Joining two lines at right angles to each other

[jrmcanada]

Hi,

I have two lines that are supposed to meet at right angles at their ends (forming an L shape). I tried to achieve this by nudging them, but no matter how much I zoom in, nudging them doesn't quite line them up perfectly.

Then I tried joining them but because that involves moving one of the endpoints, it ends up angling one of the lines slightly.

I'm new to this and I'm sure there's an easy way to do it that I don't know.

Can you help?

Thanks in advance!

James

[gwpriester]

Welcome to TalkGraphics

Select both lines, then switch to the Shape Tool (F4), drag the top control point away a short distance then back to the same place you started. A + will appear to indicate the two lines have been joined and the angle should be 90 degrees.

You can also try this, click the Shape Tool on the page, hold down the Ctrl key (to constrain the angle), click on the page and drag left or right or up and down. This creates the first line segment, now click and drag a line extension in a 90 degree angle from the first line segment.

[handrawn]

if you have one perfectly horizontal line and one perfectly vertical line you can probably use the alignment tool for this [I have not actually tried it] - although it will not work if you have pressure profiles applied and be tricky maybe if your line ends are rounded

I think i would just create the L shape in the first place as one line, using the key modifiers to constrain the angle - eg: if you use the freehand tool and press both alt and ctrl keys as you draw, it will force the line to be both straight and to snap to 45 degree angle increments

[stygg2003]

Hope this helps, I find it one of the simplest methods although there is a couple more Sorry I forgot to say to use the shape tool to draw your lines.

Stygg

[Acorn]

I have started with two arbitrary straight lines, a distance apart (not touching) at some angle or other.

1. With Snap to Objects, I click and drag one line so two end snaps together.
2. Clone one of the lines.
3. Change the Select Tool mode to Rotate and Skew.
4. Drag the centre point onto where the lines join.
5. Select both the original and it clone.
6. Switch back to Rotate and Skew and rotate the pair until one of them is perfectly on to of the second original line.
7. Delete the superimposed line.

Acorn

[Fred vanderZee]

1. Draw a rectangle of the correct horizontal and vertical size.
2. Select Convert to editable shapes
3. Select both end points of the L-form using the CTRL-button.
4. Right-click on one of the points and select Break points from the dropdown menu.
5. Delete the L-shape you do not want. (Or rotate it 180 degrees so you will have two L-shapes for the price of one )