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Carmela5C96
New Participant
September 19, 2020
Answered

How to delete middle anchor point without losing path shape?

  • September 19, 2020
  • 5 replies
  • 28241 views

Say you have a curved path, just a 'u' shaped curved path. There's 3 anchor points in that path, 2 at the ends and 1 at the middle.
How do I remove the middle anchor point without changeing the shape of the curved path?

Correct answer Madelyn258858927bbk

Pressing SHIFT doesn't work for me. Any suggestions on why this may not work for some people?

I'm on a Mac, with an Apple keyboard - if that makes a difference.

 

Screen recording attached. I am pressing SHIFT when I try to delete the anchor points.

5 replies

M
Madelyn258858927bbkCorrect answer
New Participant
January 30, 2024

Pressing SHIFT doesn't work for me. Any suggestions on why this may not work for some people?

I'm on a Mac, with an Apple keyboard - if that makes a difference.

 

Screen recording attached. I am pressing SHIFT when I try to delete the anchor points.

    Monika Gause
    Monika Gause
    Adobe Expert
    January 30, 2024

    You need to use the delete anchor point tool. Are you?

    R
    Rachel382028635iay
    New Participant
    February 18, 2025

    For the record, I'm having the same issue on Mac and I'm definitely using the anchor point tool. Everytime I press shift, it switches to the add anchor tool and tries to create a new line from the node I'm trying to delete. 

    carlosgarro
    carlosgarro
    Adobe Expert
    September 19, 2020

    Hi.

    The best tool for this is the "Smart Remove Point" tech in Astute Graphics plugins.

    Here's one sample: Smart Remove Point

    In VectorFirstAid there is a "Super Smart Remove Point" option as well.

    Check the following video: https://youtu.be/fJdzxJK5hKU

    Best Regards

      Jacob Bugge
      Jacob Bugge
      Adobe Expert
      September 19, 2020

      Camela,

       

      As already implied by Ton, "remove the middle anchor point without changeing the shape" is more than a wee bit like have a cake and eat it.

       

      Sometimes you can get away with it, but a full U spans 180 degrees, and that may give you grief.

       

      The use of 4 Anchor Points for a circle so each segment spans 90 degrees is there for a reason; and sometimes that proves to be too great a span.

       

      There are limits to Bezier curves, and a limit to the general suggestion of using as few Anchor Points as possible for smoothness.

       

      Ton Frederiks
      Ton Frederiks
      Adobe Expert
      September 19, 2020

      It will not be perfect, but better than without Shift key.

      Ton Frederiks
      Ton Frederiks
      Adobe Expert
      September 19, 2020

      Try the Delete Anchor Point Tool (-) and click the Anchor Point while holding down the Shift key.

        R
        RuChou
        New Participant
        March 6, 2023

        Thanks!  Totally works...I never knew and I have been using Illustator for years

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