Knife Tool

The Knife Tool is for trimming, cutting or removing vertices. It can be used to cut any graphic except a Text Area or an Image. The graphic does not need to be selected, the Knife Tool will act on any graphic in the top window of EazyDraw.

Visual feedback is provided so that you may be certain how the cutting action will effect your drawing. Undo works, in case the cutting effect turns out different than desired.

The knife will trim two graphics with overlapping curves, exactly at the intersection of the curves.

The Knife Tool is used to cut a graphic. You start the operation with a mouse down click. Then a drag operation will produce a red line attached to the mouse cursor. The cut points are specified by dragging the line over the target graphics. An open red circle will indicate the positions of the cutting action. Nothing happens until the mouse is released. At that time the graphic(s) is cut at the indicated points.

If the cut target spot is moved close to a vertex of a graphic the cut point indicator changes to a filled blue square. This indicates that cut action will not cut the curve, instead the action will remove the targeted vertex. For example this process could be used to convert a square into a right triangle.

If a pair of cut target spots are positioned close to the intersection of two graphics, the cut points merge and show a green hue with a cross mark. If a cut is made in this situation, the two overlapping graphics will be cut at the precise intersection point.

Note that most times after the cut there is no visual change to the drawing. A line for example when cut still appears as the same line. The difference is only noticeable when you select the line and see the new end point handle at the cut point.

Cutting intersecting graphics at an intersection may be use to trim ends at an intersection. The precise intersection cut may be used in preparation for welding the remaining curve sections to form a new path. The Welded path may be formed using the Convert Menu or the Welded Group selection found on the Grouping submenu.

The definition of "close" for snapping to a vertex or an intersection is dynamic with respect to the degree of zoom for the drawing window. The distance is approximately the size of the control handles. If a cut needs to be made close to a vertex or intersection, zoom in, this will make the effective snap distance smaller and the cut point may be positioned more precisely - due to the higher zoom - and will not snap.

In some cases a vertex may be located at just the place where a cut is needed. In some instances the vertex may be first removed, without much alteration of the path, then the actual cut made with a second use of the knife. If removing the vertex excessively alters the curve, try halving the number of vertices which is found on the Convert Menu .

Cutting some graphics will change the actual graphic. For example cutting a circle will not only add the cut point, this action will transform the Circle to a Bezier Curve. You may view these side effects by using the Graphic Details Drawer.