Adjust path segments – Adobe Illustrator CS3 User Manual
Page 75
ILLUSTRATOR CS3
User Guide
69
•
Press and hold Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) and drag the path to the desired position, and then release the
mouse button and Alt/Option key.
Adjust path segments
Editing path segments works similarly in Adobe applications. You can edit a path segment at any time, but editing
existing segments is slightly different from drawing them. Keep the following tips in mind when editing segments:
•
If an anchor point connects two segments, moving that anchor point always changes both segments.
•
When drawing with the Pen tool, press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) to temporarily activate the last
used selection tool (Illustrator) or the Direct Selection tool (InDesign and Photoshop) so that you can adjust
segments you’ve already drawn.
•
When you initially 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.
See also
“Select paths, segments, and anchor points” on page 68
“Reshaping tool gallery” on page 29
Move straight segments
1
With the Direct Selection tool
, select the segment you want to adjust.
2
Drag the segment to its new position.
Adjust the length or angle of straight segments
1
With the Direct Selection tool
, select an anchor point on the segment you want to adjust.
2
Drag the anchor point to the desired position. Shift-drag to constrain the adjustment to multiples of 45˚.
In Illustrator or InDesign, if you’re simply trying to make a rectangle wider or narrower, it’s easier to select it with
the Selection tool and resize it using one of the handles on the sides of its bounding box.
Adjust the position or shape of curved segments
1
With the Direct Selection tool, select a curved segment, or an anchor point on either end of the curved segment.
Direction lines appear, if any are present. (Some curved segments use just one direction line.)
2
Do any of the following:
•
To adjust the position of the segment, drag the segment. Shift-drag to constrain the adjustment to multiples of 45˚.
Click to select the curve segment. Then drag to adjust.