Making "Bouncy" Lines
A lesson on using the Bezigon tool

This tip describes how to make "Bouncy" lines or lines that one may see in an illustration to show a ball bouncing across a page. This effect can also be used to make "Bumpy" borders or other frame effects.

I have the subtitle up there because this tip is also a basic tutorial on how to use the Bezigon tool. I use this tool a lot, as I feel it gives me more control over what I'm trying to produce.

Version: Any

First lets take a look at how the Bezigon tool works when modifier keys are pressed. The Bezigon tool will always draw Corner points (square) as a default. Lets say you want to start to draw a curve from a straight line like the example at right. On your next click, you would hold the Control key down. This creates a Connector point (triangle). This kind of point acts as a smooth transition point between a straight line and a curvy one. To make the next click a Curve point (circle), hold down the Option/Alt key.

There is another method of editing points made with the Bezigon tool you should be aware of. If you start to draw points without a modifier key pressed, you'll get just a boxy shape. But you can edit these points further, by first selecting them, then while holding the Option/Alt key down, click and drag on the point. This will start pulling out a curve handle like the second example at right. The only problem is that these "modified" points still act like corner points so it is difficult to make truly smooth curvy lines. But it works great for getting odd types of shapes like a corner to a circle type of curve like the third example at right. Using these methods regularly will enhance your path creation techniques and make you more comfortable with drawing "organic" shapes when tracing a scan for example.

Now for the tip. In a new document, make the page set the page measurement to inches them make the Grid visible by choosing View -> Grid -> Show. After that, in the same View menu, choose Grid -> Edit. Here enter 0.5 in the Grid size dialog. Next, turn on Snap to Grid in the View menu.

Now choose the Bezigon tool. To start the "Bouncy" line, click once where the Grid intersects. Then while holding Option/Alt, click another time .5" up and over to the right like the above example.

To finish off the first "Bounce", click once more .5" to the right and down without the modifier key like shown above.

Now to continue the line and give it more "Bounces", alternate between using the modifier key (Option/Alt) and the regular point like the example above. Now you have a "Bouncy" line. You can use this for a border around something or modify it further for an actual "Bouncy" effect like I show below.

Select the last two points of the line. Then choose the Scale tool and click on the point highlighted above. While holding the Shift key to constrain the shape, scale that section of the line a little smaller.

Now repeat that same step only with the second "Bounce" keeping the "Bounce" points you just modified selected like shown above.

Next with the Knife tool, cut the line where ever you like on the biggest "Bounce". I have chosen to cut it right at the top of it. The reason you're using the knife tool, is because if you just delete the point at the beginning, the shape will not retain the curve.

Now of course, you can draw your ball or whatever you want to "Bounce".

There are endless possibilities when creating lines this way. You can modify your grid spacing or use different combinations of point types when using the Bezigon tool. Get creative and most of all, have a ball! (did I say that......ick)