Difference between revisions of "Handle"

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A 'duck' is simply a handle that can be used to control some [[parameter]] of a [[layer]].
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{{Title|Handle}}
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{{Category|Glossary}}
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{{NewTerminology}}
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A {{Literal|Handle}} is a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widget_%28GUI%29 widget] on {{l|Category:Canvas_Window}} that can be used to control some {{l|parameter}}s of a {{l|Layers|layer}}.
  
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For example, a circle will have one duck to control the position of its centre, and another to control its radius.
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For example, a circle will have one handle to control the position of its center, and another to control its radius.
  
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Drag the ducks around to change the parameters.  Hold shift which dragging to constrain the movement to be either horizontal or vertical.
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Handles are displayed in the {{l|WorkArea}} for all the currently selected layers and for all the currently selected {{l|ValueNodes}} in the {{l|Library Panel}}.  
  
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More precise control of the ducks can be achieved using the cursor keys.  The cursor keys will move the currently selected duck one pixel at a time, or ten pixels at a time if the shift key is pressed.
 
  
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Why 'ducks'? According to [http://www.mactech.com/articles/develop/issue_25/schneider.html Philip J. Schneider]:
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{| border="1" align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse"
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<blockquote>
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|  align="center" | [[File:Duck_position_icon.png|32px]]
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Back in the days before computers, architects, engineers, and artists would draw their designs for buildings, roads, machine parts, and the like by using pencil, paper, and various drafting tools. These tools included rulers and T-squares for drawing straight lines, compasses for drawing circles and circular arcs, and triangles and protractors for making precise angles.
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|  align="center" | [[File:Duck_vertex_icon.png|32px]]
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</blockquote>
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|  align="center" | [[File:Duck_tangent_icon.png|32px]]
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<blockquote>
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|  align="center" | [[File:Duck_radius_icon.png|32px]]
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Of course, a lot of interesting-shaped objects couldn't be drawn with just these simple tools, because they had curved parts that weren't just circles or ellipses. Often, a curve was needed that went smoothly through a number of predetermined points. This problem was particularly acute in shipbuilding: although a skilled artist or draftsman could reliably hand-draw such curves on a drafting table, shipbuilders often needed to make life-size (or nearly life-size) drawings, where the sheer size of the required curves made hand drawing impossible. Because of their great size, such drawings were often done in the loft area of a large building, by a specialist known as a loftsman. To aid in the task, the loftsman would employ long, thin, flexible strips of wood, plastic, or metal, called splines. The splines were held in place with lead weights, called ducks because of their resemblance to the feathered creature of the same name.
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| align="center" |  [[File:Duck_width_icon.png|32px]]
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</blockquote>
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|  align="center" | [[File:Duck_angle_icon.png|32px]]
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Also, according to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spline_%28device%29 wikipedia]:
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|-
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<blockquote>
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| align="center" | Position
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Before computers were used for creating engineering designs, drafting tools were employed by designers drawing by hand. To draw curves, especially for shipbuilding, draftsmen often used long, thin, flexible strips of wood, plastic, or metal called a spline (or a lath, not to be confused with lathe). The splines were held in place with lead weights (called ducks because of their duck like shape).
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| align="center" |  Vertex
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</blockquote>
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| align="center" |  Tangent
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| align="center" |  Radius
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| align="center" |  Width
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| align="center" |  Angle
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|}
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They have different color on depending on what they control : a position (green), a vertex point (orange), a tangent (yellow), a width point (purple), a radius (blue)...
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[[File:Handle_example_current.png|frame|center|A shape with a position (green), some vertex points (orange), six tangents (yellow), a width point (purple) and three width points center (grey) handles]]
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=Display by kind of type=
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By default, all but {{literal|Width handles}} are displayed.  
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From the {{c|<Menu>|<View>|Show/Hide Handles}} or the {{l|Category:Canvas Window}} you have can choose witch handles you want to be displayed.
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{| border="1"  style="border-collapse:collapse"
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|  align="center" | [[File:Duck_position_icon.png|32px|Toggle display of "Position" Handles]]
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|  align="center" | [[File:Duck_vertex_icon.png|32px|Toggle display of "Vertex" Handles]]
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|  align="center" | [[File:Duck_tangent_icon.png|32px|Toggle display of "Tangent" Handles]]
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|  align="center" | [[File:Duck_radius_icon.png|32px|Toggle display of "Radius" Handles]]
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| align="center" |  [[File:Duck_width_icon.png|32px|Toggle display of "Width" Handles]]
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|  align="center" | [[File:Duck_angle_icon.png|32px|Toggle display of "Angle" Handles]]
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|-
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| align="center" | Position
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| align="center" |  Vertex
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| align="center" |  Tangent
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| align="center" |  Radius
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| align="center" |  Width
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| align="center" |  Angle
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|-
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|  align="center" |  {{Shortcut|Alt|1}}
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|  align="center" |  {{Shortcut|Alt|2}}
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|  align="center" |  {{Shortcut|Alt|3}}
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| align="center" |  {{Shortcut|Alt|4}}
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|  align="center" |  {{Shortcut|Alt|5}}
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|  align="center" | {{Shortcut|Alt|6}}
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|}
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The {{Literal|Toggle Handles}} buttons group (see {{l|Category:Canvas Window}}), permit to individually toggle the visibility of handles by type.
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If you are seeing handles you don't expect to see, check in the {{l|Library Panel}} - you probably have {{l|ValueNodes}} selected in there.
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See also :
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* {{l|Keyboard_Shortcuts|Synfig keyboard shortcuts}}
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* {{l|Category:Canvas_Window|Toggle handles in canvas window}}
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= Move the Handle =
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== With the Mouse ==
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Click and drag the handles around to change the parameters.
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Hold {{Shortcut|shift}} while dragging to constrain the movement to be either horizontal or vertical.
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== With the keyboard==
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More precise control of the handles can be achieved using the cursor (also named arrow) keys : {{shortcut|←}}{{shortcut|↑}}{{shortcut|↓}}{{shortcut|→}}.
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The cursor keys will move the currently selected handle '''1''' pixel at a time, or '''10''' pixels at a time if the {{Shortcut|shift}} key is pressed.
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= Choose your handles =
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Handle selection can be done one by one or by group.
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==One by one==
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* Move your pointer near a {{l|Handle}} it will signal it by changing his shape. Click on it. The handle is now selected, reflected by a visual information, and any other previously selected handle will be unselected. Single click on a handle replace the current selection.  
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* Hold {{Shortcut|shift}} while clicking on a handle '''to add''' it to the current selection.
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* Hold {{Shortcut|control}} while clicking on a handle '''to toggle''' the selection '''on''' and '''off''' without affecting the selection status of the other handles.  
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==By group==
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* Click on the {{l|WorkArea}} and '''drag a rectangle''' around a group of handles to select them all and unselect the other handles.
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* Hold {{Shortcut|shift}} while dragging a rectangle around a group of handles to select them as well as the currently selected handles. You can repeat the operation, the new selected handles will be '''added''' to current selection.
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* Hold {{Shortcut|ctrl}} while dragging a rectangle around a group of handles to '''toggle''' them and keep the rest. You can repeat the operation.  
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* Hit {{Shortcut|control|A}} to select all '''non-position''' handles. In a {{l|Lock_Selection|selection-locked}} {{l|Group Layer|group layers}} this will select the {{l|Group_Transformation_Widget}}'s handles.
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==From multiple Layers==
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If you want to select handles from multiple {{l|Layer|Layers}}, in the {{l|Layers Panel}} or direct from the {{l|Canvas}} first select the layers you want, them select the handles by any combination of single of group selection.
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==Clear the current selection==
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To clear the current selection, in the {{l|WorkArea}} click out of any {{l|Handle}}. You may like also the {{shortcut|Control|D}} to Deselect all Handles.
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= Old name of handles =
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{{literal|Ducks}} : [[Ducks|This is how the handles were called some time ago.]]

