Interacting with the Pen tool

To draw precise paths as straight lines or smooth, flowing curves, use the Pen tool. When you draw with the Pen tool, click to create points on straight line segments, and drag to create points on curved line segments. Adjust straight and curved line segments by adjusting points on the line. Convert curves to straight lines and the reverse, and display points on lines that you create with other Flash drawing tools, such as the Pencil, Brush, Line, Oval, or Rectangle tools, to adjust those lines.

The Pen tool provides feedback about its current drawing state by displaying different pointers. The various drawing states are indicated by the following pointers:

Initial Anchor Point pointer 

The first pointer you see when you select the Pen tool. Indicates that the next mouse click on the stage will create an initial anchor point, which is the beginning of a new path (all new paths begin with an initial anchor point). Any existing drawing paths are terminated.

Sequential Anchor Point pointer 

Indicates that the next mouse click will create an anchor point with a line connecting it to the previous anchor point. This pointer is displayed during the creation of all user-defined anchor points except the initial anchor point of a path.

Add Anchor Point pointer 

Indicates that the next mouse click will add an anchor point to an existing path. To add an anchor point, the path must be selected, and the Pen tool must not be over an existing anchor point. The existing path is redrawn based on the additional anchor point. Only one anchor point can be added at a time.

Delete Anchor Point pointer 

Indicates that the next mouse click on an existing path will remove an anchor point. To remove an anchor point, the path must be selected with the Selection tool, and the pointer must be over an existing anchor point. The existing path is redrawn based on the removal of the anchor point. Only one anchor point can be removed at a time.

Continue Path pointer 

Extends a new path from an existing anchor point. For this pointer to be activated, the mouse must be over an existing anchor point on a path. This pointer is only available when you are not currently drawing a path. The anchor point does not have to be one of the terminal anchor points of a path; any anchor point can be the location of a continued path.

Close Path pointer 

Closes the path you’re drawing on the starting point of the path. You can only close a path that you are currently drawing, and the existing anchor point must be the starting anchor point of the same path. The resulting path does not have any specified fill color settings applied to the enclosed shape; apply fill color separately.

Join Paths pointer 

Similar to the Close Path Tool except that the mouse must not be over the initial anchor point of the same path. The pointer must be over either of the terminal points of a unique path. The segment may or may not be selected.

Note: Joining paths may or may not result in a closed shape.

Retract Bezier Handle pointer 

Appears when the mouse is over an anchor point whose Bezier handles are displayed. Clicking the mouse retracts the Bezier handles, and causes the curved path across the anchor point to revert to straight segments.

Convert Anchor Point pointer 

Converts a corner point without direction lines to a corner point with independent direction lines. To enable the convert anchor point pointer, use the Shift + C modifier keys to toggle the Pen tool.

For a video tutorial about the Pen tool, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0120.