Drawing smooth paths with the Flow curve tool in Vectornation
The Flow curve tool in Vectornation by Zaweba turns simple clicks into a smooth path through every point, with corners on Alt-click and a live preview.
Plenty of people find the classic pen tool hard work. Dragging out handles at every point, judging how long they should be and which way they should point, takes practice. The Flow curve tool in Vectornation by Zaweba offers a gentler way in: you click where you want the path to go, and it draws a smooth curve through every point for you.
The README also lists a curvature pen among the drawing tools. Both belong to the same family of tools that think in points rather than handles, and the Flow curve tool is the one the documentation describes in detail.
How the Flow curve tool behaves
Click on the canvas to place the first point, then click again somewhere else. As you move the mouse before the next click, a rubber-band preview shows how the curve will bend through the new point. Place the next point and the path flows smoothly through all of them. There are no handles to drag while you draw; the tool works out a pleasing curve from the positions alone.
That preview is what makes the tool friendly. You can see the bend before you commit, so you can move the mouse around until the curve looks right and only then click.
Corners when you need them
Not every point should be smooth. Where you want a sharp turn, Alt-click or double-click to make a corner. A wave that meets a straight base line, the point of a leaf or the tip of a flame all need a corner in the right place, and this lets you put one there without stopping to switch tools.
Changing the path after you have drawn it
The path stays easy to adjust. Drag any point and the curve reshapes itself to flow through the new position. Click on the path to add a point where you need more control. Because the curve is always calculated through the points, moving one point rarely produces a kink; the path simply bends to suit.
This makes the tool good for gradual refinement. Lay down a few points quickly to block out the shape, then add and drag points until it is right.
Jobs it suits
Smooth, flowing shapes are where it shines: lettering strokes, hair and fabric, wave lines, the outline of a landscape, ribbons and banners, the curve of a road on a map. Tracing over a photo or sketch is easier too, because you click along the edge you can see rather than reaching for handles.
It is less suited to work made mostly of straight lines and hard corners. For a building or a technical part, the shapes tools or a pen with straight segments will usually be quicker.
Getting good results
Use fewer points than you think. A smooth curve through three or four well placed points almost always looks better than one through a dozen. Put points at the extremes of a curve, where it changes direction most, rather than in the middle of a gentle sweep.
Decide where the corners are before you start. If you know the shape has two sharp points, place them as corners as you go; converting points later is possible but it is easier to get them right first.
How it fits with the rest
Paths drawn with the Flow curve tool are ordinary paths, so everything else in Vectornation works on them. Use the Point picker for fine adjustments, the point tools to add or remove points, and the refit command if a path has gathered more points than it needs. Fill it, stroke it, use it as a path for type or objects, or combine it with other shapes.
For many people the Flow curve tool becomes the default way to draw in Vectornation by Zaweba, with the pen kept for the moments that call for exact control of every handle.