Latest revision as of 22:51, 14 September 2016

Languages Language: 

English • français



A "Handle" is a widget on Canvas Window that can be used to control some Parameters of a layer.

For example, a circle will have one handle to control the position of its center, and another to control its radius.

Handles are displayed in the WorkArea for all the currently selected layers and for all the currently selected ValueNodes in the Library Panel.


Duck position icon.png Duck vertex icon.png Duck tangent icon.png Duck radius icon.png Duck width icon.png Duck angle icon.png
Position Vertex Tangent Radius Width Angle

They have different color on depending on what they control : a position (green), a vertex point (orange), a tangent (yellow), a width point (purple), a radius (blue)...

A shape with a position (green), some vertex points (orange), six tangents (yellow), a width point (purple) and three width points center (grey) handles

Display by kind of type

By default, all but "Width handles" are displayed.

From the "<Menu> → <View> → Show/Hide Handles" or the Canvas Window you have can choose witch handles you want to be displayed.

Toggle display of "Position" Handles Toggle display of "Vertex" Handles Toggle display of "Tangent" Handles Toggle display of "Radius" Handles Toggle display of "Width" Handles Toggle display of "Angle" Handles
Position Vertex Tangent Radius Width Angle
Alt1 Alt2 Alt3 Alt4 Alt5 Alt6

The "Toggle Handles" buttons group (see Canvas Window), permit to individually toggle the visibility of handles by type.

If you are seeing handles you don't expect to see, check in the Library Panel - you probably have ValueNodes selected in there.

See also :

Move the Handle

With the Mouse

Click and drag the handles around to change the parameters.

Hold ⇧ Shift while dragging to constrain the movement to be either horizontal or vertical.

With the keyboard

More precise control of the handles can be achieved using the cursor (also named arrow) keys : ←↑↓→.

The cursor keys will move the currently selected handle 1 pixel at a time, or 10 pixels at a time if the ⇧ Shift key is pressed.

Choose your handles

Handle selection can be done one by one or by group.

One by one

  • Move your pointer near a Handle it will signal it by changing his shape. Click on it. The handle is now selected, reflected by a visual information, and any other previously selected handle will be unselected. Single click on a handle replace the current selection.
  • Hold ⇧ Shift while clicking on a handle to add it to the current selection.
  • Hold Control while clicking on a handle to toggle the selection on and off without affecting the selection status of the other handles.

By group

  • Click on the WorkArea and drag a rectangle around a group of handles to select them all and unselect the other handles.
  • Hold ⇧ Shift while dragging a rectangle around a group of handles to select them as well as the currently selected handles. You can repeat the operation, the new selected handles will be added to current selection.
  • Hold Ctrl while dragging a rectangle around a group of handles to toggle them and keep the rest. You can repeat the operation.
  • Hit ControlA to select all non-position handles. In a selection-locked group layers this will select the Group Transformation Widget's handles.

From multiple Layers

If you want to select handles from multiple Layers, in the Layers Panel or direct from the Canvas first select the layers you want, them select the handles by any combination of single of group selection.

Clear the current selection

To clear the current selection, in the WorkArea click out of any Handle. You may like also the ControlD to Deselect all Handles.

Old name of handles

"Ducks" : This is how the handles were called some time ago.


Languages Language: 

English • français

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