The VectorScribe plugin is oriented towards ensuring the creation of your vector masterpieces is easier, faster and more flexible. I hope you have already experienced it (if not, download a 7 day full trial now!).

Today’s article is devoted to the Dynamic Measure Tool and Protractor Tool using keyboard shortcuts guide. This information, along with the instructional product movies, will help you create vector artwork using the keyboard like on a piano…

Notes:

• Mac key names are used throughout here, but it understood that for Windows, Alt = Option, and Ctrl = Command.
• Some shortcuts do not work in earlier versions of the plugin. Update the plugin version to v1.1.1 by clicking here…
• The left and right bracket keys are used by some of VectorScribe’s tools, but these keys can be changed by the user through Illustrator’s Keyboard Shortcuts … Tools dialog, under Increase Diameter and Decrease Diameter. This is of use to users who’s local language format keyboards do not provide quick access to the square bracket keys. An asterisk will indicate this use, but note that this does not apply if the mouse button is held down.

Dynamic Measure:

When mouse is up:

With the above Dynamic Measure preference set, “Option” rotates angle/distance pref copying. When you press the Option key (not whilst measuring), the mouse pointer annotation toggles the small angle icon on/off. When displayed, any measurement made will copy the angle to the Constrain Angle Preference (plus Protractor). When toggled off, the angle is not copied.

When measuring:

“Esc” cancels the measure [mouse must be moved if mouse button is up].

“Shift” constrains the measurement angle.

When hovering over a measure’s endpoint:

“Option” + “Click” on an endpoint allows movement of the endpoint.

When hovering over a measure’s data box:

“Shift” + “Click” converts all measures to artwork.

“Option” + “Click” deletes the measure.

“Shift” + “Option” deletes all measures.

When hovering over a path segment:

“Shift” shows all of the segment’s normals (when corresponding Dynamic Measure preference show below is enabled).

“Option” shows the normal at the cursor position (when corresponding pref is enabled).

When hovering over an anchor point:

“Shift” or “Option” shows the normals to the path at the anchor point (when corresponding preference is enabled).

Anytime:

“]” changes the type of ruler (Global and Artboard) that VectorScribe reports against (this is only relevant to Adobe Illustrator CS5). Pressing the “]” key in the Dynamic Measure Tool whilst not holding down the mouse, changes the Hover Measure X and Y information based on the artboard rulers. If a hover measure is being displayed when the ] key is pressed, the annotation will only change when the mouse is moved to refresh the information.

Protractor:

When pressing a custom angle button:

“Option” allows setting a user-defined custom angle

“Click” on the current angle display to allow a user-defined custom angle to be set