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Drawing

Draw Lines and Shapes

There is a set of tools in the Tools panel that lets you draw lines and primitive shapes.

Set of tools to draw primitive shapes.

Rectangle tool icon - Rectangle Tool: creates rectangles

Rounded rectangle tool icon - Rounded Rectangle Tool: creates rectangles with rounded corners

Ellipse tool icon - Ellipse Tool: creates ellipses

Polygon tool icon - Polygon Tool: creates polygons with a customizable number of sides

Star tool icon - Star Tool: creates stars with a customizable number of points

Set of tools to draw straight lines and arcs.

Line tool icon - Line Tool: draws straight lines

Elliptical Arc tool icon - Elliptical Arc Tool: creates elliptical arcs

Elliptical Sector tool icon - Elliptical Sector Tool: creates elliptical sectors

Circular Arc tool icon - Circular Arc Tool: creates circular arcs

Circular Sector tool icon - Circular Sector Tool: creates circular sectors

The Rectangle, Rounded Rectangle and Ellipse tools have two drawing modes. By default, they create a rectangle or ellipse as it is suggested by their names. If you hold one finger on the screen and then start drawing with another finger, a created shape will have its width and height equal. In this mode, you can create a square, rounded square or circle.

Smart Shapes

The tools create objects of different types. The Line, Rectangle, Ellipse, Arc and Sector tools create regular objects (paths) as those you can draw using the Pen tool. The other objects are smart shapes. These are parametric objects that let you vary their shape after an object has been drawn.

If you tap on a smart shape with the Selection tool, you won't see anchor points. Instead, smart shapes have round handles. The handles are pre-programmed to change the object's shape in a particular way such as adjusting rounded corners. If you drag a handle of a rounded rectangle, you will edit all of its corners because all of the handles are selected by default. In order to manipulate only one handle, you should tap on it, and then all the rest will become deselected. You can select several handles by holding one your finger on free space on the canvas and tapping on handles that you want to select.

A smart shape lets you adjust rounded corners

In addition to that, smart shapes display their properties in the Control panel.

You can turn a smart shape into a regular object using the Expand button in the Path panel. Then you will be able to edit the object by working with anchor points. Notice that it is not possible to convert a path into a smart shape.

Line

Draw a Line

  1. Activate the Line tool.
  2. Touch the screen and move your finger on it to start drawing.
  3. Detach your finger to finish drawing.

Basically, a line created with the Line tool is no different from a single straight segment of a path drawn using the Pen tool.

Star

Draw a Star

  1. Activate the Star tool.
  2. Touch the screen and move your finger on it to start drawing.
  3. Detach your finger to finish drawing.

Properties of the Star Object

The Control panel lets you change the number of points, the Inner Radius and Corner Radius parameters.

Properties of the Star object in the Control panel.

You can adjust the size of the space taken by the body of a star using the Inner Radius parameter.

Stars with different Inner Radius values

By making the Corner Radius greater than zero, you can make the points of the star rounded or to have other pre-defined shape. You can choose the shape using the pop-up menu in the Control panel.

Polygon

Draw a Polygon

  1. Activate the Polygon tool.
  2. Touch the screen and move your finger on it to start drawing.
  3. Detach your finger to finish drawing.

Properties of the Polygon Object

The Control panel lets you change the number of sides of a polygon.

Properties of the Polygon object in the Control panel.

By making the Corner Radius greater than zero, you can make the corners of the polygon rounded. The corners can be not only rounded, but they can have other shapes as well. You can choose the shape using the pop-up menu in the Control panel.

Popup menu with corner type options.

Rectangle

Draw a Rectangle

  1. Activate the Rectangle tool.
  2. Touch the screen and move your finger on it to start drawing.
  3. Detach your finger to finish drawing.

Rounded Rectangle

Draw a Rounded Rectangle

  1. Activate the Rounded Rectangle tool.
  2. Touch the screen and move your finger on it to start drawing.
  3. Detach your finger to finish drawing.

Properties of the Rounded Rectangle Object

The Control panel lets you change the radius of the rounded corners.

Properties of the Rounded Rectangle object in the Control panel.

You can also choose different shapes for the corners using the pop-up menu.

Rounded Rectangle

Ellipse

Draw an Ellipse

  1. Activate the Ellipse tool.
  2. Touch the screen and move your finger on it to start drawing.
  3. Detach your finger to finish drawing.

Arc and Sector

Draw an Elliptical Arc or Sector

  1. Activate the Elliptical Arc or Elliptical Sector tool.
  2. Touch the screen and move your finger on it to start drawing.
  3. Detach your finger to finish drawing.

Draw a Circular Arc or Sector

  1. Activate the Circular Arc or Circular Sector tool.
  2. Touch the screen and move your finger to create a circle that defines the size of a future shape.
  3. Detach your finger to stop changing the size of the circle.
  4. Touch the circle where the sector should start.
  5. Move your finger to define the angle of the arc or sector.
  6. Detach the finger to stop drawing the shape.

Further Editing

Primitive shapes might be the basis for creation of more complex graphics.

You can combine shapes using Boolean operations.

To edit the path of a shape, use tools and methods described in the Edit a Path section. To change how your graphic element looks, use the Appearance panel.