Pen Tool

It has four modes, Pen mode, Smart mode, Polygon mode and Line mode, 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 lines and shapes with smooth or sharp corners and nodes.

Smart mode

Easily create flowing lines and shapes by tapping 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.

Node Types — Pen Mode, Smart Mode, Polygon Mode, Line Mode.

Settings

The following settings can be adjusted from the context toolbar:

Edit Mode—enable to allow node editing without leaving the Pen Tool. This gives the same editing behavior as when the Node Tool is active.
Mode—switches between Pen, Smart, Polygon and Line mode (see above).
Width—controls the width of the pen lines.
Color—tap to choose the stroke color.
Use Fill—When enabled, the concave area of the line is filled with the color you select from the revealed Fill color swatch as you draw.
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.
Break opens the shape at the selected node.
Close joins the start and end nodes to create an enclosed shape.
Smooth modifies a line or shape, by adding and removing nodes, to make it more aesthetic.
Join connects two separate curves together to make one curve. Curves need to be both selected from the Layers Studio as you draw.
Reverse lets you draw from the opposite end of the curve. The start node becomes active, ready for further drawing.
Align to nodes of selected curves—will snap 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.