Curved edged Rectangles

[8-bit]

I've dug out PSP8 after some years and i'm trying to figure out how I make the corners of a vector drawn rectangle rounded. I can remember acheiving it once but can't remember how.

[8-bit]

DOH! Its finally come back to be!!!! All sorted now!

[Kathy_9]

I know next to nothing about vectors but I think you are looking for the "join" option on the toolbar. Select the one for rounded corners.

[LeviFiction]

Close...but not quite Kathy_9. It does round the corner but only the very corner where two lines join. It's visible roundedness is based on the angle of the lines and the stroke width.

To round out the rectangle, when hovering over the corner node the cursor should be a black arrow with the "move" cursor underneath it. Click and drag the node to round out the corner. Also on the toolbar is a horizontal and vertical radius that you can set to make one side longer than other for slightly rounder shapes. You can even make the rectangle into an ellipse this way....why you would want to I have no idea but there it is.

[Kathy_9]

Thanks Levi. See, I told you I knew "next to nothing" about vectors.

BTW, I think 8-bit's second post must have been held (new poster) because it wasn't there when I originally replied.

[LindaSue]

Unfortunately, there is no Radius option to set in PSP8, like there is in later versions, and PSP8 makes really lousy rounded rectangles.

[8-bit]

Thanks for the replies, I didn't know about the handles, are they in version 8?? The way I did it was to notice it actually had a preset 'curved square' option available.

[LeviFiction]

Wow, you weren't kidding LindaSue. Just tried it myself as I have never used PSP 8 before and downloaded a trial.

The handles are available in PSP8 but 1) You have to use Rounded Rectangle it's not available with regular rectangle. And 2) you have to use the pen tool in edit mode to change the handles.

Essentially it just draws a path and places the nodes and curves where it thinks they should be. In later versions rectangles, ellipses, and symmetrical shape tools created specialized shape objects with limited editing options. In PSP8 they are all just regular paths.