Question about using the pen tool

[zBernie]

I'm following the video below regarding the pen tool.  About 15 minutes into the video he does a Ctrl-Click on an existing line, which creates a node.  Then uses Ctrl-Click to manipulate the node.  With the pen tool selected, this does not work for me.  I need to switch to the node tool and then just Click on the line to create a node.  I'm using AF 1.9.1 under Windows 10.  Maybe this is the behavior from an older version?

(144) Affinity Photo - Use the Pen Tool to Make selections and Composites Www.PayPal.me/chrispwilliams - YouTube

 

[Greyfox]

1 hour ago, zBernie said:

I'm following the video below regarding the pen tool.  About 15 minutes into the video he does a Ctrl-Click on an existing line, which creates a node.  Then uses Ctrl-Click to manipulate the node.  With the pen tool selected, this does not work for me.  I need to switch to the node tool and then just Click on the line to create a node.  I'm using AF 1.9.1 under Windows 10.  Maybe this is the behavior from an older version?

 

You are not on your own. It doesn't work for me either. When I have the cursor above the curve and press the Ctrl key I see a red cross, and if I click it deletes part of the curve. I'm on the current version 1.9 something (the version number is too small to read). The help file says "Ctrl-click a segment to delete it, creating two separate curves within one curve object").  Maybe using the node tool is the only way to add nodes.

[Pšenda]

Did you look at the Status Bar?

[R C-R]

14 hours ago, zBernie said:

With the pen tool selected, this does not work for me.  I need to switch to the node tool and then just Click on the line to create a node.

If, as @Pšenda suggested, you look at the status bar at the bottom of the video note that it says "Ctrl to use Node Tool."

IOW, holding down the Ctrl key with the Pen Tool enabled temporarily changes to the Node Tool.

[Greyfox]

9 hours ago, R C-R said:

If, as @Pšenda suggested, you look at the status bar at the bottom of the video note that it says "Ctrl to use Node Tool."

IOW, holding down the Ctrl key with the Pen Tool enabled temporarily changes to the Node Tool.

Sorry, I'm obviously missing something....

Yes, when I select the pen tool, the last item in the status bar is "Ctrl to use Node Tool'.  but that's not working for me.

(a)    I click  to place a point/node, move then click to place a second point/node, As expected they are joined by a straight line.
(b)    With the nib on the second point/node and the left mouse key held down, if I drag it I get a control line/handle that enables me to bend the line into a curve.
(c)    Now I want to add a shaping node somewhere along the above curve to reshape it further. If I hold down the Ctrl Key and move the cursor the content of the status line changes, and when the cursor is over the curve it no longer says Ctrl to use node tool, but rather Click + Ctrl to delete, which is exactly what happens if I click.

That's not how it appears to be in the video mentioned in the OP

If I just click somewhere on the curve, it adds a node, but also continues the line from the second point to this latest node, which is not what I want.

 

 

[R C-R]

11 minutes ago, Greyfox said:

That's not how it appears to be in the video mentioned in the OP

Since I am a Mac user all I can tell you is at about 15:03 in the video, the tool icon changes to the one for the Node Tool & clicking somewhere on the curve adds a new node to it.

On Macs, it is the CMD key that temporarily switches to the Node Tool. Clicking on a segment with the CTRL key now deletes that segment, splitting the curve. I don't know if that new feature is available on Windows.

[Greyfox]

16 minutes ago, R C-R said:

Since I am a Mac user all I can tell you is at about 15:03 in the video, the tool icon changes to the one for the Node Tool & clicking somewhere on the curve adds a new node to it.

On Macs, it is the CMD key that temporarily switches to the Node Tool. Clicking on a segment with the CTRL key now deletes that segment, splitting the curve. I don't know if that new feature is available on Windows.

Thanks @R C-R

The status line says Ctrl to use Node tool. My expectation from that is that pressing the Ctrl Key should bring up the Node tool and that doesn't appear to be the case. Maybe it doesn't work like it should in the Windows version or perhaps I'm not interpreting it correctly. I also don't know whether it was like this earlier versions. Ideally I'd like some confirmation that other Windows users are having the same issue before raising it as a bug. Incidentally it is the same in both Designer and Publisher.

[Greyfox]

It is indeed not working as it should (and it did apparently work in an earlier version) and Serif are aware of the issue. See

 

[zBernie]

5 hours ago, Greyfox said:

It is indeed not working as it should (and it did apparently work in an earlier version) and Serif are aware of the issue. See

 

Thank you for the update.