Node Reshape on Delete - Option to Set as Default

[TonyO]

Hi! I have a suggestion that would be really nice for us non-technical figurative illustrators.

Currently when deleting a node in the middle of a curve (between 2 other nodes), the default behavior is to maintain the exact direction of the surrounding node handles, often resulting in a warped shape. Designer has a key command to reshape and attempt to maintain the curve when deleting nodes if you alt+delete (windows) or option+delete on mac.  It's not perfect but the result is way more useful than the default node delete behavior. 

This alternate delete function is really good for illustration since creative drawing would rarely have a use for the un-fixed result, but it's an extra step to remember on desktop... and a REALLY unintuitive to perform on iPad. 

Would it be possible to get a checkbox in the settings menu to "reshape curve on node delete by default" added to the iPad app (and possibly desktop) to perform the equivalent of an option+delete by default when selecting a node and tapping the trash can icon (or hitting delete on desktop)? This would be a godsend on iPad, I always have to reshape curves when node editing my drawings, and allowing the alternate delete behavior by default would save tons of time when editing. 

Thanks for considering! 

[Pšenda]

3 hours ago, TonyO said:

Designer has a key command to reshape and attempt to maintain the curve when deleting nodes if you alt+delete (windows)

Joke from the developers - if you're using the Pen Tool, pressing the Ctrl key will temporarily switch to the Node Tool. Then to delete the selected node while keeping the original shape, you have to press Alt + Delete, and guess what happens 🙂 P.S. Maybe that's why the procedure with Backspace is listed in the Help.

It's a pity that Delete Node with reshape and Delete Node without reshape are not part of the context menu.

Many users don't even know about this hidden option with ALT - it's not even listed in the Status bar.

[TonyO]

Inkscape has a good algorithm, can’t comment on vector styler… but Adobe doesn’t have this function at all. The place it’s implemented best is in CorelDraw. It’s literally as perfect as it can get, and is definitely the template to follow. 

[TonyO]

On 6/24/2023 at 6:28 PM, Red Sands said:

Oh yes Illustrator does its best to preserve paths, but I think only since CC 2020 or so. 

Oh, i see. You have to hold shift while using the node remove tool in illustrator (a tool that could be completely be replaced by the delete key... but "illustrator") - ya, it's not very good though, it just compensates for node handle length but doesn't appear to move the handle directions to compensate for the shape difference.

Corel literally hired PHD math professors to handle their node correction algorithm, it was amazing as far back as i can remember using it in 2001 at my first job. 

[2ddpainter]

I like Coreldraw also for this reason
in my last job I did a lot of tracings by hand with it

i can say that VectorStyler does also a pretty good job