Let’s start our tour of Silhouette Studio’s Version 4.1! Specifically, we’re going to talk about the Edit Points Tool and all that you are able to do with it.
For starters, you can locate the Edit Points Tool on the toolbar on the left-hand side of the page. This will be the second icon down that looks like this: This tool is great for customizing your designs, adding weed lines, and building specific shapes.
Edit Points
To enter the Point Editing Mode, either double-click a selected image or use the Edit Points Tool which will open in the Quick Access Toolbar. This allows you to edit any points of your image. Only single, ungrouped line selections may be point edited. To exit the Point Editing Mode, click on a blank part of your screen or return to the regular selection mode by clicking on the Select Tool.
Simply:
- Select your design
- Select the Edit Points Tool
- Select a square to edit the point
- Adjust the point by moving it or deleting it
- Click away from the design to stop editing
In Point Editing Mode, the selected point will be displayed in white while all other points will be dark grey. The selected line associated with the selected point will be emphasized as a bold red line. Additional lines that have blue points are handles to adjust curved lines.
Delete Point
Any point can be deleted by right-clicking on the selected point and selecting the Delete Point icon. Deleting a point will cause the closest points on either side of the deleted point to join and create a new connecting line.
Simply:
- Select your design
- Select the Edit Points Tool
- Select a square to edit the point
- Delete the point by selecting the Delete Point Icon.
- Click away from the design to stop editing
Break Path
You can break the path of any line by using the Break Path Tool or by right-clicking on a point and selecting “Break Path.” Breaking a path will create two new points from the original point. A broken path or two unconnected endpoints can be rejoined by dragging one red endpoint onto the opposite red endpoint.
Corner
The Corner Tool allows a selected point to be adjusted to create a sharp corner. Add a point at each of the corners. With the new point selected, click “Corner.” Drag the point upward to make the banner a right angle.
Smooth
You can use the Smooth Tool to adjust a selected point to make a smooth transition point at the selected intersecting point.
Make Flat
The Make Flat option will adjust the selected line (the line emphasized in bold red that is associated with whichever currently selected point) to a flat straight line.
Make Curve
The Make Curve option adjusts the selected line (the line emphasized in bold red that is associated with whichever currently selected point) to a curved line. On the banner, select one of the top corner points. Then, select “Make a Curve.” It will curve between the two points on either side of the point you selected. You can adjust it by rotating the little bar that appears on your object.
Simplify
Some images contain a very large number of points. The Simplify Tool automatically re-adjusts the image’s points and simplifies the image to its smallest number of points without changing the shape of the image.
H. T.
January 15, 2018
Could you please elaborate on how to simplify?
Kelly Wayment
January 15, 2018
H.T., there is a button called “Simplify” included with the point editing tools. It looks like the letter S with nodes on it. Just click the Simplify button and the software does the work for you.
Maurice
January 22, 2018
help framework.dll is miss on my computer
Kelly Wayment
January 22, 2018
Maurice, please contact support@silhouetteamerica.com for help with software and error messages.
Stephanie
April 18, 2018
For some reason in this newest version I am unable to connect broken points. I used to be able to break paths to get rid of unwanted parts of the image, and connect the remaining points. Now the points jump all over the place and refuse to connect. What’s going on?
Kelly Wayment
April 20, 2018
Stephanie, it should still work the same as always. Check your Page Setup Panel (top right) and go to the second tab for the Grid options. Make sure the box is not checked for “Snap to Grid”, or any edit points you move will try to snap to grid points, whether visible or not. To connect red end points, they have to be part of the same compound path. This video on Point Editing might help, or contact the Silhouette Support Team at support@silhouetteamerica.com.