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What do the pen tool mouse cursors mean?


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I've noticed when I use the pen tool, the mouse cursor changes to indicate ... something. Sometimes there's a little X down below the pen nib, sometimes there's a V-shaped thing, sometimes there's a slash, sometimes there's a circle, and sometimes there's nothing. The circle seems to mean that I'm hovering over the starting node, and clicking will close the shape. Other than that, however, I'm stymied. 

What do these mysterious mouse cursors indicate?

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Hi @ProducerBoy ,

x - The pen tool will start a new curve

~ - Single click in Node tool - Moves the curve 

~ - Double click in Node tool - Adds a new node

" - " Adds a new node in between 2 existing nodes

o - Closes the shape on the starting node

Nothing - Creates a new node

I'm not aware of a "V" shape icon. 

 

Thanks,

Gabe. 

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Awesome, thanks! This really clarifies things (and shows some puzzling UI choices: X for "start" instead of "abort" etc.)

The V happens in the Node tool when hovering over a bezier handle. When clicking it, it seems to turn the node the handle is attached to into a sharp corner with one curved side and one straight side.

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21 minutes ago, ProducerBoy said:

This really clarifies things (and shows some puzzling UI choices: X for "start" instead of "abort" etc.)

It (sort of) makes sense if you think of it as 'aborting' working on any other shape, because otherwise (for an open curve) the Pen Tool would add a node to its end -- IOW,  eXit from adding nodes to already created shapes & start creating another.

 

41 minutes ago, ProducerBoy said:

The V happens in the Node tool when hovering over a bezier handle. When clicking it, it seems to turn the node the handle is attached to into a sharp corner with one curved side and one straight side.

This sounds like what happens when I option-click (may be a different key for Windows) on a handle, but when I do that on my Mac I don't get a V. I also browsed through the (thousands of!) icons in /Applications/Affinity Designer.app/Contents/Resources on my Mac & none of the tool icons there beginning with "node_" has a V badge, although all the others are there. Maybe this is a Windows only thing?

All 3 1.10.8, & all 3 V2.4.1 Mac apps; 2020 iMac 27"; 3.8GHz i7, Radeon Pro 5700, 32GB RAM; macOS 10.15.7
Affinity Photo 
1.10.8; Affinity Designer 1.108; & all 3 V2 apps for iPad; 6th Generation iPad 32 GB; Apple Pencil; iPadOS 15.7

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1 hour ago, R C-R said:

It (sort of) makes sense if you think of it as 'aborting' working on any other shape, because otherwise (for an open curve) the Pen Tool would add a node to its end -- IOW,  eXit from adding nodes to already created shapes & start creating another.

 

This sounds like what happens when I option-click (may be a different key for Windows) on a handle, but when I do that on my Mac I don't get a V. I also browsed through the (thousands of!) icons in /Applications/Affinity Designer.app/Contents/Resources on my Mac & none of the tool icons there beginning with "node_" has a V badge, although all the others are there. Maybe this is a Windows only thing?

I'm on a Mac. I'd screen shot it but the keystroke necessary to do the screen shot changes the modifier keys being held down, which in turn changes the displayed image. It's in the resources folder as "pen_sharp_cursor.tiff"

 

pen_sharp_cursor.tiff

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36 minutes ago, ProducerBoy said:

It's in the resources folder as "pen_sharp_cursor.tiff"

Yes, it is there on my Mac too, but you said the V happens in the Node tool. Both the file name & the icon's appearance suggest it is one of the Pen tool icons.

All 3 1.10.8, & all 3 V2.4.1 Mac apps; 2020 iMac 27"; 3.8GHz i7, Radeon Pro 5700, 32GB RAM; macOS 10.15.7
Affinity Photo 
1.10.8; Affinity Designer 1.108; & all 3 V2 apps for iPad; 6th Generation iPad 32 GB; Apple Pencil; iPadOS 15.7

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On my mac there is an inverted V that appears when in the Pen tool with opt key held down and while hovering over an existing handle.

I get a slash when in the Pen tool and the pen mode is selected and I hover over an existing node.  In any other mode the cursor switches to the Node tool's cursor (but stays in the Pen tool). 

In the Pen tool I only get a tilde (~) showing when cmd is held down (so it really is in the Node tool) while hovering over a path showing it can be dragged or with a click it will create a new node.

iMac (27-inch, Late 2009) with macOS Sierra

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42 minutes ago, GabrielM said:

The "V" appears when you hover your mouse over the handles of a bezier curve. If clicked, it will delete the handle, transforming it in a sharp ended node. 

Like @Gear maker said, I get that only with the Pen Tool, & only if the alt/option key is held down.

All 3 1.10.8, & all 3 V2.4.1 Mac apps; 2020 iMac 27"; 3.8GHz i7, Radeon Pro 5700, 32GB RAM; macOS 10.15.7
Affinity Photo 
1.10.8; Affinity Designer 1.108; & all 3 V2 apps for iPad; 6th Generation iPad 32 GB; Apple Pencil; iPadOS 15.7

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