Refitting, smoothing and redrawing paths in Vectornation
Vectornation by Zaweba 0.10 can refit a curve with fewer points, smooth a shape, redraw one segment and delete points while healing the path.
Paths get messy. A tracing, a freehand line or a file from someone else can carry far more anchor points than its shape needs, and every unnecessary point is a chance for a lump or a kink. Version 0.10.0 of Vectornation by Zaweba added a set of path editing tools aimed squarely at this problem.
They are Refit and the Curve refitter tool, Smooth, the Segment redraw tool, and a Delete that heals the path rather than breaking it.
Refit and the Curve refitter
Refit rebuilds a curve with fewer points. It keeps the shape but replaces a dense run of points with a smaller number of well placed ones, which makes the path cleaner and easier to edit. The Curve refitter tool does the same job as a tool, so you can apply it where you need it rather than to a whole selection.
Fewer points matter for more than tidiness. A path with fewer points is easier to adjust by hand, smaller in the saved file and less likely to show tiny wobbles when printed large or cut on a plotter.
Smooth
Smooth works on the whole shape. It evens out small irregularities so that curves flow more gently. It is a good step after freehand drawing, where a hand tremor or an uneven mouse stroke leaves small bumps.
The difference between Refit and Smooth is one of intent. Refit is about rebuilding with fewer points while staying true to the shape. Smooth is about softening the shape itself. You may use both, refit first to cut down the points, then smooth if the result still looks uneven.
Segment redraw
The Segment redraw tool redraws one segment. Rather than adjusting handles until a single stretch of curve looks right, you redraw that stretch and the path takes the new form there, leaving the rest alone. It is ideal when most of a shape is fine and one part is wrong.
Delete that heals the path
In many editors, deleting an anchor point leaves a gap or breaks a closed shape open. In Vectornation, Delete heals the path instead. You can choose Keep or Refit. Keep simply removes the point and joins its neighbours. Refit removes the point and adjusts the curve so it still follows the shape closely.
That turns deleting points into a safe way to simplify. Select a few unneeded points, delete them with Refit, and the outline stays closed and close to what it was.
A clean-up routine
When a shape arrives with too many points, start with Refit to bring the count down. Look at the result zoomed in. If there are still small bumps, run Smooth. If one stretch is wrong, use the Segment redraw tool on just that part. Remove any last unwanted points with Delete set to Refit. Finish with the Point picker if a single point needs nudging.
Things to watch
Every one of these tools changes the shape a little. On a logo or a technical outline, compare the result against the original before carrying on, ideally with a copy kept on a hidden layer. Smooth in particular can round off corners you meant to keep sharp, so use it on organic shapes rather than geometric ones, or convert the corners back afterwards.
For heavy imports, the Fix this file report in the Object, Path menu is a better starting point, since it looks at the whole document. These tools are for shaping the path itself. Together they make Vectornation by Zaweba a calm place to rescue a messy outline.
