Editing anchor points

One of the advantages of drawing with the pen tool is that it’s easy to go back and alter the paths you draw. You’ve already learned how to move anchor points, segments, and direction lines. In this section, you’ll see how easy it is to add new anchor points to an existing path, delete anchor points, and convert different anchor points from one type to another.

Adding and subtracting anchor points

You can add points to a path to increase the number of segments in the path, and you can subtract unneeded or unwanted points from a path.

1.	Choose File > Open, and open the file Edit.psd from the Lessons/Lesson09 folder. Two paths have been named and saved in the Paths palette. You’ll edit the paths using the pen tool and the convert point tool.
2.	In the Paths palette, click the upper path (named the “Add and delete points” path) to make it the active path. Two subpaths appear in the image window.
3.	Select the add-anchor-point tool () hidden under the pen tool (). Then position the pointer over the red dot at the center of the straight path, and click. An anchor point with direction lines is added to the segment, and the pointer appears as a hollow arrow (), so that you can select and manipulate the path.
4.	Now select and drag the path upward. Clicking with the add-anchor-point tool Dragging the anchor point Result Next you’ll subtract an anchor point from a path.
5.	Select the direct selection tool () and select the second path. Note You must select a path before you can delete points from it. However, you can select the path and the anchor points without first selecting a tool. If a path is selected, just move the pen tool over a segment to change it to the add-anchor-point tool. Move the pen tool over an end point to change the tool to the delete-anchor-point tool.
6.	Select the delete-anchor-point tool () hidden under the add-anchor-point tool (), position the pointer on the red dot over the center anchor point, and then click to remove the anchor point. Clicking with the delete-anchor-point tool Result

Converting points

Sometimes you may want to change a curve to a corner point or vice versa. Using the convert point tool, you can easily make the adjustment.

Using the convert point tool is very much like drawing with the pen tool. To convert a curve to a corner point, you click the anchor point, and to convert a corner to a curve, you drag from the anchor point.

1.	In the Paths palette, select the Convert Directions path. The shaped path has both corner points and curves. You’ll start by converting the corner points to curves, and then you’ll convert the curves to corner points.
2.	Using the direct selection tool (), select the outer subpath.
3.	Select the convert point tool (), hidden under the delete-anchor-point tool ().
4.	Position the pointer on a point of the outer path; then click and drag clockwise to convert the point from a corner point to a curve.
5.	Convert the rest of the corner points to smooth points to complete the outer path.
6.	Using the convert point tool (), click the inner subpath to select it and then click the anchor point at the tips of each curve to convert the curves to corner points. You can also use the convert point tool to adjust only one side of a curved segment. You’ll try this on the outer path.
7.	Click the outer path with the direct selection tool (); then click a curved segment so that direction lines and direction points emanate from the anchor point.
8.	Select the convert point tool () again, and drag one of the direction points to change the shape of only one side of the curve.
9.	Choose File > Close, and don’t save changes.