Pen Tool

Myrna Ailabouni

Updated April 25, 2023 17:14

You can use the Lotta pen tool to draw lines and shapes on pieces in the 2D or the 3D window.

The tool behaves in a similar fashion to pen tools in vector based illustration programs.

For more information, refer to Using the Pen Tool and Pen Tool Options.

Using the Pen Tool

To use the Pen tool:

Once you have selected the pen tool, you can draw a line or shape, or edit a line.

Result	Do This
Straight line	Click to create the first point. Click to create the second point. A line is displayed. Note: Press Shift while drawing the line to restricted it to a multiple of 45°. Continue to click to add further straight lines.
Curved line	Click to create the first point. Click where you want your curve to end and hold down the left mouse button. Drag to curve the line.
Shape	You draw a shape on top of a garment piece. Draw the lines to form your shape. Ensure you close the shape. To close the shape, hover on the last point until the cursor changes from to , and click. Lotta 3.9 and older: The creation of the shape automatically creates a fill inside the shape boundaries. The fill color is set by the Pen Tool Options. Lotta 4.0 and newer: The creation of the shape does not create a fill inside the shape boundaries.
End a line	Press Esc.
Edit a line	Click on a point to start drawing a straight line from that point. Drag on a point and in the Context view, select one or two handles to curve the line to which it belongs. Click on a line to create a new point, and drag the point to curve the existing line. Click on a point and edit its properties by going to the Context view, in the Point Properties section: In Curve Type, select , , or as appropriate. In Handles, select none, one or two, as appropriate.

Joining Internal Lines

You can use the pen tool to connect two internal lines which are both inside the same pattern piece

To use the pen tool to connect two internal lines:

On the Main toolbar, click Select.
In the 2D window, select one of the lines to be connected.
On the Main toolbar, click Pen.
In the 2D window, use the pen tool to draw a line from one internal line end point to another.

The lines are connected. The following image shows the joining of two internal lines.

You can use the same technique to connect the two ends of a non-straight internal line. The following image shows the joining of the two ends of a non-straight internal line.

You can use the free brush tool to draw freehand lines in the 2D window, or on pieces in the 3D window.

To use the free brush tool: