Using the Select tool

Using paths

Using the Select tool

Selecting knots, segments and paths

The Select tool selects items in the Drawing Window.

To select paths, and make their knots and tangents appear:

Click on a path to select only that path.

Drag a box to select any path that is even partially within the box.

To select knots, and hence the segment(s) connected to them:

Click on a knot to select only that knot.

Alt click anywhere on a knot or segment to select all knots on a path - and hence the entire path.

As usual, if you also hold down the Shift key when doing any of the above, your existing selection remains. Any further unselected items you choose are added to the selection, and any selected items you choose become unselected.

Altering tangents

To alter tangents, use the Select tool to click and drag the small square on their ends. There are also some modifiers you can use:

To break a pair of tangents so you can drag them independently, Ctrl-click on one of the tangents.

To freeze the angle between a pair of tangents, Ctrl-click on the knot to which they are connected.

To make a pair of tangents smooth again, Ctrl-click on one of the tangents. You'll need to do this once for a broken tangent, or twice for a frozen tangent.

: Alternatively, you can Esc-click once on one of the tangents. This not only smooths the tangents; it also makes them symmetrical, so they are the same length. They therefore have the same strength of effect on the segments on either side of the knot; this creates a very smooth near-symmetrical curve.

When you can't see tangents...

Sometimes you can't see any tangents; for example, if you've just created a rectangular path.

In fact, there are tangents; it's just that they're exactly where the knot is. If you need to use these tangents, you can drag them away from the knot with a Ctrl-drag or a t-drag.

Using paths

Using the Select tool

Selecting knots, segments and paths

Altering tangents

When you can't see tangents...