In this article I will show you how to customize the InkScribe Tool for easy work. InkScribe is designed to allow all users to get comfortable with the vector design process, from novices to professionals. The Preferences offered is key to ensuring this.

We will learn about all the options of this tool and will talk about the advantages of choosing one or another option.

To open the InkScribe Preferences windowm, double-click on its icon in the toolbar, or press the Enter key when already in the tool. Alternatively, select the appropriate item in the fly-out menu of the InkScribe panel (Window > DrawScribe > InkScribe panel).

InkScribe Preferences window is divided into two parts. The left side is used to configure the tool and the right one is used to configure the Annotation and save your settings.

All the settings shown in the pictures above are default settings. I’ll introduce you to each option and will try to illustrate all those mentioned. Let’s start with the settings of the InkScribe Tool.

General Options

Show All Handles on Path keeps the handles of unselected points visible.

Choosing this option allows you to edit all the handles of the path, not just the handles associated with the selected point(s).

Show Ghost Handles. Ghost Handles allow retracted handles to be easy extended and positioned.

Ghost Handles allow you to create a complex path first with the straight-line segments, and then get the desired shape by positioning Ghost Handles.

Show Ghost Handles on Current Segment Only only displays ghost handles associated with selected point(s).

Opt / Alt — Clicking Insert New Point in Path adds points along existing path segments.

Snap to Tangencies. When adding a point to a path, this sub-option makes the cursor snap to the path’s horizontal, vertical and diagonal tangencies (based on the angle defined in Illustrator’s Preferences or VectorScribe’s Protractor tool).

Highlight Tangencies. If snap to tangencies is on, this places a small dot over the current path segment’s tangencies to help you locate them.

Adding points at tangencies allows you to get a path which is easier to edit. In addition, these options help designers to create technical illustrations and drawings.

Opt / Alt — Click on Point to: Select selects existing points.

Opt / Alt — Click on Point to: Delete This option allows for the Smart Removal of the points along path segments. In other words, after removing the point, the profile of the path alters as little as possible, but it allows you to make the path smoother.

Opt / Alt — Drag a Point to: Define Out Handle adjusts new or end point out handles independently (as per the Pen Tool).

Opt / Alt — Drag a Point to: Constrain Distance by Factor locks the distance of a point or handle to multiple factors of the specified distance.

This option helps when creating geometric objects.

Allow Auto-Adjustment of Previous Handles automatically adjusts the previously-created handle which wasn’t defined when created, resulting in a smoother points or cusp (corner point).

This option helps you to create complex curved paths by clicking on the outline of the sketch. InkScribe Tool will automatically change the curvature of the previous segment, depending on the position and status of the next point. After you create a path in this way, its shape may require some correction.

Continuing from Straight to Curve: Create Smooth Point (Connector) ensures the curve is a smooth continuation of a preceding straight segment.

Using this option, and the Connector mode, you can easily ensure a smooth transition between straight-line and curved path segment. And if the Connector mode remains enabled via the tool’s panel, altering the opposing end of the straight segment maintains the smooth connection attribute.

Continuing from Straight to Curve: Keep Handle Retracted keeps handle of curve segment retracted (as per the Pen Tool).

If the “Show Ghost Handles” option is selected you can also easily get a smooth transition between the straight-line and curved path segments when using the Connector mode.

Click-Drag Segment to Reshape allows you to drag anywhere along a path (excluding points) to reshape.

Keep Path Under Cursor When Dragging. During path drags, adjusts handles to make the pass through the cursor location (when possible).

Selecting this option allows you to control the shape of the segment more precisely, as the movement of the cursor exactly corresponds to shape changes.

Connector Threshold specifies the amount by which a potential connector point’s handle can vary from ideal to be recognized as a connector.

Smart Smooth Threshold specifies the amount by which point’s handle can vary from ideal to be converted to a smooth point.

Annotations

Proceed to the right-hand side of the InkScribe Preferences. As already mentioned above, here you can customize the appearance of the Annotations. You can choose how many columns and rows should be in the Annotations System and which functions should be included in it. Adding and deleting new functions is accomplished by dragging.

You can pick the color of the Annotation out of three available (red, blue and black).

Show Close Annotation Button allows the annotation to be temporary closed.

Show Reposition Drag Bar allows the annotation to be moved.

Drag Point Leader Line is a visual connection between the annotation and associated point.

Automatic Location: Automatic positions the annotation automatically.

Choosing this option allows you in most cases not to move the annotation, when it covers the edited or created piece of the path.

Automatic Location: Orientation positions the annotation in the same direction defined using the orientation block.

Distance From Point: specifies the distance (in pixels) from the point to annotation.

If you find that the annotations regularly obscure parts of the drawing you are currently working on, increase this value to, say, 150px to better ensure if remains out of the way for the majority of the time.

Delay Annotation Display keeps the annotation from appearing immediately after creating or selecting points.

No Delay on Selection removes any delay when selecting existing points.

Show Cursor Annotations displays the Smooth or Corner state of the point under the cursor.

Boxed Style adds a box around the Smooth or Corner point annotation text.

After choosing parameters of the tool, you can save your settings. Open the fly-out menu of the Settings Modified in the lower right part of the InkScribe Preferences, and choose Save Settings….

To open the required settings, select them in the Manage Settings or from the list of the fly-out menu.

For example, if you want the InkScribe Tool to resemble the Pen Tool as much as possible, select the appropriate item in the fly-out menu or in the Manage Settings window.

Even in the Pen tool-aping state, many of the inherent advantages of drawing with the InkScribe tool are retained. One small but persistant example is toggling the Smart Guides mode on/off when using the Pen tool results in the currently-selected point being deselected. This is not the case in InkScribe.

Conclusion

For more information about the plugin features click on the following link.

• DrawScribe movies

You can test the tool in work by downloading 14 day trial version of the plugin.

• 14 day trial version

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About the author

My name is Iaroslav Lazunov, I am a graphic designer from Zhytomyr, Ukraine. I am glad that I finally found the job in my life that I can share my knowledge and experiments with you in my tutorials.

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