Pen tool auto merges with existing object (not a "New Art has Basic Apperance" issue)

Forum|Forum|8 years ago
November 9, 2017
1 reply
744 views

I'm using AI CC 2017. When trying to draw a new object with the pen tool and snapping to existing points, the new path merges with the existing path, and the stoke and fill changes to match. I've found a workaround where if I click and hold, then press the spacebar, I can move my point to the correct spot without it merging. This is incredibly tedious for the project I'm working on, where I'd much rather "click - click - click..." than "click/spacebar/drag - click/spacebar/drag - click/spacebar/drag..."

Is there a setting somewhere to turn this off?

jane-e

Community Expert

Is your object selected or deselected when you start drawing with the Pen tool?

If it is deselected, the Pen tool should draw a new path. If it is selected and your cursor is close enough, it may connect to an existing path.

What does the Pen tool look like before you start to use it?

If there is an asterisk * you are about to draw a new shape. If there is a slash / you are about to connect to an existing shape.

Deselect the shape and confirm the Pen tool has an asterisk to turn the behavior off.

carlincmAuthor

Participant

The objects are deselected when I start drawing.

There is an asterisk when I begin, but it changes to a box when hovering above the point I want to snap to (alerting me that it's going to join the existing path).

The new path will only merge with open, existing paths. It doesn't merge with closed paths. This is problematic since I'm working with a file that consists entirely of open paths with only two endpoints.

(In the meantime, I've put all the existing line work on a locked layer, and am drawing my new paths on a new layer. This works fine, but it still seems to me there should be a way to prevent new paths from automatically merging with existing paths).

jane-e

Community Expert

That is not expected behavior.

The shape you drew is when the Pen tool is about to connect two shapes--one that is selected, and another that you are about to join to.

In the meantime, though, here is a slightly better workaround. Draw a shape. Then choose Object > Lock Selection (or the keyboard shortcut or click the lock icon in the layers panel). The advantage is that when you are finished, you can go to Object > Unlock All and everything will be on one layer Instead of all separate layers.

And you have the Pen tool (P), not the Curvature tool, right?

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