the Bezier entities either side of the node will be affected - all other selected entities will remain unchanged until you choose another node. (If the chosen node is at the end of the sequence of Beziers then only one entity will be affected.)
You may pick on the node marker to move it. As you move the cursor you will see the Beziers adjusting either side of the node. Pick to determine the new node position.
You may pick on the end of one of the direction indicators to modify the direction. Again you will see the curves adjusting, but this time the marker itself is static - pick to determine the new direction. Note that both the direction and the distance of the picked point from the node determine the shape of the curves.
When modifying the direction vectors, if the curves either side of the node are tangent to begin with then this smoothness is maintained - that is both direction vectors remain collinear.
Right-clicking on the drawing shows the following choices on the context menu, if you have chosen a node :
Cancel Current Operation - allows you to cancel during a node or direction vector adjustment, without cancelling the tool
Cusp - allows independent control of the two direction vectors, thereby allowing a non-smooth transition between adjacent Beziers
Smooth - causes the two direction vectors at the node to a locked together (collinear), giving a smooth transition between adjacent Bezier entities
Symmetrical - causes the magnitude of the two direction vectors at the node to be equalised
Break Curve - allows you to split the Bezier sequence at the node - after choosing this operation you should pick one of the Beziers either side of the node and pick a new position for it
Reconstruct Node - allows you to move an existing node.
The Smooth, Cusp, Symmetrical and Break Curve operations have no effect if the node has only one adjacent Bezier entity.
Additionally the following appear on the context menu whether or not you have chosen a node:
Add Node - creates a new node, splitting the existing entity into two; pick the location of the new node on one of the selected Bezier entities
Show All Nodes / Hide All Nodes - causes markers to be drawn (or hidden) on all nodes of the selected Beziers (the marker on the selected node is displayed yellow, all others are displayed white).
Note that you can effectively repair a gap created with a Break Curve operation by moving one of the nodes and snapping it to the end of the other Bezier - the tool will recognise that the nodes are coincident and allow operations such as Smoothing.
You can join together previously separate sequences of Bezier entities in the same way.
Related topics: Notes On Draw Tools, Beziers