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                <h1>
                    About direction lines and direction points
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                <div><p>When you select an anchor point
that connects curved segments (or select the segment itself), the
anchor points of the connecting segments display <dfn class="term">direction handles</dfn>,
which consist of <dfn class="term">direction lines</dfn> that end in <dfn class="term">direction
point</dfn>. The angle and length of the direction lines determine
the shape and size of the curved segments. Moving the direction
points reshapes the curves. Direction lines don’t appear in the
final output.<div class="fignone"><img alt="" id="sdw_direction_lines" src="images/sdw_direction_lines.png" /><div class="figdesc">After selecting an anchor point (left), direction lines appear
on any curved segments connected by the anchor point (right).</div><br /></div></p>
<p>A smooth point always has two direction lines, which move together
as a single, straight unit. When you move a direction line on a
smooth point, the curved segments on both sides of the point are
adjusted simultaneously, maintaining a continuous curve at that
anchor point.</p>
<p>In comparison, a corner point can have two, one, or no direction
lines, depending on whether it joins two, one, or no curved segments,
respectively. Corner point direction lines maintain the corner by
using different angles. When you move a direction line on a corner
point, only the curve on the same side of the point as that direction
line is adjusted.</p>
<div class="fignone"><img alt="" id="sdw_adjust_direction_lines" src="images/sdw_adjust_direction_lines.png" /><div class="figdesc">Adjusting direction lines on a smooth point (left) and a corner&#160;point
(right)</div><br /></div><p>Direction lines are always tangent to (perpendicular to the radius
of) the curve at the anchor points. The angle of each direction
line determines the slope of the curve, and the length of each direction
line determines the height, or depth, of&#160;the curve.</p>
<div class="fignone"><img alt="" id="sdw_move_direction_lines" src="images/sdw_move_direction_lines.png" /><div class="figdesc">Moving and resizing direction lines changes the slope of curves.</div><br /></div><div class="note"><span class="notetitle">Note:  </span>In Illustrator, you can
show or hide anchor points, direction lines, and direction points
by choosing View&#160;&gt; Show Edges or View&#160;&gt;
Hide Edges. </div>
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