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ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CS2
User Guide
Reshaping paths
Reshaping paths
You can modify the shape of a path by moving any of its anchor points or by moving the direction points of direction
lines attached to a curve segment.
Editing existing segments is slightly different from drawing them. Keep the following guidelines in mind as you
adjust existing segments:
• If an anchor point connects two segments, moving that anchor point always changes both segments.
• When drawing with the Pen tool, you can temporarily activate the last-used selection tool by holding down Ctrl
(Windows) or Command (Mac OS) so that you can adjust segments you’ve already drawn.
• When you draw a smooth point with the Pen tool, dragging the direction point changes the length of the direction
line on both sides of the point. However, when you edit an existing smooth point with the Direct Selection tool,
you change the length of the direction line only on the side you’re dragging.
Direction lines and direction points
When you select an anchor point connecting curved segments, the segments display direction lines, which end in
direction points. The angle and length of the direction lines determine the shape and size of the curved segments.
Moving the direction points reshapes the curves. Direction lines don’t print.
After selecting an anchor point (left), direction lines appear on any curved segments connected by the anchor point (right).
A smooth point always has two direction lines that move together as a single, straight unit. When you drag the
direction point of either direction line on a smooth point, both direction lines move simultaneously, maintaining a
continuous curve at that anchor point.
In comparison, a corner point can have two, one, or no direction lines, depending on whether it joins two, one, or
no curved segments, respectively. Corner point direction lines maintain the corner by using different angles. When
you drag a direction point on a corner point’s direction line, the other direction line, if present, does not move.
Adjusting direction lines on a smooth point (left) and a corner point (right)
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