Can a bezier handles be made symmetric with one click?

[sandy673]

Hi, I know from Corel a knob that makes the bezier handles not only have the same angle to the node handle (I mean "smooth join" in Xara) but the same distance also.
Is there such a thing in Xara too?

I just ask, becaus I'd like to have a node very smooth quite often. The "smooth join" in xara isn't actually as smooth as possible when one of the bezier handles is a lot nearer to the node than the other. Making them symmetric by hand is quite hard.

[angelize]

Hello Sandy,

Unfortunately there is no single click way to do this in Xara. However you can use guidelines and magic snapping to make it easier to do this. Turn on rulers, make sure snap to guides is checked in the window menu, and drag a vertical guideline. Draw your line and pull it into a curve, with magic snapping turned on (the magnet icon) you can easily snap your line centered on the guide line, then simply drag the bezier handles to snap them to the guideline, and by adding more guidelines equal distances from the center you can set your curve how you like.

[bcire68]

Hi Sandy,

I talked about this just receintly over at www.Xara-Users.info and made a series of video tutorials about the shape editor tool. But the short answer to your question is to hold down the Shift key while moving the smooth join bezier handles.

I hope that helps.

Eric

[steve.ledger]

Hi, I know from Corel a knob that makes the bezier handles not only have the same angle to the node handle (I mean "smooth join" in Xara) but the same distance also.

If you are using Version 7 select your node, set to Smooth join (S) from the info bar then hold SHIFT while dragging one curve handle of the selected node.

Edit: Eric got in while I was posting and answering the phone

[angelize]

Holding down shift doest seem to make a difference for me? But to get a symmetrical curve snapping the handles to guidelines works.

[steve.ledger]

From Xara Help;

Balancing curves
Balancing makes the two curve handles the same distance from the point handle, which gives smoother, more symmetrical curves. To balance a curve, select the point handle, then drag one of the curve handles with "Shift" held down. As you drag one curve handle the other one will move to be exactly opposite it and the same distance from the point handle.

[bcire68]

Frances,

You have to have a smooth join for the shift trick to work. In you example you only have two points and therefore can't have a smooth join (i.e. you have to have a curve on both sides of the node to have a smooth join). Once you have 3 points on the line, you can then have a smooth join on the middle point, and the shift trick will then work.

Eric

[angelize]

OK that works if you have a node at the point of the curve. If you take a line and pull it into a curve you can add the node at the center or using my method works too. If you note the curves in my examples have only two nodes and they are symmetrical.

Edit we are all posting at once here. Yes I drew a line and pulled it into a curve (something that is often done when using the Shape editor tool) thus giving me a curve with only two nodes, so snapping to guides which can be straight lines on any angle as long as they are on the guides layer, works to allow you to get the symmetrical curve. You can also snap the bezier handles to the grid

[bcire68]

OK that works if you have a node at the point of the curve.

I think that is exatly what the OP was referring to when talking about making "the bezier handles not only have the same angle to the node handle (I mean "smooth join" in Xara) but the same distance also."

But either way, I think the dead horse is throughly beaten now...

Eric

[angelize]

I think the dead horse is throughly beaten now...

I agree