Bezier Pen Tool
The Bezier Pen tool lets you draw smooth, precise curves using bezier control points—similar to the pen tool in Illustrator or Figma, but designed specifically for ASCII art. Create vector-like shapes that are rasterized into ASCII characters.
Quick access: Press P to activate the Bezier Pen tool from anywhere in the application.
Basic Usage
Select the Bezier Pen Tool
Click the pen icon in the toolbar or press P. The panel will show fill mode options.
Place Anchor Points
Click on the canvas to place anchor points. Click and drag to create curved segments with handles.
Close the Shape
Click on the first point to close the shape, or continue adding points for an open path.
Apply or Cancel
Press Enter to commit the shape to the canvas, or Escape to cancel.
Creating Curves
Anchor Points
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Click | Straight anchor point (no handles) |
| Click + Drag | Smooth anchor point with symmetric bezier handles |
| Alt + Click on point | Toggle handles on/off |
| Alt + Drag handle | Break symmetry (move handles independently) |
Modifiers
| Modifier | Effect |
|---|---|
| Shift + Drag handle | Constrain handle to 45° angles |
| Click inside shape | Drag to move entire shape |
| Shift + Click points | Multi-select points for group editing |
Fill Modes
The Bezier Pen tool offers three intelligent fill modes:
Constant Fill uses your selected character for the entire shape.
- Simple, uniform fill
- Uses current character from Character Palette
- Great for solid shapes
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Live Preview
While creating your shape:
- Vector overlay shows the bezier curves and control points
- ASCII preview shows how the shape will look when committed
- Cell count in status bar shows how many cells will be affected
- Handles are displayed as draggable circles connected to anchor points
Editing Shapes
Before committing, you can edit your shape:
- Click and drag anchor points to reposition them
- Click and drag handles to adjust curve shape
- Alt + Click a point to toggle between curved and straight
- Click inside the shape to drag it to a new position
Committing
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Enter | Commit shape to canvas |
| Escape | Cancel and discard shape |
| Click outside shape | Commit shape to canvas |
If you change frames while creating a shape, the shape is automatically committed to the original frame.
Tips & Techniques
Creating Circles
For a smooth circle:
- Click to place first point
- Drag to create curved handles
- Place 4 points at compass positions (top, right, bottom, left)
- Close by clicking the first point
- Adjust handles for smoothness
Creating Organic Shapes
Use the Palette fill mode for organic shapes—the gradient-like edges create a softer appearance than constant fill.
Fine-tuning Curves
- Longer handles = wider curves
- Shorter handles = tighter curves
- Asymmetric handles = varied curve shapes
- Use Shift to constrain handles horizontally/vertically
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
P | Select Bezier Pen tool |
Enter | Commit shape |
Escape | Cancel shape |
Alt + Click | Toggle point handles |
Shift + Drag | Constrain handle angle |