- Drawing Objects
- Using the Direct Selection Tool
- Drawing Basic Shapes
- Drawing Stars
- Drawing Simple Lines
- Drawing Straight Paths
- Drawing Curved Paths
- Mixing Straight and Curved Path Segments
- Attaching Curves at Angles
- Adding, Deleting, and Converting Anchor Points
- Extending and Connecting Open Paths
- Splitting Paths
- Creating Corner Effects
- Making Compound Paths
- Creating Paths with the Pencil Tool
- Editing Paths with the Smooth and Erase Tools
- Using Type as a Graphic Element
- Using Outlines as Masks
- Using Outlines as Text Frames
Splitting Paths
Splitting a path is as easy as clicking with the Scissors tool. This turns a closed path into an open one or can be used to divide an open path in two. The only exception is that you cannot split a text frame that has content. You must select and remove the text before you can split the frame.
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Choose the Scissors tool. The Scissors tool works on any path or frame. You needn't select the path first.
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Move the pointer over a path. The pointer crosshairs change to a bull's eye to indicate that the path can be cut (Figure 3.40).
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Click, and the path is cut (Figure 3.41). It's difficult to tell when a path has been cut, because the two end points created at the cut are in identical locations.
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Drag one of the end points away using the Direct Selection tool (Figure 3.42). The two new end points are now visible and easily selected.
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