- With Illustrator, when you pull the handles out of a node, it
is
symmetric until you release the mouse button.
Just make it symmetric (Shift+Y) if you want symmetry.
I probably didn't explain myself well... It's not that the nodes are truly symmetric, it's that they are "equal" on first pull/extension
of
the handles. If I use the angle node tool on a non-modified node in Illustrator it "creates" the handles, and pulls the "mirror handle"
out
from the object automatically. And on first "creation" of handles it will create an "opposite" handle that is equal (it's mirrored and basically like how our symmetric ones work). It doesn't remain symmetric, but it saves time on having to pull a second handle from
the
other side of the node (yes we don't have to pull a second one as
is,
but you have no control of placement/distance either).
Frankly: I _hate_ this about illustrator! Maybe it's because I'm
coming
from Corel and can't really handle the illustrator way of modifying nodes, but I always screw up my curves because I get the nodes to be symmetrical when I don't want them to.... and then there's like three tools for node editing, that's plain weird.
Different strokes, eh? I'm not too familiar with how Corel does it, as when I was first checking out Illustration software, I checked both DRAW & Illustrator, and Illustrator was just more useable for me.
Three tools for node editing? If that's the case, then Inkscape has two tools for node editing, correct?
What is the best behavior you can think of for handle "creation"? Is it what we currently have? Or is Corel a bit more useable for you?
Bulia, I love your work... you honestly add the most useful stuff to inkscape of any of the devs (for my workflow at least)... but this
is
one area, where I think that suggestions from users of software
other
than Xara will benefit YOUR workflow as well.
Yes, have a look at Corel Draw :)
heh... I'm going to download it myself today, to see what I think. I'm downloading trials for Freehand, Corel, & Xara to compare against Inkscape and Illustrator to see what method or control set is the most useable/beneficial for different uses.
One thing that makes usability different for us right out of the gate is that you (David) seem to do Design work... and I tend to do Illustration (and some design work too, but significantly more Illustration).
-Josh