Node Tool

Settings

The following settings can be adjusted from the context toolbar:

• Fill—click the colour swatch to display a pop-up panel to update fill colour.
• Stroke—click the colour swatch to display a pop-up panel to update stroke colour.
• Stroke properties—the line thickness in points. Type directly in the text box or drag the pop-up slider to set the value.
• 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 more aesthetic.
  • 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 Curve lets you draw from the opposite end of the curve—The start node becomes active, ready for further drawing.
• Transform—Transforms the selected node(s):
  • Transform Mode—when selected, creates a bounding box around the selected nodes, allowing them to be transformed as a grouping.
  • Enable Transform Origin—displays a movable transform origin about which the selection box can be rotated.
  • Hide Selection while Dragging—when selected, the selection box is temporarily hidden when transforming. If this option is off, the selection box remains visible during transformation. The selected behaviour persists across all objects unless it is manually switched.
  • Show Alignment Handles—when selected, displays alignment handles at the centre and edges of the selected object. Hovering over these handles displays a floating guideline across the page. You can drag the handles to position the centre or edges of the selected object in line with this guide.
  • Transform Objects Separately—when selected, where multiple objects are selected, they can be be resized, rotated and sheared independently of each other instead of transforming the bounding box.
  • Selection Box From Curves—when selected, the selection box encompasses and includes all curves that extend outside the array of currently selected nodes.
  • Cycle Selection Box—after reshaping, rotating, or shearing the object, this option toggles the selection box between a Base box (honours the transform), Regular bounds (ignores transform) or Planar bounds (fitting to an isometric grid if active).
• Snap—Controls node snapping:
  • Align to nodes of selected curves—aligns any moving node you drag to any other node on the same or a different curve.
  • Snap to geometry of selected curves—will snap moving node 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 to a curve's path (or node) or shape's geometry. With global snapping's Snap to Grid enabled, you can also snap control handles to grid.
  • 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.

• Show Orientation—displays the curve leading up to the end node in red to help visualise the start of a closed shape when winding fill mode is active.