Up to this point, we've been working with Symmetrical curves, where the effect is a straight line through the node, and of equal size on both sides of the node.

This is a composite image, showing all the nodes curve effects. What we want to do here is shrink the curve effect on the top right.

Select the top node by clicking on it, then right click on the object to bring up the menu, select Node Type- Asymmetric

Click and drag the arrow side of the top node to the left and note that the size changes on one side without effecting the other side. After exiting node edit, the top curve is asymmetrical.

I created this line by clicking and dragging up three squares, moving over four blocks, clicking and dragging up three squares. Repeat the move four, click right button, drag up until done. If that ratio of roughly 75% height to width doesn't sound familiar, review the circle tutorial.

Left click on the second node from the left to activate it, then right click to Node Type- Cusp. A Cusp is a node that is asymmetric and the effects are independant of the other side.

Click on the 'From' effect of the second node (now a cusp) and drag it over the arrow head. (Shown slightly apart here.)

Do the remaining nodes- change to cusp, drag effect to overlap arrowhead.

Here's the finished item.

Incidently, the distortion handles for objects makes for a quick way to flip the image from top to bottom or side to side. Just click on the top handle and drag it below the lower handle to flip it.

Adding Nodes

Let's start with a square, as was created in the first tutorial.

We're going to make the top side of the square a half circle.

Hold down the Ctrl key and click the center of the top line. Note that the word 'Add' appears under the cursor when it's on a line where a Node may be added.

Click on the node and drag it up half the distance of a side.

Right click the shape, Node Type- Curve Before. ( or Ctrl 1) This puts a curve effect before the Node. Before and After are determined by the direction a shape is drawn. The curve effect lines also indicate the direction the line was drawn. We've just placed a curve effect to the left side of the current node. Type a Ctrl 2 to place a curve effect after the node. To convert curves to straight lines, use Ctrl B and Ctrl F (Before and aFter, respectively).

The curve effects are in line with the curve, so the lines haven't changed yet. At this point, we could drag the effects where they need to be, but since we're doing a half circle, it's best to convert this node to Symmetrical.

Click and drag either the circle ('From' direction indicator) or the arrowhead ('To' Direction indicator) and drag it horizontally for a distance equal to .7 x the side of the square. (is this beginning to sound familiar?) Click the blank area on the right side of the screen to exit node editing, and Selections- None to finish up.

Click here to advance into Text on vector curves.