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<helpdocument version="1.0">
<meta>
<topic id="textsimpressguideline_drawxml" indexer="include" status="PUBLISH">
<title id="tit" xml-lang="en-US">Drawing Curves</title>
<filename>/text/simpress/guide/line_draw.xhp</filename>
</topic>
<history>
<created date="2003-10-31T00:00:00">Sun Microsystems, Inc.</created>
</history>
</meta>
<body>
<bookmark xml-lang="en-US" branch="index" id="bm_id3149377"><bookmark_value>lines; drawing</bookmark_value>
<bookmark_value>curves; drawing</bookmark_value>
<bookmark_value>control points definition</bookmark_value>
<bookmark_value>corner points</bookmark_value>
<bookmark_value>drawing;lines</bookmark_value>
</bookmark>
<paragraph role="heading" id="hd_id3149377" xml-lang="en-US" level="1"><variable id="line_draw"><link href="text/simpress/guide/line_draw.xhp">Drawing Curves</link>
</variable></paragraph>
<paragraph role="paragraph" id="par_id3148868" xml-lang="en-US">The <emph>Curve</emph> icon 
<image id="img_id3150205" src="cmd/sc_linetoolbox.png" width="0.222inch" height="0.222inch"><alt id="alt_id3150205" xml-lang="en-US">Icon</alt>
	</image> on the <emph>Drawing</emph> toolbar opens a toolbar to draw Bézier curves. Bézier curves are defined by a start point and an end point, which are called "anchors". The curvature of the Bézier curve is defined by control points ("handles"). Moving a control point changes the shape of the Bézier curve.</paragraph>
<paragraph role="note" id="par_id8532364" xml-lang="en-US">Control points are only visible in "Edit Points" mode. Control points are represented by circles, anchor points are represented by squares. The start point is a little bit larger than the other anchor points.</paragraph>
<paragraph role="paragraph" id="par_id3150210" xml-lang="en-US">Bézier curve segments and straight line segments can be joined to form more complex Bézier curves. Three different transitions can be applied to join adjacent segments:</paragraph>
<list type="unordered">
<listitem>
<paragraph role="listitem" id="par_id3154766" xml-lang="en-US">A <emph>symmetrical</emph> anchor point has the same line curvature on either side, and two control lines that move together as a straight line.</paragraph>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<paragraph role="listitem" id="par_id3149874" xml-lang="en-US">A <emph>smooth</emph> anchor point may have different line curvatures on either side.</paragraph>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<paragraph role="listitem" id="par_id3150435" xml-lang="en-US">A <emph>corner</emph> anchor point has one or two independent control lines. Changing one side has no effect on the other side.</paragraph>
</listitem>
</list>
<paragraph role="heading" id="hd_id46388" xml-lang="en-US" level="2">How to use the Curve tool</paragraph>
<list type="ordered">
<listitem>
<paragraph role="paragraph" id="par_id3155262" xml-lang="en-US">On the Drawing toolbar, open the <emph>Curves</emph> toolbar 
<image id="img_id3145829" src="cmd/sc_linetoolbox.png" width="0.222inch" height="0.222inch"><alt id="alt_id3145829" xml-lang="en-US">Icon</alt>
	</image> and select the <emph>Curve</emph>
<image id="Graphic1" src="cmd/sc_bezier_unfilled.png" width="0.222inch" height="0.222inch"><alt id="alt_" xml-lang="en-US">Icon</alt>
	</image> tool.</paragraph>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<paragraph role="paragraph" id="par_id3155928" xml-lang="en-US">Click where you want the curve to start, and drag in the direction where you want the curve to go. The control line will indicate the direction. </paragraph>
<paragraph role="paragraph" id="par_id8174687" xml-lang="en-US">Hold down <item type="keycode">Shift</item> while you drag to restrict the direction to a 45 degree grid.</paragraph>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<paragraph role="paragraph" id="par_id3148390" xml-lang="en-US">Release the mouse where the first control point should be.</paragraph>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<paragraph role="paragraph" id="par_id3154865" xml-lang="en-US">Move the pointer to where you want the curve segment to end. The curve follows the pointer. </paragraph>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<paragraph role="paragraph" id="par_id1556443" xml-lang="en-US">Do one of the following:</paragraph>
</listitem>
</list>
<list type="unordered">
<listitem>
<paragraph role="paragraph" id="par_id3151172" xml-lang="en-US">Double-click on the position of the end point to finish drawing the line. </paragraph>
<paragraph role="paragraph" id="par_id5377056" xml-lang="en-US">To create a closed shape, double-click the starting point of the line.</paragraph>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<paragraph role="paragraph" id="par_id3153919" xml-lang="en-US">Click and release the mouse button to add an anchor point. Move the mouse to draw the next segment.</paragraph>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<paragraph role="paragraph" id="par_id3149451" xml-lang="en-US">Click and drag in any direction to add a smooth anchor point.</paragraph>
</listitem>
</list>
<paragraph role="heading" id="hd_id2071596" xml-lang="en-US" level="2">How to use the Freeform Line tool</paragraph>
<list type="ordered">
<listitem>
<paragraph role="paragraph" id="par_id4907681" xml-lang="en-US">On the Drawing toolbar, open the <emph>Curves</emph> toolbar 
<image id="Graphic2" src="cmd/sc_linetoolbox.png" width="0.222inch" height="0.222inch"><alt id="alt_" xml-lang="en-US">Icon</alt>
	</image> and select the <emph>Freeform Line</emph>
<image id="Graphic3" src="cmd/sc_freeline_unfilled.png" width="0.222inch" height="0.222inch"><alt id="alt_" xml-lang="en-US">Icon</alt>
	</image> tool.</paragraph>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<paragraph role="paragraph" id="par_id1122165" xml-lang="en-US">Click where you want the curve to start, and keep holding the mouse button down.</paragraph>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<paragraph role="paragraph" id="par_id5792107" xml-lang="en-US">Draw the freeform line as you would do with a pencil.</paragraph>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<paragraph role="paragraph" id="par_id7734916" xml-lang="en-US">Release the mouse button to finish the line.</paragraph>
</listitem>
</list>
<section id="relatedtopics">
<embed href="text/simpress/guide/line_edit.xhp#line_edit"/>
<embed href="text/simpress/guide/vectorize.xhp#vectorize"/>
<embed href="text/simpress/guide/3d_create.xhp#3d_create"/>
<embed href="text/simpress/guide/text2curve.xhp#text2curve"/>
</section>
</body>
</helpdocument>
