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Break Curve and select the underneath node from the 2 nodes created


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When I select Break Curve on a shape, and then select the node which was just broken, is there a way to select the node underneath without moving the top node away.

In this video I would like to select the node connected to the line on the left instead of the node connected to the line on the bottom

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The only way I know of to do this is to break the curve at two nodes:

1) Break the curve at both nodes

2) Select the new layer that's been created under the original layer

3) Move that underlying node to wherever you want it

4) Select both layers and lasso the nodes you didn't want to break, and select "Join Curves"

It's not exactly elegant, so hopefully someone will come along with a better solution for you.

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4 hours ago, Samweow said:

When I select Break Curve on a shape, and then select the node which was just broken, is there a way to select the node underneath without moving the top node away.

Yes, but it is not obvious. By default, the top node is selected when you click, but if you marquee select both nodes & then shift-click on them, the lower node will be the only one selected.

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10 hours ago, R C-R said:

Yes, but it is not obvious. By default, the top node is selected when you click, but if you marquee select both nodes & then shift-click on them, the lower node will be the only one selected.

Are you using the Beta of Designer? I can't get this to work in 1.8.3: Marqueeing then Shift-clicking just selects both stacked nodes and constrains their movement to 15 degree angles.

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22 minutes ago, appearsharmless said:

Are you using the Beta of Designer? I can't get this to work in 1.8.3: Marqueeing then Shift-clicking just selects both stacked nodes and constrains their movement to 15 degree angles.

first select the node, this will be the topmost node. Now Shift and Drag to select both nodes this will select the bottom and because the Shift key is held down deselect the top/previously selected node. It will work on more than just two objects as well. Doesn't have to be nodes.

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17 hours ago, Samweow said:

When I select Break Curve on a shape, and then select the node which was just broken, is there a way to select the node underneath without moving the top node away.

I find it easier to left click on the node to select the top node.  Then hold down both shift and ctrl while dragging over the node.  This selects the bottom node(s) and deselects the top node all in one motion.

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3 minutes ago, Gear maker said:

I find it easier to left click on the node to select the top node.  Then hold down both shift and ctrl while dragging over the node.  This selects the bottom node(s) and deselects the top node all in one motion.

Yes, that’s the (nice and flexible) method @Old Bruce suggested:

55 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

first select the node, this will be the topmost node. Now Shift and Drag to select both nodes this will select the bottom and because the Shift key is held down deselect the top/previously selected node. It will work on more than just two objects as well. Doesn't have to be nodes.

It wouldn’t have occurred to me to do it that way. Prior to reading this thread I would have done it the way @R C-R described:

12 hours ago, R C-R said:

Yes, but it is not obvious. By default, the top node is selected when you click, but if you marquee select both nodes & then shift-click on them, the lower node will be the only one selected.

 

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1 minute ago, Alfred said:

Yes, that’s the (nice and flexible) method @Old Bruce suggested:

Actually Old Bruce wasn't holding down ctrl with the shift.  Which causes all nodes to be selected, he was then deselecting the top node by clicking on it.  I was just showing how it could be done simpler.

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Hmmm. Neither Old Bruce's nor Gear maker's method is working for me (& it does not matter if I use CTRL or CMD with the Shift key for Gear maker's method). 

Also, for me Shift clicking on an already selected node deselects it but does not cause all nodes to be selected, nor does it cause a node directly under the selected one to be selected unless both of them are already selected via a marquee drag.

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15 minutes ago, Gear maker said:

Actually Old Bruce wasn't holding down ctrl with the shift.

Thanks, Mike. I missed that, obviously!

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37 minutes ago, R C-R said:

Also, for me Shift clicking on an already selected node deselects it but does not cause all nodes to be selected, nor does it cause a node directly under the selected one to be selected unless both of them are already selected via a marquee drag.

Hmmm is right.  When I have either, one of the nodes selected or nothing selected then doing a shift drag (marquee style) selects all nodes inside that drag.  It adds the nodes inside the drag to whatever is already selected.  That's the way it is supposed to work.  You should be able to shift drag over and over with no change.  Where as a ctrl drag removes the nodes in that drag from any others selected.  If a shift drag is deselecting nodes what is a ctrl drag doing?

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Here, allow me to make this even more confusing:

1) Left click on bottom left node
2) Break Curve
3) Left click on bottom left node to select it
4) Hold Shift + Control and drag over node
5) Left Click and drag node

Taaa-Daaa! Bottom node has moved!

Repeat with bottom right node = topmost node moves instead of bottom.
🤔??
(And, yeah, I checked to make sure the curve wasn't broken at both the left and right bottom nodes)

@Gear maker If I Shift+Control lasso the nodes, then hold Control and drag, the bottom node moves, but the top node is converted to a smart node. Again, 🤔

(Addendum: On further experimentation, I'm pretty sure the wonkiness has to do whether you're selecting a start node, an end node, or a... "between"... node.)

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58 minutes ago, appearsharmless said:

Here, allow me to make this even more confusing:

1) Left click on bottom left node
2) Break Curve
3) Left click on bottom left node to select it
4) Hold Shift + Control and drag over node
5) Left Click and drag node

Taaa-Daaa! Bottom node has moved!

