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Add or remove a point on a path

You can modify the points and segments on a path during and after creating the path. For a quick reference of modifications that you can make to a path, see Direct Selection tool modifier keys (Blend) and Pen tool modifier keys (Blend).

To add a point to an existing path

  1. In the Tools panel, click Selection 2ff91340-477e-4efa-a0f7-af20851e4daa, and then select that path you want to add a point to.

  2. In the Tools panel again, click Pen894f8612-e0ed-4e00-84cf-a9bc8f38fc54.

  3. While hovering over the path, the pen tool will change to 1e31178b-f764-45dd-b0dd-1177226f03f2 to indicate that you can add a point. Click to add a point.

    Note

    If you add a point to a curved segment, the resulting point will have the appropriate control handles defined to describe the tangent of the curve at the position of that point. Alternatively, if a point is added to a straight segment, no control handles will be defined.

To connect two paths with a line

  1. Select the path objects between which you want to draw lines. (To select multiple objects, hold the Ctrl key).

  2. In the Tools panel, click Pen 894f8612-e0ed-4e00-84cf-a9bc8f38fc54.

  3. While hovering over one of the open end points, the pen tool will change to 22af1806-c827-4655-92aa-c2663ff1d367 to indicate that you can extend the current path. Click and optionally drag on the end point. The line segment attached to that point becomes highlighted. At this point, you can optionally add additional points before you join this path to another path.

  4. While hovering over one of the other open end points, the pen tool will change to fd5a5449-d900-4935-9602-edcfb8edab15 to indicate that you are going to connect the points with a line, or the pen tool will change to 7f675f22-54e7-46bc-bd69-342e38c4f187 to indicate that you are going to close the path. Click and optionally drag on the end point.

    Note

    Dragging defines the control handle of the point, which describes the tangent of the line at that point. The shape of the curve can be modified after the path is drawn by changing the angle and length of the control handles for that point. For more information, see Change the shape of a curve and Redefine control handles for a point on a path.

To remove a point from a path

  1. In the Tools panel, click Selection 2ff91340-477e-4efa-a0f7-af20851e4daa, and then select that path you want to remove a point from.

  2. In the Tools panel again, click Pen894f8612-e0ed-4e00-84cf-a9bc8f38fc54.

  3. While hovering over the path, the pen tool will change to 3ccd2486-2af6-4056-b8a4-ac6f2ae1c6a3 to indicate that you can remove that point. Click the point to delete.

See Also

Tasks

Draw a free-form path

Draw a curve

Delete part of a path

Change the shape of a curve

Redefine control handles for a point on a path