Selection

Select nodes, handles, segments, full contours, or an area of the path.

Vextra keeps its own selection inside the active path. Selected segments are red, and selected nodes and handles use the current accent color.

Select Nodes and Handles

  • Click a node or handle to select it.
  • Shift-click to add it to the selection.
  • Shift-click a selected point to remove it from the selection.
  • Click empty canvas to clear the selection.

With Show All Handles off, handles stay visible for a moment after you stop hovering a node, which gives you time to move the pointer onto one.

Select a Segment

Click a line or curve to select both of its end nodes along with their handles.

Vextra reads this as a click when you release the mouse. Move far enough to start a drag, and it reshapes the segment instead.

Shift-click a selected segment to remove its points from the selection.

Select a Full Contour

Double-click a segment to select its full contour. On a compound path, this selects only the contour you clicked.

Shift-double-click to add or remove that contour while other selected contours stay put.

Marquee Selection

Drag from empty canvas to draw a box. Nodes inside the box are selected when you release the mouse.

Hold Shift to add them to the current selection.

Lasso Selection

Option-drag / Alt-drag from empty canvas to draw a freehand lasso. Nodes inside it are selected on mouse-up.

Shift-Option / Shift-Alt adds them to the current selection.

Press Escape to cancel a box or lasso and keep the previous selection.

Select All and Delete

  • Command-A / Ctrl-A selects every node in the active path.
  • Delete or Backspace removes the Vextra selection.
  • Escape cancels the current action, or clears the selection when no action is running.

Vextra rebuilds the path after deleting points, keeping the Smart Corner and G2 settings that still apply to the remaining nodes.

Vextra and Illustrator Selection

Vextra draws its own nodes and handles while a Vextra tool is active, so you never see two sets of anchors stacked on each other. Illustrator's fill and stroke controls stay available throughout.

Next, learn how each point type works in Nodes & Handles.