Breaking a curve can make definite changes.  If the break is done to one of the overlapping nodes (in your case they are not what I am calling overlapping nodes until they are broken), the order of the nodes will probably change.  Assuming the nodes are all from the same shape... I believe the end node (marked in red) will be on top, the beginning node will be on the bottom and any other nodes will be between.  The few times I've had to figure out the order it seems like that's what has happened. 

So in the video if the triangle was drawn in a clockwise direction, if you break the lower left node, and just grab it and do a move the red end node will move, so the top node belongs to the straight line.  Now instead if you break the lower left node and do a click then a grab with shift ctrl down the node on the curved line will move.  The bottom node belongs to the curved line and moves in this case.

Now switching to the right node you will see the opposite because the top node will belong to the curved line because the triangle was drawn in a clockwise direction the red end node belongs to the straight line and the bottom node belongs to the curved.  Does that explain what you are seeing?

55 minutes ago, appearsharmless said:

@Gear maker If I Shift+Control lasso the nodes, then hold Control and drag, the bottom node moves, but the top node is converted to a smart node. Again, 🤔

One issue I have had that still surprises me is that when a curve is broken and one end node is moved out, if that node is then dropped back onto the other end the curve is healed, no longer broken.  The history shows it was broken but it's no longer broken, history doe not show it's healed.  This causes me problems because I'll break one node in a stack, then try to move it, and a different one than I planned moves, so I move it back.  I then try to move a different one but my curve is no longer broken.  Not only does history show it's no longer broken, also the break curve icon is still grayed out showing it thinks it's broken.  I'm not sure if that's what you are showing in your video. or what.

Hopefully something from this answers you question.

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54 minutes ago, Gear maker said:

 Now instead if you break the lower left node and do a click then a grab with shift ctrl down the node on the curved line will move.  The bottom node belongs to the curved line and moves in this case.

Nope, not for me. That results in a smart node. And I'm aware of the directional difference working with end nodes (See "Addendum" from my previous post).

57 minutes ago, Gear maker said:

One issue I have had that still surprises me is that when a curve is broken and one end node is moved out, if that node is then dropped back onto the other end the curve is healed, no longer broken.  The history shows it was broken but it's no longer broken, history doe not show it's healed.  This causes me problems because I'll break one node in a stack, then try to move it, and a different one than I planned moves, so I move it back.  I then try to move a different one but my curve is no longer broken.  Not only does history show it's no longer broken, also the break curve icon is still grayed out showing it thinks it's broken.  I'm not sure if that's what you are showing in your video. or what.

Hopefully something from this answers you question.

I appreciate the info, it's helpful, but I didn't really have a question; just trying to help the OP.

I'm sticking with my original method: it's stupid and clumsy, but, to me, it beats trying to memorize a multiple-step checklist (end node?, direction?, shift or shift+control or lasso then shift+control? kiss mouse and genuflect once or twice?).

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5 hours ago, Gear maker said:

When I have either, one of the nodes selected or nothing selected then doing a shift drag (marquee style) selects all nodes inside that drag.

The only difference between dragging out a marquee selection with or without the Shift key held down is using Shift adds to any nodes already selected, whereas without it only the nodes inside the marquee are selected, & any other nodes that might previously have been selected are deselected. Conversely, dragging out a marquee selection with the CTRL key held down subtracts all the nodes inside the marquee selection, so if there are no nodes previously selected, the CTRL drag selects nothing.

The OP asked how to select the bottom node after breaking a curve at a node, so as the video shows, at that time there are no nodes selected. Because the break results in two colocated nodes, one on top of the other; & a simple click always selects the top one while a simple marquee drag selects both of them; there is no point I can see in using either Shift or CTRL to make the marquee selection.

The least disruptive, simplest way I know to do this is to marquee select both colocated nodes & then Shift click to select just the bottom one. An alternative is to reverse the direction of the curve so that what was the bottom node becomes the top one so it can be selected with a simple click, but depending on the workflow it may not be desirable to reverse the direction of the curve.

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5 hours ago, appearsharmless said:

Here, allow me to make this even more confusing:

1) Left click on bottom left node
2) Break Curve
3) Left click on bottom left node to select it
4) Hold Shift + Control and drag over node
5) Left Click and drag node

Taaa-Daaa! Bottom node has moved!

Your step 3 selects not one but two nodes (the two colocated nodes that the break created). If in your step 4 you mean you are making a marquee selection of (just) those two nodes, I think this is the same as I suggested when using just the Shift key -- adding CTRL should be ignored because otherwise using both would be the equivalent of both adding to & subtracting from the selection, so to speak.

Note also that on a Mac, holding down both Shift & CTRL while clicking & dragging a node (when no marquee selection is involved) does not change what node is selected (it is still the top one if two are colocated) but in that case Shift constrains the drag to 45° angles & CTRL moves just the node(s) without also moving their control handles:

302955209_SHFTCTRLdrag.jpg.07d09ed4d1ac4e8be92b4e6fb4c8b3c3.jpg

Edited by R C-R
added graphic

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3 hours ago, R C-R said:

The least disruptive, simplest way I know to do this is to marquee select both colocated nodes & then Shift click to select just the bottom one.

YES! This works, regardless of direction the curve is drawn, whether the node is an end node, etc. Thanks @R C-R ! 👍

@haakoo 's method is pretty slick, too.)

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