Pen tool line breaks when holding shift in mid-use



  • Trying out the 210 update. I noticed when I am using the pen tool, if I start a path and then midway through hold down shift and click to make the next section a straight line, the path ends. If I click again, it stars a new line further along.
    Here is the video showing this. (The first shape made was not part of the test)



  • @Boldline I am experiencing the same behaviour on Win10.


  • administrators

    @syllie Yes, Shift is the option to start a new shape (if held before pressing the mouse). But this can be removed.



  • @vectoradmin I see. Not sure if Shift is a right choice for this, as it also functions as a modifier for control point modifications (constraints).

    In other programs (Affinity: shift, Inkscape: control) I just hold down the modifier key (continuously) and use the pen tool to draw nodes with constricted control points (clockwork method). As VS allows for node editing with the pen tool, and then the handles can be constricted with Shift (like Affinity) the line break on shift feels a bit odd in this particular workflow. As @Boldline brought up this as an issue first, it may also interfere with their workflow for similar reasons.



  • @syllie @vectoradmin
    There's always the danger of wanting something to be too much like illustrator, or affinity, or corel, etc... We don't want to just do it like them for the sake of keeping things the same. We want innovation and new ideas to make their way in.

    I like the concept of being able to break a line like that with a keystroke, but I think it needs to be one not automatically associated with another more commonly used feature. Certain keys are just always going to be muscle memory use - control-v, control-c, z, shift... they've established themselves as consistent over countless software apps.