How to move anchor points

Forum|Forum|15 years ago
August 5, 2010
2 replies
126928 views

Hi, I have gone by what tutorials say and simply isn't working. It's really anoying. How do I move anchor points when I am using the pen tool in CS4?

Thanks.

Rich

How to

This topic has been closed for replies.

Michael Riordan

Inspiring

With the pen tool active, you can hold down the command key (mac) control key (PC) to temporarily call up the last used selection tool and move a point.

The problem is, if the last used selection tool was the black selection tool, all points on the path are selected and the entire path moves. That's almost never what you want, so when I teach people how to use the pen tool, I tell them to get in the habit of first clicking on the direct select tool (white arrow) and then choose the pen tool. Now the temporary command to change to the direct select tool and move a point always works.

Scott Falkner

Community Expert

Get in the habit of using keyboard shortcuts. P = Pen tool. A = Direct Select tool. AP = Penn tool, with Direct Select waiting under the Control/Command key. So press AP when using the Pen tool, not just P.

Or, just always use the Direct Select tool. Shortcuts available when using the Direct Select tool are: Hold Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) for Object select, which selects an entire path; and Command/Control which always switches to the black arrow Move tool when your current tool is Direct Select. The difference between the Move tool and the Object Select tool is the Move tool will only select groups, while Object Select will select individual paths within a group.

R

richardhealeAuthor

Participant

Brilliant stuff, cheers guys. Exactly what I wanted to know. I knew it was something like that as it worked at times but not at others...

Scott Falkner

Community Expert

Hold the Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) key. This will temporarily switch you to your last used arrow tool. If you want to move just one anchor point, not the entire path, then that tool had best be the Direst Select tool, shortcut=A.

To move the current point as you draw it, press and hold Space while still holding the mouse button down.

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