I need to make curved lines and paths, but the pen tool is too difficult. Is there another solution?

[hen5FD8]

I need to make curved lines and paths, but the pen tool is too difficult. Is there another solution?

I need to draw roads on a map, but they need to be curved.

[hen5FD8]

I'm open to using another piece of software that makes drawing a road on a map really really simple. Something that looks like a modern road. The roads must be curved.

Something so simple than anyone could do it.

[Earth Oliver · Accepted solution]

The Pen tool is easy to use once you learn how to use it...
There's also another Pen tool for more inexperienced users called the Curvature Pen tool:

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/how-to/draw-edit-curves-curvature-tool.html

[jane-e]

I agree with @Earth Oliver . Take some time to learn how to use the Pen tool. It's not hard when you know how. You need to understand curves, anchor points, and paths. In addition, though, if I had a project to draw roads, I'd be using Adobe Illustrator, which is a drawing application.

Jane

[Trevor.Dennis · Accepted solution]

I've decided that you can shooting yourself in the foot by being too organised when using Photoshop.  Thw workspace I use for 95% of my Photoshop work has very few pop-outs in its custom toolbar because I have plenty of screen space so I like to make life easier for myself.  I do have the Curvature Pen tool but have never used it.

Just to be sure, I switched to Essentials.  That means hitting F6 for me — F5 takes me back to the above workspace.  So I was surprised to see how many Pen tool options there were, and I had no idea what Content-Aware Tracing Tool was.  When was that introduced?  I naturally gave it a go and blimmin heck it's clever.  I'm guessing it's another Adobe Sensei tool which would mean that it uses magic.

It's not perfect.  You can see it has got it right on this high contrast interface.

But when I committed to the first segment and moved on (pressing the Shift key as usual) I could not get it to include the front wheel.  It is still absolutely usable though, and is definitely going to save you time.

@hen5FD8  Can you give us an example of the lines you want to create?  Can you give us a screen shot of the image and describe where and how you would like the roads drawn?  There are are options, but to give you best advice, we would do better if we had more information.

[jane-e]

@Trevor.Dennis 

This tool is new to me, too, so thanks! I've just found a tutorial from Jesús Ramirez that explains how to use the options bar to make it work:

https://photoshoptrainingchannel.com/photoshop-2021-best-new-features/

Start at 23m12s unless you have time to watch the whole video.

~ Jane

[scotwllm]

I find the magnetic lasso tool to be far easier to use than the content-aware tracing tool. Have you tried it?

Scott

[scotwllm · Accepted solution]

Use the curvature pen tool. It's way easier and intuitive to use than the "regular" pen tool. You'll probably have to add it to the toolbar, but you'll be glad you did.

Edit | Toolbar | Find Curvature Pen Tool in the Extra Tools section. Drag it to the top of the list of the pen tools. After that, press the "P" key to call it up. Eezy breezy

Scott

[davescm]

"I need to make curved lines and paths, but the pen tool is too difficult"

It really is not difficult, it just takes a little practice at the start, and once mastered there is nothing like it for accuracy.

For such paths I prefer to use a mouse to a pen & tablet as I can be more accurate and keep my left hand over the modifier keys (Ctrl, Shift, Alt). With a little practice it becomes very fast just remember to keep points to a minimum e.g. add a point where a curve changes rather than adding too many points along a curve. It will be smoother that way.

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/drawing-pen-tools.html

Dave

[scotwllm]

Hi Dave -- have you tried the curvature pen tool? I started using Photoshop in earnest shortly after it first came out, so I used both tools. It was extremely frustrating having to swap between the add anchor point / delete anchor point / and convert point tool. Having to tell Photoshop which way you're going next whenever you put down an anchor point. It didn't take me long to figure out I can get everything done with a single tool -- the curvature pen tool. Just click click click the basic outline, then add anchor points  and pull the line to where you want it. You don't have to remember whether to click Ctrl- or Alt- or Shift-. 

We're all entitled to our preferences, and if you want to continue using the old pen tool rather than the curvature that's none of my business. I'm going to continue using the new technology. I'm curious, though, if you're aware of anything the curvature pen tool cannot do?

Scott

[jane-e]

---

@scotwllm wrote:

It was extremely frustrating having to swap between the add anchor point / delete anchor point / and convert point tool. ...It didn't take me long to figure out I can get everything done with a single tool -- the curvature pen tool.

---

Hi Scott,

I use both but strongly prefer the Pen tool as the "single tool". You can add, delete, and convert anchor points with the Pen tool — the tools for add, delete, and convert are extraneous. 

• Add: click on the selected path
• Delete: click on an anchor point
• Convert: Option key plus drag (Alt on Windows)

Good to hear your thoughts all the same 😊

Jane

[scotwllm]

Maybe we should have a race to see who's faster. 

🙂

That would be kind of fun, actually. 

[Trevor.Dennis]

It was extremely frustrating having to swap between the add anchor point / delete anchor point / and convert point tool.

Scott

By @scotwllm

Scott, it sounds like you are not using the modifier keys.  So long as you have Auto Add/Delete enabled, you never need to swap between the Pen tools.   I always work with Rubber Band turned on as well, because it seems crazy not to.  As Jane said Alt (Opt) will convert a point or let you move the handle on one side of a point only.  Ctrl (Cmd) lets you move an exisiting point.  With Auto turned on, hover over a path segment to add a point, and hover over an existing point to remove it.

You might have noticed back up the thread that I only have the Pen and Curvature Pen tools in my default workspace, but I only have the shortcut for the Pen tool. So I know that hitting P will always get me the plain vanilla Pen tool.

Note: I also don't use the Shift key to swap between tools that use the same shortcut, because it's an extra action and I can't think of any reason to so encumber myself.

What I have done now is to add Content Aware Tracing Tool to me default workspace, and nest it with the Curvature Pen Tool, but only the Pen and CA Trace have the shortcut. So hitting P will toggle between those tools.  no need to add the Shift key to that process.  I've given CA Trace the shortcut to encourage myself to use it, because it is too easy to get stuck in a rut.  Do you hear what I am saying? 

[scotwllm]

I hear what you're saying. I don't know why you're saying it. I don't use the modifier keys because I don't have to. When I click "P" the curvature pen tool activates and I'm off to the races. 

[jane-e]

One of the things I love about Adobe is that they often give us multiple ways to do things. I work mostly with new users. I might show them four ways to do something and an hour later have them do the activity again. Then I'll poll to see how they did it, and almost always it's an even split.

Tony Harmer is in your camp, @scotwllm . He's a popular speaker at the major conferences and a trainer on LinkedIn Learning. I've watched him sing the praises of the Curvature tool many times, and he's doing his best to show folks its strengths (in both Photoshop and Illustrator.) He hasn't won me over yet, though. 😊

Jane

[davescm]

@scotwllm  Hi Dave -- have you tried the curvature pen tool?

Of course I've used it, but I find on real world complex shapes, such as cutting out machinery, I can work faster and more accurately with the standard pen tool. It gives me exact control over where the curve sits just by dragging the bezier handles as I go. Each to their own, but we should not make the pen tool out to be hard to use. Just use the modifier keys with it and it is quick and easy.  🙂

Dave