Hello,
I enjoy using CorelDraw a lot more than Illustrator, but what I really miss is how to choose nodes by the shape tool.Without having to choose before with the select tool.Is there any way to take the mouse and choose just directly for example the left half of of the nodes of an object? Probably not.
Another option for me would be to choose a macro by 1 click, when I have chosen before an object with the select tool, and this macro does:
- choose the shape tool- select all nodes of the before selected object
In this way I could at least just select an object and in the second step directly all nodes. When you choose a lot of objects and nodes, the CorelDraw usability is here not the best.
Any ideas?
You can also marquee select several nodes using the shape tool. shift select nodes individually to add to selection. You can also use the shape tool to click on a shape to make it the active one.
Or, perhaps, I'm not understanding the difference you see between illy and corel
thank you both. I just would like to select nodes :).
In Illustrator (and similar in Designer) when you have the shape tool active, you can:
- select all the nodes you want, from several objects, no matter if they are picked up before- choose Ctrl+A to choose all nodes- click on an empty space to deselect the nodes
In CorelDraw you have to select all or certain objects before. All is depending from the pick tool.The shape tool is kind of "inactive" when you have not chosen anything before with the pick tool - not useful :). You are not even allowed to select two or more objects with the shape tool when the object has not been selected before.
I guess it's just that way.
So I thought I could use a macro that allows at least a 1-click chose of all nodes of an object that has only been chosen by the pick tool before, not the shape tool.
don't have to select anything with the pick tool first. Without anything selected grab the shape tool. Click any shape and it's active, shift click another shape and it's selected too.
I just started this topic because of usability and wanted to know others about this and their way to handle it, perhaps with a macro or addon or any hidden option :).
Of course it's possible to select something with the shape tool :). But it's not easy as in Illustrator. You can't select an area and select the nodes directly, you can't choose CTRL+A with only the shape tool "active". You can't select the objects easily but have to point the mouse directly on the path (if it's a line), e.g.
And after you used the shape tool you can't just click it "away" which is normally in many tools (not only vector graphics) the way to turn off a tool or a selection.
But all that I wrote in my initial post more or less, sorry for repeating :).
I think I'm starting to see some of your points. And to clarify, illustrator doesn't have a "shape" tool. I think you're referring to the "Direct Select" tool.
Corel sees and treats shapes as either "Rectangle, Ellipse" or "Curves". You can draw using either the Rectangle tool or the Ellipse tool but that won't make them a curve. Meaning the nodes are not editable. So if you have a mix of shapes i.e. Rectangle and Curve, you won't be able to ctrl+a with the shape tool and proceed to manipulate nodes. If all shapes are a curve ctrl+a works. Rectangles & Ellipse's would have to be converted to curves.
And, yes, Corel doesn't allow one to "deselect" by any means i.e. clicking off any shape, escape, etc.
I did manage to create a macro that would do it. Assigned keystroke y. Which leads me to believe Corel could look into implementing this feature with future releases.
Yes, I already made a recorded macro doing the switch back from the shape tool to the select tool by ESC. Yes I know also about the toggle with the space bar but usually I have more the "ESC" feeling when I want to finish the work with the shape tool. And then I can finally click anywhere to deselect (with the select tool it's allowed, but not with the shape tool...).
And yes, I use all those apps in German so I am not sure about the english terms.
About the CTRL+A you can select all shapes also with the shape tool when it's about curves, this is true, but at least in my case CorelDraw then switches back to the select tool :) :). So that is no help from CorelDraw side.
And the most important issue is just that you are not allowed to choose some nodes from a shape when you have not selected it before with the other tool.
I already tried to record a macro so that when I have chosen one or more shapes with the select tool, then the macro would do:
- change the cursor to the shape tool- select all nodes
But the macro could not record the change of the tool.
I know it is just one click less, but then you could select a shape and if you know already you want to change the whole shape (all nodes) you only have to click once. Then I could accept a bit better that CorelDraw does not offer a simple (direct) selection of the nodes by the shape tool.
...And the most important issue is just that you are not allowed to choose some nodes from a shape when you have not selected it before with the other tool.....
hmmm... still not following
select another shape with the shape tool and then you can select any or all node for that shape or marquee select any number, hold shift to select other nodes.
p.s. Application.ActiveTool = cdrToolNodeEditApplication.ActiveTool = cdrToolPick
Thank you for the lines of code, I guess this will help a lot, will try some macros.
Yes, you can of course do anything also in CorelDraw, but it's just better to drag the mouse to chose either some shapes or even better choose some nodes directly, even from different shapes.