Continuous line

[umit_gunes]

Hi,

Maybe my question is so simple but I would like to ask. I just switched to illustrator recently.

I drew a line and I would like to continue drawing. When I drew the line, the line is active and if I come over the right-bottom edge to draw a new (continuous) the previous line is active and I cannot draw a new line, I can just resize, or rotate the previous line.

How can I draw a new line starting from the edge of the previous line below:

Thank you

[Colin Holgate]

I can't see why it's happening, but it's as if the Selection Tool is being re-chosen. When you see the problem, what tool is selected? If you type P, does the line then continue ok?

[Doug A Roberts]

Because lines count as 'live shapes' for some reason, shape tools become contextual transform tools when a live shape is selected. Deselect the line if you want to draw another, or use the pen tool instead.

[umit_gunes]

That means I cannot draw three continuous line (like a triangle) by three moves?

[Colin Holgate]

I marked Ray's answer as Correct! If that button is not selected you get the behavior you're seeing, if it is selected you can then click and drag to make the next line segment.

Something to know though, in Illustrator CC 2019 it defaults to Essentials, you would need to choose Essentials Classic workspace to see what Ray showed. Also, it looks a bit different on my Mac to his version:

[umit_gunes]

Dear Ray Yorkshire ,Jacob Bugge , and  @Colin Holgate

Thank you very much for your help.

[lo21]

Hi,

I like the answer to hide the Shape Widgets, but in one of your responses you asked if you could draw a triangle in three moves. Instead of using the line tool to make a triangle with three separate lines, use the Pen tool.

1. Hit the "p" key on your keyboard and click three times, at each point of the triangle.

2. Then, hover over the first point you drew, wait for the little circle to show up next to the pen tool and click to close up the shape.

3. Now you have a true triangle, and can use the Direct Selection tool to move the corner points to reshape it.

You can also choose to Fill or Stroke the triangle with a color.

If you drew the triangle with three separate lines, then you couldn't easily move the location of the corner points, (you would have to move each point on both lines)  nor would you be able to fill it.

[umit_gunes]

Dear lo21,

Thank you very much for your great help.

All the best,

lo21  wrote

Hi,

I like the answer to hide the Shape Widgets, but in one of your responses you asked if you could draw a triangle in three moves. Instead of using the line tool to make a triangle with three separate lines, use the Pen tool.

1. Hit the "p" key on your keyboard and click three times, at each point of the triangle.

2. Then, hover over the first point you drew, wait for the little circle to show up next to the pen tool and click to close up the shape.

3. Now you have a true triangle, and can use the Direct Selection tool to move the corner points to reshape it.

You can also choose to Fill or Stroke the triangle with a color.

If you drew the triangle with three separate lines, then you couldn't easily move the location of the corner points, (you would have to move each point on both lines)  nor would you be able to fill it.

[Ray Yorkshire · Accepted solution]

With the line tool,

draw one line and click to hide shape widgets

[umit_gunes]

Thank you very much,

I got it. It is very useful.

Best,

[Jacob Bugge]

umit,

As I (mis)understand it, you can (Smart Guides are your friends) Click and Hold next to the end Anchor Point in question, Then press the Spacebar and, still ClickHolding, Drag into the Anchor Point to snap to it, then continue drawing (you may drag out a Handle before you let go to continue to the second Anchor Point of the new path if you wish to start a curved segment with the Pen Tool).

Edit: Having to leave before finishing, I missed the explanation and solution already given.