Drawing

Draw Lines and Shapes

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

1 - Rectangle Tool: creates rectangles

2 - Rounded Rectangle Tool: creates rectangles with rounded corners

3 - Ellipse Tool: creates ellipses

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

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

6 - Line Tool: draws straight lines

7 - Arc Tool: creates arcs

Smart Shapes

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

If you click 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 click on it, and then all the rest will become deselected. You can select several handles by Shift-clicking on them.

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

More information about editing corners can be found in the Rounding Corners section.

You can turn a smart shape into a regular object by calling the Expand command from the context menu or Control 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. Place the cursor on the canvas where a new line should start.
3. Press and hold the left mouse button.
4. Move the cursor to the point where the line should end.
5. Release the mouse button.

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. Place the cursor on the canvas where the center of a new star should appear.
3. Press and hold the left mouse button.
4. Move the cursor aside in order to define the size and orientation of the object.
5. Release the mouse button.

Properties of the Star Object

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

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

By making the Corner Radius greater than zero, you can make the points of the star rounded or to have other predefined shape. You can choose the shape after clicking on the gear icon in the Control panel.

Polygon

Draw a Polygon

1. Activate the Polygon tool.
2. Place the cursor on the canvas where the center of a new polygon should appear.
3. Press and hold the left mouse button.
4. Move the cursor aside in order to define the size and orientation of the object.
5. Release the mouse button.

Properties of the Polygon Object

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

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 after clicking on the gear icon in the Control panel.

Rectangle

Draw a Rectangle

1. Activate the Rectangle tool.
2. Place the cursor on the canvas where a corner of a new rectangle should appear.
3. Press and hold the left mouse button.
4. Move the cursor to the point where the opposite corner should be located.
5. Release the mouse button.

Rounded Rectangle

Draw a Rounded Rectangle

1. Activate the Rounded Rectangle tool.
2. Place the cursor on the canvas where a "corner" of a new rectangle should appear meaning an imaginary corner if it wasn't rounded.
3. Press and hold the left mouse button.
4. Move the cursor to the point where the opposite corner should be located.
5. Release the mouse button.

Properties of the Rounded Rectangle Object

You can choose the shape of the corners after clicking on the gear icon in the Control panel.

You can also choose different shapes for the corners.

Ellipse

Draw an Ellipse

1. Activate the Ellipse tool.
2. Place the cursor on the canvas where a corner of the bounding box of a new ellipse should appear.
3. Press and hold the left mouse button.
4. Move the cursor to the point where the opposite corner should be located.
5. Release the mouse button.

Arc and Sector

Draw an Arc

1. Activate the Arc tool.
2. Select one of the modes in the Control panel.
3. Place the cursor on the canvas at the starting point.
4. Press and hold the left mouse button.
5. Move the cursor to the point where the end point should be located.
6. Release the mouse button.

Modes of the Arc Tool

The Control panel lets you choose the type of object you want to create. Notice that you must select the type before drawing. There is no possibility of switching the type of already created objects.

- Elliptical Arc

- Circular Arc

- Circular Sector

In the Elliptical Arc mode, you can change the direction in which the arc bends using the Direction button . The same can be done by pressing the X key.

Draw Shapes with Fixed Center

When you draw a line in the default mode, you define the location of each line's end. Similarly, when you draw a shape, you define the locations of opposite corners of the object's boundary.

Sometimes, the center of a new line or shape should be located at a particular point. In this case, you can indicate the position of the object's center using the Option key.

Before you start drawing, press and hold the Option key. Place the cursor where the center of a future object should be. While you are drawing a new object, its center will stay fixed. The position of the cursor will change only the size of the object.

This technique works with all types of objects described above except for arcs.

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.

To quickly change the stroke width before or after drawing it, use these keys: [ to decrease, and ] to increase.

Modifier Keys and Shortcut Summary

Shortcuts:

• R activates the Rectangle tool.
• Shift-R activates the Rounded Rectangle tool.
• O activates the Ellipse tool.
• Shift-O activates the Polygon tool.
• Shift-S activates the Star tool.
• / activates the Line tool.
• F activates the Elliptic Arc tool.

Shape tools' modifier keys:

• Space switches to the Pan mode.
• Option lets you draw a shape around the specified center.
• [ decrements the stroke width.
• ] increments the stroke width.

Elliptical Arc modifier key:

• X inverses the direction of the arc.