6 Replies Latest reply: May 3, 2012 5:59 AM by DayForce RSS

    How can I draw independent paths?

    JerryPF Community Member
    JerryPF May 3, 2012 2:24 AM

      I want to draw independent paths, but want the anchor points to overlap. This is particularly important when drawing maps. I've drawn a path and want to drawn a new path, where a midpoint aligns to the endpoint of the first path. The result is that when I click on the position of the endpoint, the two paths join. This used to be possible in good old Freehand, but Illustrator assumes you want these paths to join. I've read something about temporarily holding 'Shift' and releasing before letting go of the mouse, but this doesn't work in practice. I've also disabled auto add/delete in the preferences. Is there a simple solution please?

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        • 1. Re: How can I draw independent paths?
          [scott] CommunityMVP
          [scott] May 3, 2012 2:31 AM (in response to JerryPF)

          It's not shift.. it's the spacebar.

           

          Click away from the end point. Hold the spacebar and move the point into position, then release the click and continue drawing.

          • 2. Re: How can I draw independent paths?
            JerryPF Community Member
            JerryPF May 3, 2012 3:11 AM (in response to [scott])

            Thanks Scot, but the spacebar doesn't work for me. It brings up the hand for moving the page around the screen. I've used the option of placing the point just away from the endpoint, completeing the path then moving the point to its desired position. But that's a slower process, especially if you need to adjust the curve with the handles.

            • 3. Re: How can I draw independent paths?
              [scott] CommunityMVP
              [scott] May 3, 2012 3:24 AM (in response to JerryPF)

              It should work. Has for years in many versions of AI.

               

              With pen tool... Click - spacebar and move point - unclick .... In that order.

               

              The hand should only appear if you hold the spacebar BEFORE the click. You need to hold the mousedown, then the spacebar.

               

              You'll find there are a few areas in AI which require a specific order of click-modifier commands in order for them to work as expected.

              • 4. Re: How can I draw independent paths?
                JerryPF Community Member
                JerryPF May 3, 2012 3:40 AM (in response to [scott])

                I see what you mean, it also recalcualtes the bezier curve, which may still need adjusting. Pity the pen tool can't emulate the way it worked in Freehand.

                • 5. Re: How can I draw independent paths?
                  JETalmage Community Member
                  JETalmage May 3, 2012 5:10 AM (in response to JerryPF)

                  There simply needs to be a preference setting to turn off the infernal auto-join behavior. (There is one for turning off auto add/delete, but not for auto-join.) The spacebar override is a ridiculous workaround: mousedown where you don't want the anchor to be and then drag it into position? Gimme a break.

                   

                  Been complaining about this for many years. It's just one of many cumbersome aspects of Illustrator's Bezier drawing interface.

                   

                  But here we go again, paying hundreds of dollars for another round of incremental functionality--and another two years of bare-bones basic stuff going neglected.

                   

                  JET

                  • 6. Re: How can I draw independent paths?
                    DayForce Community Member
                    DayForce May 3, 2012 5:59 AM (in response to JerryPF)

                    Another reason why I use the InkScribe tool (part of the DrawScribe plug-in) rather than the pen tool. If you want to continue a path, you just select its endpoint and it will automatically continue that path. Otherwise it starts a new path. It also lets you toggle Smart Guides without breaking the path (another simple thing Adobe has refused to fix), lets you move points/handles and reshape segments without changing to another tool, and has a bunch of other stuff that puts the outdated native pen tool to shame.

                     

                    DF