Pen Tool

It lets you draw straight lines or curves as a single segment (like a section) or multiple segments. Segments are delimited by 'on-curve' nodes which possess 'off-curve' control handles. These handles can lengthened, shortened and moved to control the shape of the curve.

It has seven modes which are available to select in the context toolbar. Each mode changes how the line is drawn.

Pen Mode

The most powerful and precise mode used to create bézier curves and shapes with smooth or sharp corners and nodes.

Smart Mode

Easily create flowing curves and shapes by clicking and placing nodes.

Polygon Mode

Used to draw straight lines with sharp nodes and shapes with straight edges.

Line Mode

Used to draw single-segment straight lines that self terminate.

Preserve selection when creating new curves

Used in conjunction with any one of the other modes, it keeps the previously drawn curve(s) selected so that their nodes and geometry can be more easily snapped to as you draw.

Add new curve to selected curves object

Used in conjunction with any one of the other modes, it creates additional curves on the same layer as the initial curve.

Rubber Band mode

Used in conjunction with any one of the other modes, it previews the next segment to be drawn before placement of the new node. Your cursor position is followed.

Settings

The following settings can be adjusted from the context toolbar:

Fill—click the color swatch to display a pop-up panel to update fill color.
Stroke—click the color swatch to display a pop-up panel to update stroke color.
Stroke properties—the line thickness in points. Type directly in the text box or drag the pop-up slider to set the value.
Mode—switches between the available modes (see above).
Convert—converts the selected node into a Sharp, Smooth, or Smart node.
Action—Manipulates the curve(s):
- Break Curve opens the shape at the selected node.
- Close Curve joins the start and end nodes to create an enclosed shape.
- Smooth Curve modifies a line or shape, by adding and removing nodes, to make it rounder and softer.
- Join Curves connects two separate curves together to make one curve. Curves need to be both selected with the using either the Node Tool or as you draw.
- Reverse Curves reverses the direction the curve was drawn in.
Snap—Controls node snapping:
- Align to nodes of selected curves—will horizontally or vertically align any node you drag to any other node on the same or a different curve.
- Snap to geometry of selected curves—will snap dragged nodes to the same or different curve's path (or node).
- Snap all selected nodes when dragging—will snap multiple selected nodes, when dragging, to a "target" node on any selected curves.
- Align handle positions using snapping options—will snap a control handle using any of the snapping criteria currently set in Global snapping, e.g. to grid, guide, object geometry, key points, spread, margin, etc.
- Perform construction snapping—allows control handle snapping:
  - inline with adjacent node.
  - to 90° from inline.
  - to reflected angle with adjacent control handle.
  - parallel to adjacent control handle.
  - 90° to parallel control handle.
  - to logical triangle.
These options are independent of the global snapping options, except Align handle positions using snapping options.
Show Orientation—displays the segment leading up to the end node in red to help visualize the start of a closed shape when winding fill mode is active.
Use Fill—When checked, the concave area of the line is filled with the currently set fill color (from Color panel) as you draw.