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Keyboard
Shortcuts For The Pen
Examples |
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The idea behind the keyboard shortcuts in Adobe® Illustrator®,
Adobe Photoshop® and Macromedia® FreeHand® is so you can draw
paths in a fluid manner with as few interruptions as possible.
Ideally, you would draw as fluidly as if you were actually
using a pen or pencil. The previous page described the hand
positions with the keyboard and mouse. This page describes
how it is done. The next page gives you practice templates
for each application.
While the pen tool is selected and you are actively drawing
a path, pressing the following keys will bring up a different
tool:
For Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop:
| Macintosh® |
Windows® |
Function |
Command
Option
Shift |
Ctrl
Alt
Shift |
Selects the last selection tool
Selects the Convert Direction Point Tool
Constrains angle to 45° increments |
For Macromedia FreeHand:
| Macintosh |
Windows |
Function |
Command
Option
Shift |
Ctrl
Alt
Shift |
Selects the Pointer Tool
Places a corner point
Constrains angle to 45° increments |
Basically the functions of these keys between the Adobe applications
and Macromedia FreeHand are the same. There is only a slight
difference in the use of the Alt or Option key to create a corner
point. In Illustrator and Photoshop, all newly placed points
with control handles are smooth points by default. The Convert
Direction Point Tool is used to change a smooth point to a corner
point with handles. In FreeHand, you can drag out control handles
for a corner point when you first place it.
Brief Example - Adobe Illustrator
In the following example, three tools are used without returning
to the tool palette to change tools:
1. Drag out the first point
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| 2. Drag out the second point. The first curve is off,
now. |
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| 3. Press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Macintosh) and use
the Direct Selection Tool to drag back the first curve. |
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| 4. Press Alt (Windows) or Option (Macintosh) to bring
up the Convert Direction Point Tool and drag the second
point's handle (changing it from a smooth point to a corner
point) to redirect the next curve. |
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| 5. Place the next point and continue drawing the path. |
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Pen Cursors
The pen cursor helps you identify where you're at when
drawing paths. You need to know when you are over a point
so you can append to an open path (restarting the path) or
when you are over a point so you can close a path. You also
need to know what the cursor looks like to start a new path
so you don't inadvertently keep adding to an existing path
or vice versa. These are the most important cursors. Their
functions are identical between Adobe Illustrator 7 and 8,
Adobe Photoshop 5 and Macromedia FreeHand 8. The chart below
describes these cursors.
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Start
New
Path
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Continue
Adding
To Path
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Restart
Open
Path
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Close
Path
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| Illustrator
7 / 8 |
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| Photoshop 5 |
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| FreeHand 8 |
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Deneba Canvas™
The Curve tool is used for drawing Bezier curves in Deneba Canvas.
Some of the various cursors are described below.
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Add Points To
Path
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Pointer Directly
Over an Anchor Point. Next Click Closes Path
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Placing Straight
Segments
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Placing Segments
Constrained To 45°
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| Deneba Canvas |
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CorelDRAW®
CorelDRAW 8 handles line drawing slightly differently. You have
a choice of tools. Their functions are listed below.
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Freehand
Tool
Start
New
Path
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Freehand
Tool
Restart
or Close
Path
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Bezier
Tool
Start,
Continue
or Restart
Path
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Bezier
Tool
Close
Path
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| CorelDRAW 8 |
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Click
Here To Continue...
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