Adjust Shapes by Node Editing
In this quick tip, we look at how to easily adjust shapes by moving nodes with keyboard commands and with guidelines. This works in Vectric Aspire, VCarve, and Cut2D.
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Video Transcript:
Hey everyone in today's quick tip, we're going to look at how to easily adjust shapes using the nodes. So for this example, we're going to be looking at these finger joints on this box, and you could see if we select the shape and go into our node editing mode by typing the letter N, you could see we have all these nodes in here.
Now, if you just want to adjust single nodes, you can select a node by clicking on it and you'll see it will turn red. And then you can use your arrow key on your keyboard and whatever direction you go with the keyboard, that's the direction that your node will move. So you can see, you can move up down left and right.
And let's do control Z on undo, bring that back. So that's if you select one node, and then you can also select multiple nodes. Let's say we select a two here and now use our arrow keys and you could see, we could do the same thing and it will move multiple nodes at the same time. So let's control Z to move back.
So for instance, if you wanted to move all of these nodes here to make these finger cutouts a little bit smaller. Right now they are three quarters of an inch deep. You can select all of these nodes. And let's say we wanted to move these back a quarter inch now, by moving these with your arrow keys, you will not know exactly the measurement you're moving.
So one other thing you can do is select a node, let's just select this top one and start moving in the direction that we want to move. And you could see near our cursor. It's going to tell you the distance you are moving. And right there, it may snap to the quarter inch distance that you want, but just in case it doesn't snap, let's go further past it.
So as long as you're going in the correct direction that you want to move, and if you want to move in a nice straight line, make sure your smart snapping is on. So while we are moving to the right direction. And still holding in our mouse, moving the nodes here, we're going to type in a value that we want to move.
So still holding in our mouse, we're going to type in, uh, the decimal 0.25, and you could see that will show up at the bottom of our screen with the value that we just typed in. And after you type in that value, click the enter key. And now you can see that will move exactly a quarter inch, after you type in the number and click enter.
And they will all move together as long as you had them all selected and going in the direction that you were moving. Now, another way you can do that instead of doing it, the way we just did is, by using the guidelines. So let's add in a guideline and we're going to select inside of our ruler on the side over here and click and drag.
And I'm going to go until it snaps to the edge, of these nodes here. So that'll be the edge of our box joint there. So let's say we wanted to move this guideline a quarter inch to the left, to extend these fingers back out a quarter of an inch. So to do that first, we would snap our guidelines, right to the edge of our existing finger joints. Then let's exit our node editing mode by typing the letter N and now we can right click on this guideline.
To go to the guideline properties and you could see right now our current position is 11 inches. And we want to move this backwards a quarter of an inch. So a quarter inch to the left. So since we're going in the negative direction, we need to type in a negative value here. So what we can do is take this current position that it's at now, which is 11 inches, and we can type in the minus sign.
And then 0.25, which is a distance we want to move and then type in equals. And now that subtract a quarter-inch from our current position and that'll be our new position. And now we just have to click apply and you can see that we'll move the guideline back a quarter of an inch. So once you do that, we can click close.
Now we can select our shape again, go back to the node editing mode by typing the letter N. Then draw a selection box around all of these nodes on the side, and then we can zoom in and click and select any of these nodes, making sure our smart snapping is on. So we'll go in a nice straight line and we're going to click this node and drag it to the left until it snaps to the edge of that guideline and then release.
And there we go. Now we moved it back out exactly one quarter inch, to snap to that guideline. So those are just a few different ways you can adjust shapes by moving the nodes and also a few different ways you can move the nodes. And if those tips helped you out, make sure you like this video and subscribe for more.
Now, if you just want to adjust single nodes, you can select a node by clicking on it and you'll see it will turn red. And then you can use your arrow key on your keyboard and whatever direction you go with the keyboard, that's the direction that your node will move. So you can see, you can move up down left and right.
And let's do control Z on undo, bring that back. So that's if you select one node, and then you can also select multiple nodes. Let's say we select a two here and now use our arrow keys and you could see, we could do the same thing and it will move multiple nodes at the same time. So let's control Z to move back.
So for instance, if you wanted to move all of these nodes here to make these finger cutouts a little bit smaller. Right now they are three quarters of an inch deep. You can select all of these nodes. And let's say we wanted to move these back a quarter inch now, by moving these with your arrow keys, you will not know exactly the measurement you're moving.
So one other thing you can do is select a node, let's just select this top one and start moving in the direction that we want to move. And you could see near our cursor. It's going to tell you the distance you are moving. And right there, it may snap to the quarter inch distance that you want, but just in case it doesn't snap, let's go further past it.
So as long as you're going in the correct direction that you want to move, and if you want to move in a nice straight line, make sure your smart snapping is on. So while we are moving to the right direction. And still holding in our mouse, moving the nodes here, we're going to type in a value that we want to move.
So still holding in our mouse, we're going to type in, uh, the decimal 0.25, and you could see that will show up at the bottom of our screen with the value that we just typed in. And after you type in that value, click the enter key. And now you can see that will move exactly a quarter inch, after you type in the number and click enter.
And they will all move together as long as you had them all selected and going in the direction that you were moving. Now, another way you can do that instead of doing it, the way we just did is, by using the guidelines. So let's add in a guideline and we're going to select inside of our ruler on the side over here and click and drag.
And I'm going to go until it snaps to the edge, of these nodes here. So that'll be the edge of our box joint there. So let's say we wanted to move this guideline a quarter inch to the left, to extend these fingers back out a quarter of an inch. So to do that first, we would snap our guidelines, right to the edge of our existing finger joints. Then let's exit our node editing mode by typing the letter N and now we can right click on this guideline.
To go to the guideline properties and you could see right now our current position is 11 inches. And we want to move this backwards a quarter of an inch. So a quarter inch to the left. So since we're going in the negative direction, we need to type in a negative value here. So what we can do is take this current position that it's at now, which is 11 inches, and we can type in the minus sign.
And then 0.25, which is a distance we want to move and then type in equals. And now that subtract a quarter-inch from our current position and that'll be our new position. And now we just have to click apply and you can see that we'll move the guideline back a quarter of an inch. So once you do that, we can click close.
Now we can select our shape again, go back to the node editing mode by typing the letter N. Then draw a selection box around all of these nodes on the side, and then we can zoom in and click and select any of these nodes, making sure our smart snapping is on. So we'll go in a nice straight line and we're going to click this node and drag it to the left until it snaps to the edge of that guideline and then release.
And there we go. Now we moved it back out exactly one quarter inch, to snap to that guideline. So those are just a few different ways you can adjust shapes by moving the nodes and also a few different ways you can move the nodes. And if those tips helped you out, make sure you like this video and subscribe for more.
