Deleting and creating node handles

[IcyPRO]

Hello everyone,

I've been looking for an answer to this and I can't seem to find it so I'm asking you directly.

So I know there is a way to delete node handles holding ALT key, but how do you "drag out" a new handle from the node?

 

(Edited) Here are the ways to make the handle reappear:

- dragging the line next to the node (you don't have to drag to sides, you can drag along the path)
You can hold ALT if you don't want to affect path beyond nodes, but that will automatically turn your nodes into sharp ones.

- dragging node with left + right click and moving it "out of the way" to make the hidden handle appear

- converting node to smooth node (can be very destructive)

[Aammppaa]

The second node handle exists (at least in theory) but it is under the node itself.

This is why the curve has the shape that it has (the line is only being bent from the far end).

The only reason why you would see the second node handle is if the curve were a different shape, which by definition means the curve will move / reshape.

 

Proof…

 

 

1. Make a curve.
2. Duplicate it.
3. On one copy use Alt + Click to delete the node handle.
4. On the other drag the node handle to the node itself.
5. Compare the two curves.

[IcyPRO]

Ok, so it exists under the node, which I would believe you even without the proof, but the real question is, HOW to get it out from under it? 

I believe there's no real way to do it, but if that's the case, it should be implemented soon..

[toltec]

45 minutes ago, IcyPRO said:

Ok, so it exists under the node, which I would believe you even without the proof, but the real question is, HOW to get it out from under it? 

I believe there's no real way to do it, but if that's the case, it should be implemented soon..

 

Try holding down left mouse, then right mouse and drag a little. More of a nudge than a drag.

 

That will "reveal" the handles for both sides of the node.

 

Then you can click on it again and drag out the handles along the curves. First click and drag moves the "end of curve side" handle, second "start of curve side" handle. It depends on the direction of the curve.

 

p.s. It's a little bit tricky, but you can do it with some practice. It helps if you really zoom in.

 

[Alfred]

27 minutes ago, IcyPRO said:

Ok, so it exists under the node, which I would believe you even without the proof, but the real question is, HOW to get it out from under it? 

 

There are two ways to reshape a curve with the Node Tool: you can drag on the nodes handles or you can drag on the curve itself. If either of the node handles is invisible, you have no option but to use the second method to adjust the curve on that side of the node.

[R C-R]

1 hour ago, IcyPRO said:

I know only two ways how to make the handle reappear, but they are both destructive to the surrounding nodes.

Deleting a handle is itself a destructive process -- there is no 'memory' of how that handle affected the curve once it is deleted (other than in the History panel or a snapshot, of course). So there is no way to restore that handle to its previous position or to drag out a new one without it affecting the handle of the adjacent node.

 

The best you can do is to zoom in very close to the node with the deleted handle & drag the path very near it just slightly to bring out the new handle while affecting the adjacent node's handle a minimal amount. Once the new handle is created you can drag it as you wish without it further affecting the adjacent node.

[firstdefence]

@IcyPRO Just pull on the left side path to reveal the left side handle 

 

The Node Handle will likely appear on the right and you will need to pull it back over to the left.

[lepr]

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[IcyPRO]

Thank you everyone for your answers. Turns out that dragging the line really IS the easiest solution, but instead of dragging it to sides you drag along the line..

 

1 hour ago, owenr said:

 

There is away to do it.

Selecting a node before or after a particular node will make one handle of the particular node become visible.

The zero-length handle of your problem node will become visible on top of the node and be easily dragged when the appropriate neighbouring node is selected.

 

 

If the handle was "deleted" using the ALT key, it doesn't appear. If the handle was manually hidden under the node, it does appear.

So this proves me that handle is actually removed and not just hidden under the node.

[R C-R]

2 hours ago, firstdefence said:

@IcyPRO Just pull on the left side path to reveal the left side handle 

 

The Node Handle will likely appear on the right and you will need to pull it back over to the left.

I guess I am misunderstanding something. I thought @IcyPRO wanted to recreate the deleted handle without altering the handle of any other node. But for me, dragging on the path anywhere to reveal or create the 'zero length' handle always changes the handle of the adjacent node:

 

1 hour ago, owenr said:

There is away to do it.

Selecting a node before or after a particular node will make one handle of the particular node become visible.

The zero-length handle of your problem node will become visible on top of the node and be easily dragged when the appropriate neighbouring node is selected.

I do not understand what you mean here. Could you maybe create a short video or GIF showing the technique, perhaps using the "After" curve in the attached restore deleted handle?.afdesign file as an example? No matter what I do, no 'zero length' handle appears in it (because the handle was deleted).

[lepr]

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[Alfred]

15 minutes ago, owenr said:

I guess the length of a dragged handle never (or very rarely) becomes precisely zero, although that may change with the additional snapping that's coming in version 1.7.

 

That theory seems to be supported by the the fact that the node with the deleted handle is a sharp node whereas the node with the dragged handle is a smooth node.

[lepr]

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[Alfred]

3 minutes ago, owenr said:

 

I can drag a handle into a sharp node without the node becoming smooth.

 

Yes, but ... you can’t delete a handle from a smooth node without its becoming sharp.

[lepr]

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[R C-R]

28 minutes ago, owenr said:

icyPRO has correctly pointed out that the method I suggested works for a handle that has been dragged into the node, but not for a handle that has been completely removed. I guess the length of a dragged handle never (or very rarely) becomes precisely zero, although that may change with the additional snapping that's coming in version 1.7.

OK, I understand that but if the handle is dragged to a zero or near zero length, that in itself changes the shape of the curve, so there is still no way to restore the curve to its earlier shape (with that handle in its previous pre-dragged position), right?

 

So even if there is a way to snap a handle to zero length (instead deleting it) in a future version, while this would provide a way to drag it out to a non-zero length without affecting any adjacent node's handles (like dragging the path always does), it still would not provide a way to restore the curve to its original shape. Is that right?

[R C-R]

Just now, owenr said:

True. I had misunderstood the point you were making.

Is that a pun? 

[lepr]

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[Alfred]

2 minutes ago, owenr said:

Yes, but I didn't want to declare it as such

 

I did wonder whether it was unintentional, or whether you knowed you were making a pun!

 

[R C-R]

Just now, Alfred said:

I did wonder whether it was unintentional, or whether you knowed you were making a pun!

That is knot proper grammar!

[Alfred]

8 minutes ago, owenr said:

... because of where that would (and now probably will) take this thread

 

Case closed, methinks!! 

[lepr]

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