Constrain path dragging on segment reshape

[slarti]

Hi Affinity aficionados,

I have been an Adobe Illustrator user since Illustrator 1.0 (about 33 years) and have gotten used to how it works!!

Illustrator and Photoshop have recently made "Constrain path dragging on segment reshape" optional. I have this switched on because it makes sense to me (must be those 33 years of it being the same!!).

The first thing I did in Affinity Designer was to see how the pen tool works and it doesn't constrain path dragging on segment reshape. Unless I'm missing something.

You might ask what is Constrain path dragging on segment reshape?

It is when the direction handles of a curve are constrained to keep their direction while the curve is being dragged. This makes sense to me because the direction of the curve when placing a node is easy to judge and easy to set and I find the length of the handle a little harder to judge so a tweak of the curve usually follows. But without constraining the direction of the nodes, the curve goes all over the place and not where I want it to go. When the directions on each end have already been set, the curve is very easy to position. But if the directions do not hold, the curve is nearly impossible to position.

Is this available with the curve editing tools in Affinity products? Or is it a feature that could go in?

Regards,

Mike

[Callum]

Hi Slarti,

Welcome to the forums,

Does MEBS post here explain how to do what you are looking for?

Thanks

C

[slarti]

No and I can hardly believe that it's difficult to understand considering Illustrator's pen tool remained unchanged for over 30 years.

I couldn't find any other topic that was talking about this so I created this one. But I have since found someone else asking for the same:

Is it possible to merge the two topics?

Below is an example of "constrain path dragging on segment reshape". Notice the direction handles keep their direction when the path segment is dragged.

Adobe released a video when they introduced Illustrator in 1987. You can see them demonstrate constrain path dragging on segment reshape in the video: 

 

 

Edited November 9, 2019 by slarti
additional example

[firstdefence]

Once you have made the two nodes go to the middle of the line and press and hold the shift + Command Key and click and pull this contains to 45º

You also have: https://affinity.help/photo/English.lproj/pages/DesignAids/constructionSnapping.html

https://affinity.help:Select the app you are using and type curves into the search bar and you will find additional info to read at your leisure.

 

[slarti]

On 11/9/2019 at 7:56 PM, firstdefence said:

Once you have made the two nodes go to the middle of the line and press and hold the shift + Command Key and click and pull this contains to 45º

You also have: https://affinity.help/photo/English.lproj/pages/DesignAids/constructionSnapping.html

https://affinity.help:Select the app you are using and type curves into the search bar and you will find additional info to read at your leisure.

 

Doesn't answer the question. If you look at the animated gif or the youtube video, you can see that the node direction handles do not change direction when the curve is being dragged. This is the feature that is missing and has been in Adobe Illustrator since 1987.

[firstdefence]

I understand now, in Adobe Illustrator it isn't an option on a context bar for the path tools it's an option under Preferences: Selection & Anchor Display.

and no Affinity doesn't have that feature.

By all means make a request for it here: https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/forum/52-feature-requests-suggestions/

[firstdefence]

A video demonstrating how to enable it in Adobe Illustrator: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4oTwoZ8ENg for the curious.

 

[PixelPest]

At least one can hold shift-key only to maintain handle direction on node-by-node handle dragging:

[slarti]

Thanks firstdefence for taking the time to understand and thanks to PixelPest for the info on maintaining handle direction. The need for constrain path dragging on segment reshape is there because it's part of my normal workflow with using the pen tool. I can't use the pen tool quickly without it so hopefully the Affinity team see it as a good idea. So I will post a request for it.

Cheers.

[Tadas]

Any news on this topic? Are you guys planning to add "Constrain path dragging on segment reshape"? That would be a major update to speed up the work flow.

[PixelPest]

deleted misleading info on my part.

[James Rodriguez]

Howdy,

Any news on this?
I’m a veteran Illustrator user and rely on this behavior too. I believe it was default Illustrator behavior, but at some point Adobe made it optional in Preferences—I always turn it on. I need this behavior in Affinity Designer, it speeds my creation. Please, Serif, include this vector editing behavior.
Thank you.