Node Edit
Edit vector path nodes, drag, add, delete, change handle type. Beam Bench's most complex tool.
The Node tool is for fine-grained editing of vector paths: move individual nodes, add or remove them, change handle types, split paths, join paths, convert curves to lines and back. It has the most sub-modes of any tool.
Activate
- Hotkey:
Ctrl+` - Toolbar: Creation Toolbar
How to use
- Select a vector path object.
- Activate the Node tool.
- The path's nodes and handles become visible.
- Click and drag a node to move it.
- Or pick a sub-mode and click in the path to perform that sub-mode's action.
Non-vector-path objects (rectangles, ellipses, polygons, stars, text) are converted to a path on the first edit, lazily.
Sub-modes
The Node tool has many sub-modes. The active one is picked via toolbar buttons or single-key shortcuts (while the tool is active):
| Key | Sub-mode | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| (default) | Select | Click and drag nodes. |
| M | Insert midpoint | Click any segment to add a node at its midpoint. |
| I | Insert | Click any point on a segment to add a node there. |
| D | Delete node | Click a node to delete it. |
| B | Break | Click a node to break the path there into two subpaths. |
| X | Delete segment | Click a segment to delete it. |
| L | To line | Click a curve segment to convert it to a straight line. |
| S | To smooth | Click a node to make its handles smooth (continuous tangent). |
| C | To corner | Click a node to make it a corner (independent handles). |
| A | Align | Align selected handles. |
| T | Trim | Trim the path at the clicked point. |
| E | Extend | Extend the path from an endpoint. |
| Z | Close / open | Toggle whether the selected path is closed. |
| J | Auto-join | Automatically join nearby subpath endpoints. |
Modifiers and interactions
- Shift + drag a node: constrain motion to cardinal directions (8-way: 0°, 45°, 90°, ...).
- Alt + drag a node: constrain to vertical only.
- Arrow keys: nudge selected nodes.
- Shift + arrow: coarse nudge.
- Ctrl + arrow: fine nudge.
- Drag a handle: the opposite handle mirrors automatically (for smooth nodes).
- Drag an endpoint near another endpoint: a join indicator appears; releasing joins the two subpaths.
- Esc: exit any in-progress operation.
Working with handles
Each node has zero, one, or two Bezier handles:
- Corner nodes have independent handles. Dragging one does not affect the other.
- Smooth nodes have mirrored handles. Dragging one moves the other to maintain a straight line through the node.
- Drag the small handle dot to reshape the curve into / out of the node.
What gets modified
The selected path is modified in place. No new objects are created (except when a shape is converted to a path on first edit).
Behavior worth knowing
- All actions are undoable. Each drag commits as a single undo step.
- Auto-join (J) is helpful after manual trimming or breaking when you want to clean up.
- The Node tool does not need a sub-mode for moving, the default click-and-drag works regardless of active sub-mode.
Related
- Properties Toolbar: node sub-mode buttons appear here while the tool is active
- Pen tool: draws paths node-by-node from scratch
- Trim tool: high-level path cutting
- Hotkeys: the single-key sub-mode shortcuts