Option click the node, not the handle, and it will kill off the second handle. An alternative would be option-click (on the node) and drag the second handle in the direction you want to direct the path.
J
Does not work. The Node that you are referring to is the tiny square at the end of the handle, correct?
For completeness, here’s what I tried:
Opt-clicking the Handle Node with the Pen Tool (cursor changes to carrot), and then with the White Arrow Tool (the White Arrow adds a small "+" beside it).
In both cases, other than the cursor changing, nothing happens to the Handle Node.
Am I missing something?
Thanks again,
Sonny
The Node that you are referring to is the tiny square at the end of the handle, correct?
No. The node is the point from which two handles originate.
You can option-click the handle end-point and drag that in the direction you’d like the path to go, which will have a somewhat similar effect as killing off the handle altogether (which you do by option-clicking the node).
J
You can also option click the point at the end of the handle you want to get rid of and, holding down option, drag it into the node. That’s the less elegant and requires that you trust yourself as having actually dragged the end point of the handle into the node. It works, but the way J Maloney has described it is the preferred way.
Sonny:
I don’t think that you quite understand what the handles are indicating:
No Handles = a Corner Point;
Two handles (that move in concert) = a Smooth Point
Two handle which can move independently) = a Cusp Point
——
Option Click on the end of a Smooth Point’s Handle to make the Point into a Cusp Point.
Option Click on the Node of a Smooth Point or a Cusp point to make the Point into a Corner Point.
Option Click on the Node of a Corner point to make the Point into a Smooth Point.
——
The Handles are there to help you use them to shape your Paths.
Option clicking on the anchor point with the Convert Point Tool will bring in ONE directional handle. But I’ll be damned if I can figure out how it chooses which handle.
In AI just click on the directional handle node with the Convert Point Tool to draw that one handle bar in to its anchor point. Photoshop does not.
Option clicking on the anchor point with the Convert Point Tool will bring in ONE directional handle. But I’ll be damned if I can figure out how it chooses which handle.
It doesn’t do that for me: Option Clicking with the Pen tool (which is the same thing as using the Convert Point Tool which I never use) on a Curve or Cusp point just retracts/kills BOTH handles and turns it into a Corner Point.
Same as in Illustrator.
One thing I didnt know when testing out various combinations: Opt+Clicking with white arrow on a corner handlebar point locks the angle with its paired directional bar as you edit. >
Cmd Option with the Pen Tool does the same thing!
There is no need to change from the Pen tool for any of these operations just use it plus Cmd., Shift and Option (in various combinations) to get the the other Path tools automatically.
It doesn’t do that for me: Option Clicking with the Pen tool (which is the same thing as using the Convert Point Tool which I never use) on a Curve or Cusp point just retracts/kills BOTH handles and turns it into a Corner Point.
Try it on an already drawn out path with a smooth corner Ann. Option+Click with pen tool and Option+Click with Convert Point Tool on the anchor point do (does?) different things.
Interesting:
Option+Click with pen tool: Turns it into a Cusp point with the LEADING handle retracted
Option+Click with Convert Point Tool: Turns it into a Cusp point with the TRAILING handle retracted.
That was definitely a new one for me because, as I said previously, I always just do the Finger-Dance using only the Pen tool.
In Illustrator, clicking on either handle bar node (what the heck they are called?) with the CP Tool selected in the Toolbar will auto-retract them individually. But does not do that with CP Tool accessed by Pen Tool + Opt.
Odd.
According to the document info in Illy, they’re "points". "Anchor points" in PS help–the ends of the handles, "direction points". I think we’ve proven here that one word confuses, so "points" probably is not best.
Sony obviously learned using some other peice of software where it was possible to have a cusp point with only one handle. Thats not possible in Photoshop, because there’s no point.