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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
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    sydney australia
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    113

    Default illustrator CS pencil tool keeps starting new line

    I`m using illy cs, when I draw a line with the pencil tool and keep adding to it, to extend the line in other directions, sometimes the line created so far disappears and a new line starts, how can I prevent this, ? , puh illy !
    IP

  2. #2

    Default Re: illustrator CS pencil tool keeps starting new line

    I dont' have it in front of me, but seems like to continue a line, you need to hold down ctrl or alt, or shift in order for the pencil to continue rather than start new. InDesign did that as i recall.

    Just try one of those combos. I recall illustrators help to have a decent pen/pencil tutorial in it, but that might have been after CS though.
    IP

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
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    4,778

    Default Re: illustrator CS pencil tool keeps starting new line

    Start drawing your path as normal and if you want it closed hold down the "Alt" key in windows and that would be the "Options" key on the Mac. What I would say that it should not be drawing single lines. The other thing I would say that the pencil tool is really a free form tool to be used with brushes and sketches try a learn to use the Pen Tool for closed paths as that is where the power of Illustrator is.
    Design is thinking made visual.
    IP

  4. #4
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    Default Re: illustrator CS pencil tool keeps starting new line

    I wish I could record this thing, but dont have camtasia,
    i just want to be able to keep drawing from the end of the previous line and keep adding with the pencil tool, so one very long swirly line, just keep drawing squirls and swirls, but at some point it starts a new line, I have edit selected paths ticked, aswell as keep selected ticked, these from the options when you hit enter after drawing with the pencil tool, enter brings up the dialogue box with options...
    below is a sample with the brush tool, the 2nd picture shows an extension from the end of the first line, then the 3rd picture shows a continuation from the end of the 2nd line but the previous lines all disappear

    if you untick "edit selected paths" in the pencil options dialogue box you cannot continue from the end of the previous path so it has to be ticked..probably just a limitation I have to deal with for now in CS, may be updated now were at CS4.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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    Click image for larger version. 

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    IP

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    Default Re: illustrator CS pencil tool keeps starting new line

    Hi

    what I think is happening is this:

    even when the pencil tool is set to no fill color, illustrator keeps track of fill space

    if you convolute the line so that it is not possible for it to have just one fill space, then illustrator removes the previous line/fill space and procedes with the most recent one - hence the previous line 'disappearing'
    -------------------------------
    Nothing lasts forever...
    IP

  6. #6
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    Default Re: illustrator CS pencil tool keeps starting new line

    aaah, that makes sense, I can see that logic, although I thought the tool would allow multiple fill spaces or atleast not track fillspace if fill is unselected, I can see that when I stop and start by adding again its ridding its previously stored calculations, I wanted to scribble a continuous line, but wanted to stop to see where Im going too, the run around is to sketch it on paper first then I can just do one constant line from there...cheers.
    IP

  7. #7
    Join Date
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    Default Re: illustrator CS pencil tool keeps starting new line

    I am not sure what you want this for, but you could try making a compound path of a series of lines that are drawn end to end without actually joining as you draw [edit selected paths unticked]
    -------------------------------
    Nothing lasts forever...
    IP

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
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    1

    Default Re: illustrator CS pencil tool keeps starting new line

    SOLUTION! It's a SETTINGS issue. DOUBLE CLICK the pencil tool. You should get a small pop-up window with settings. In the bottom half, there are 3 checkable options. Check "Keep Selected" (which will close your paths and allow you to continue to draw once you release a line) and "Edit Selected Paths". If you don't have the "Keep Selected" option checked, you will only be able to draw individual lines. Took me a while to figure out when I jumped from CS3 to CS5.
    IP

  9. #9
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    Jun 2002
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    Default Re: illustrator CS pencil tool keeps starting new line

    This is the settings that you want, I think mind you these are the default ones!
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Illy_default.png 
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Size:	7.5 KB 
ID:	77918  
    Design is thinking made visual.
    IP

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Posts
    1

    Default Re: illustrator CS pencil tool keeps starting new line

    Hi, can anyone help me and tell me how can I extend a line and keep the colour in AI. I have to join more lines of different colours, sizes and thickness.
    Thank you
    IP

 

 

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