Operation Manual

Lines, Curves, and Shapes 73
2. Click one of the node buttons (described below) on the displayed
context toolbar.
A Sharp Corner means that the line segments to either side of
the node are completely independent so that the corner can be quite
pointed.
A Smooth Corner
uses Bézier curves, which means that the slope
of the line is the same on both sides of the node, but the depth of the
two joined segments can be different.
At a Symmetric Corner
, nodes join line segments with the same
slope and depth on both sides of the node.
Smart Corner nodes automatically determine slope and depth
for a rounded, best-fitting curve. If you attempt to adjust a smart
corner's handles, it becomes a smooth corner. You can always reset the
node to smart—
but to maintain smart nodes, be careful what you click
on!
Note: Normally, custom segments you draw with the Pen Tool end in
a smart corner.
You can also use the context toolbar to define a line segment as either straight or
curved.
To change a line segment from straight to curved, or vice versa:
1. With the Node Tool, select the leading node of the line segment (the
node nearer the start of the line).
2. Then, either:
• To make a line segment straight, click Straighten Line on the
context toolbar. The selected segment immediately jumps to a
straight line.
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