Width Selector

The Width Selector tool appears in Illustrator’s main toolbar (which must be in Advanced mode: View > Toolbars > Advanced), stacked under the Width Gradient tool. As with other stacked tools, click and hold on the top tool icon to display the tools stacked under it.

Width Selector Tool Location

The Width Selector tool’s cursor looks like an inverted “V,” similar to the Astute Graphics PathScribe tool, but with its opposite leg thicker, so as to distinguish it. Badges may be added when marquee selecting:

Width Selector Cursors

As the Width Selector tool has several keypresses for certain operations, we suggest installing the free Astute Graphics plugin Astute Buddy, which creates a panel that dynamically updates to inform you of the various keys which can be pressed in the tool’s current context.

The Width Selector tool works largely in conjunction with the associated Width Selector panel, which should be open and accessible. If you are using the free Astute Graphics plugin DirectPrefs, you can have the Width Selector panel automatically be shown when the Width Selector tool is selected.

When the Width Selector tool is in use, width markers on the focal strokes of all unlocked paths (selected or unselected, unless the tool preference Show Markers on Selected Paths Only is enabled) are annotated using small red (by default) “bow-tie” shapes lying perpendicular to the path. Markers drawn in a lighter tint are unselected, while those in a darker tint are selected:

Width Selector Marker Annotations

The Width Selector tool can select width markers on one or more paths by either clicking on them or by dragging a marquee over them. Holding the Shift key down while doing so adds markers to the current selection, while holding Option/Alt down subtracts them from the current selection. The current marker selection is retained across uses of the tool.

Width Selector Marquee Select

After one or more width markers are selected, the tool can perform several operations on them:

Width Adjustment

While the tool does not support dragging to change the width of a marker (the native Width tool can still be used for this purpose), it can adjust the widths of one or more markers simultaneously if the preference Use Increase/Decrease Diameter Keys is set to Change Stroke Width. In this case the keys assigned to Decrease Diameter and Increase Diameter in the native Keyboard Shortcuts dialog (the left and right square bracket keys respectively, by default, for English language keyboards) will decrease or increase their widths, using the numerical Change Width value set on the Width Selector panel.

Moving Markers

Dragging one or more selected width markers will move them along the path. A width marker may not be moved past the previous or next unselected marker, and the markers at the start and end of the path cannot be moved at all (therefore, if the selection includes either the end or start marker, it won’t be able to be moved either). Dragging a marker until it contacts another marker and releasing the mouse button will create a doubled marker, which may be used to produce an abrupt change in stroke width:

Width Selector Dragging Markers

To “stretch” markers (move a contiguous selection of one or more markers as a group while proportionally shifting all the other markers on the path, except those at the start and end of the path), hold down Shift while dragging them: 

Width Selector Stretching Markers

Duplicating Markers

To duplicate one or more selected width markers, hold down the Option/Alt key after starting to drag them:

Width Selector Duplicating Markers

Adding Width Markers

The Width Selector tool can add a new width marker to a stroke by holding down Option/Alt and then clicking along the path. The new marker’s initial width will be equal to the current width of the stroke at that point. 

Width Selector Adding Marker

When a variable width stroke is used on a compound path, all of the subpaths must share the same width profile. So selecting one or more width markers on one subpath with the Width Selector tool will automatically select the same markers on all of the subpaths:

Width Selector and Compound Paths

The menu item to show and hide the Width Selector panel can be found in the main menu under Window > Astute Graphics > Width Selector. When the Width Selector tool is not in use, the panel displays only a “Click to select” message; clicking anywhere on the panel selects the tool and displays all the controls, which affect the next use of the tool.

Width Selector Panel

1. Flyout menu

See Width Selector Panel: Flyout Menu.

2. Panel banner

The Width Selector panel banner has a help button on the right which opens the help documentation in the Astute Manager. If this does not automatically appear, please ensure your Astute Manager is running first.

3. Select All Markers Button

Selects all the width markers on any path which has at least one width marker selected. 

4. Taper Stroke Button

Available when at least one end marker is selected, typically on an open path. The first time the button is clicked, the end marker is changed to zero width and an additional marker is added (if necessary) to create a taper with the length specified in the preferences dialog (by default, 10% of the length of the path). Each additional click lengths the taper by 10% of the remaining distance to the other end of the path. Each additional Shift-click shortens the taper in the same way.

Width Selector Taper Stroke

When both ends of the path are tapered at the same time, distance values apply to half the path only. 

