User Guide

Canvas 12 User Guide
To join paths at selected endpoints:
Canvas, by default, joins paths at the closest endpoints; however, you can select which endpoints to
join.
1. Place an open object or multiple open objects in edit mode.
2. Click an endpoint you want to join to another path. The endpoint becomes hollow to indicate
that it is selected.
You can also draw a selection box around the object’s endpoints with either the
Selection tool or Direct edit selection tool.
3. Shift-click another endpoint. The endpoint also becomes hollow to indicate that it is selected.
4. Choose Path | Join or right-click one of the selected points. In the context menu, choose Join.
Moving anchor points and segments
With a path in edit mode, you can move points and segments to alter the shape of the path.
Drag an anchor point or segment to move it. You can also press the keyboard arrow keys to move
selected points and segments. Moving reshapes the segments you drag or the segments attached to
the points that you move.
Pressing Shift while dragging points or segments will constrain their movement to 45°
intervals.
When you begin to drag a segment, the anchor points display their tangent lines. You can control the
movement of the tangent lines by using modifier keys when you drag the segment.
Expand or contract curves: Press Tab and drag a segment to change the length of its
tangent lines without changing their angles. This is the way that segments could be
reshaped (without pressing Tab) in Canvas 3.5 and earlier versions.
Reshape adjacent segments: To reshape a segment and adjacent segments together (if
they are joined with smooth anchor points), press Alt and drag the segment.
Reshaping paths by editing anchor points
A path can contain two kinds of anchor points: smooth points and corner points.
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