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1024 Chapter 12 Using Shapes and Masks
To toggle control points between corners and curves, do one of the following:
m Command-click a curved point to turn it into a corner (Linear) point.
m Command-drag a corner point to turn it into a curved (Bezier) point, creating
adjustable tangent handles.
m Control-click one or more selected points, then choose Linear or Smooth from the
shortcut menu to change the control point type.
Curved Bezier control points have two tangent handles that you use to adjust the
curvature of the shape on either side of the control point. These handles can be
adjusted in a variety of ways to create symmetrical and asymmetrical curves. By default,
these tangent handles are locked to one another at an angle of 180 degrees, although
this can be overridden to allow each tangent to be independently adjusted.
Important: If Record (automatic keyframing) is turned on, turning a corner into a curve
results in an animated effect of the corner gradually turning into the curve.
To adjust a Bezier curve using the control point’s tangent handles, do one of the
following:
m Drag a tangent handle to adjust its length. By default, the angle of each opposing
tangent is locked to 180 degrees, and adjusting the angle of one tangent automatically
adjusts the other. However, the length of each tangent can be independently adjusted.
m Option-drag either tangent to break the relationship between opposing tangents.
Once this relationship is broken, adjustments to one tangent have no effect on the
other, and both tangents can be rotated freely.
m Option-drag a broken tangent to temporarily lock the angle of the tangents together.