Bezier Curve question

[mistercitizen]

Is their a proper method of "tucking in" a curve handle on a point that you want to have a straight line?

For example, if I have two points, which I decide should have a perfect straight line between them, however one (or both) point has an extended bezier curve handle.

To eliminate the curve, previously I've "tucked" (ie. dragged) the handle back to the point. The problem with this method is that sometimes the bezier handle doesn't go exactly under the point, resulting in a line which is not 100% straight.

Is their a function which does this for you?

Thanks in advance!

 

[carlow]

hi mistercitizen,

under the pentool in the toolbox there are four possibilities.
1. the normal pen tool
2 the ad anchor point
3 the delete anchor point
4 has the shape of an open triangle.

Select the last tool and click on the point you want to be straight. The handles will now automatically go into the anchor point. It also works the other way around. Select the tool click on an anchor point, with the mouse held down drag the handles out of the anchor pont.

hope this helps
carlow

 

[vanjohn]

I HAVE BEEN AWAY FROM THE FORUM FOR A WHILE AND CAME BACK TO FIND THIS POST WHICH ADDRESSES A PROBLEM I TOO HAVE HAD. I WANT TO CONVERT A POINT SO THAT ONE SIDE REMAINS STRAIGHT AND THE OTHER CURVES. IF YOU "TUCK" ONE ADJUSTMENT HANDLE IT MESSES UP THE OTHER ONE. ESPECIALLY THE CLOSER YOU GET TO THE ANCHOR POINT. IS THERE A WAY TO DELETE ONLY ONE OF THE ADJUSTMENT HANDLES?
THANKS IN ADVANCE,
VANJOHN

 

[dimoj]

If you drop the direction line right back on the anchor point, it doesn't "tuck" the direction line in behind the anchor point, it actually deletes the direction line, resulting in a straight line segment Just zoom your image right in so you can be sure you are dropping it right on the anchor and not just near it.

 

[mistercitizen]

Thanks Carlow - your method does what I want.

However, it is very annoying that I must go to thee toolbar to do this -

ie.When I use the pen tool, holding the Option key (mac) switches the tool to the open triangle (as needed to convert a curved pooint to a straight one), however when I pass it over the point, it switches back to the pen tool.

Any way around this? Or do I necessarily have to go to the toolbar each time I want to convert a curved poin to a straight point.

Thanks again.

 

[dimoj]

Shift + C is the default shortcut for the Convert Anchor Point Tool.

(If you hover your mouse over the tool icon in the toolbox it will show you the shortcut for that tool).

 

[mistercitizen]

Thanks for that shortcut dmoj.

Is there any way I can change the keboard command for that tool, so that I only have to hold down "option" when using the Pen tool, to switch between the Pen tool and the convert anchor point. A sort of contextual command (so holding the option key will only switch to Convert Anchor when already using the pen tool)

Illustrator says you can't include "shift/control/command" in your shortcuts to access tools. This is bollocks!

 

[dimoj]

The weird thing is when I am using the Pen Tool and I hold Alt (Windows version of Option) it does temporarily access the Convert Anchor Point tool and I can use it on anchor points without it changing!

I don't know why yours wouldn't be doing the same thing.

 

[mistercitizen]

C'mon Team Adobe, you'd think that by the 11th version of this program, they would have these things sorted.

 

[dimoj]

Ummmm, yeah... right.