5. Average Widths Button

Available when two or more markers on a path are selected. When clicked, the widths of all selected markers are set to the average width of all the selected markers on the same path. If the marker is non-centered, then the ratio of left to right widths is retained.

Width Selector Average Widths

6. Smooth Widths Button

Smooths the widths of the selected markers by combining components of the widths of surrounding markers, similar to using Gaussian blur on pixel data in a image. 

Width Selector Smooth Widths

If the Shift key is held down when the button is clicked, the amount of smoothing will be significantly increased, just as increasing a Gaussian blur’s radius increases the amount of blur:

Width Selector Smooth Widths Plus Shift

The button has an alternate function when the Option/Alt key is held down when it is clicked. In this case, the selected markers (which must be contiguous) are evenly distributed along the path, i.e. their spacing is made equal.

Width Selector Distribute Markers

7. Delete Markers Button

Deletes the selected markers (except for the markers at the start and end of the path, which are required to be present by Illustrator). To remove all markers and make the path uniform width, use the panel flyout menu item Convert Selected Paths to Uniform Width. 

Width Selector Delete Markers

8. Specify Width

This control is visible if the flyout menu preference Display Left/Right Widths is not enabled. It specifies the overall width of the selected marker(s), from 0 pt to 1000 pt. If multiple markers are selected and they have different widths, the value will be blank. If a selected marker is non-centered (its left and right widths are different), then changing its width using this control will keep its left/right ratio constant.

9. Left Width

This control is visible if the flyout menu preference Display Left/Right Widths is enabled. It specifies the left width of the selected marker(s), from 0 pt to 500 pt.

10. Link Icon

This control is visible if the flyout menu preference Display Left/Right Widths is enabled. Clicking the control changes the mode. In linked mode, changing either the left or right width will also change the opposite side width proportionally (thereby keeping the left/right ratio constant). In unlinked mode, the left and right widths can be adjusted independently.

Width Selector Unlinked vs. Linked Widths

11. Right Width

This control is visible if the flyout menu preference Display Left/Right Widths is enabled. It specifies the right width of the selected marker(s), from 0 pt to 500 pt.

12. Total Width

This control is visible if the flyout menu preference Display Left/Right Widths is enabled. It specifies the overall width of the selected marker(s), exactly like the Specify Width control when the preference is not enabled. 

13. Change Width

Controls the amount by which the selected markers’ widths are changed when the Increase Width and Decrease Width buttons are pressed (or the Increase Diameter and Decrease Diameter keys are pressed when the preference Use Increase/Decrease Diameter Keys is set to Change Stroke Width). The value can be changed from 0% to 1000%, with a default of 5%.

14. Increase/Decrease Width buttons

Increases or decreases the width(s) of the selected marker(s) by the amount specified in the Change Width control. For example, if the marker had a width of 60 pt and the Change Width value were set to 22%, then clicking the Increase Width button would add 60 pt × 0.22 = 13.2 pt to the width, for a final width of 73.2 pt. Clicking the Decrease Width button would subtract 13.2 pt from the width, for a final width of 46.8 pt.

Since widths cannot be negative, if the Change Width value is set to 100% or more, then clicking the Decrease Width button will change the marker width to zero.

15. Shift Selection Backward button

This control will not be visible if the flyout menu item Display Marker Count is not enabled. Shifts the selection to the previous marker(s), wrapping around from the start of the path to the end of the path when necessary. To select only the last marker of a closed path, click point zero of the path to select the first marker, and then click the Shift Selection Backward button.

16. Marker Count

This area will not be visible if the flyout menu item Display Marker Count is not enabled. Shows the number of selected width markers as well as the total number of markers on all unlocked paths with variable width focal strokes (if the preference Show Markers on Selected Paths Only is enabled, this will only include selected paths).

17. Shift Selection Forward button

This control will not be visible if the flyout menu item Display Marker Count is not enabled. Shifts the selection to the next marker(s), wrapping around from the end of the path to the start of the path when necessary.

The Width Selector panel flyout menu items are contextually sensitive and all items may not be available, depending on the current selection.

Width Selector Panel Flyout Menu

1. Select Inverse

Inverts the current marker selection (selected width markers become unselected while unselected width markers become selected).

2. Select Doubled Markers

Selects all doubled width markers. Doubled width markers are defined as two consecutive width markers that are coincident (appear at exactly the same spot along the path); they can be used to create an abrupt change in stroke width along the path. The markers at point zero of a closed path are not considered doubled markers when using this menu item. 

3. Combine Selected Doubled Markers

Changes each selected pair of doubled markers into a single marker, using the width of the trailing marker. The markers at point zero of a closed path are not considered doubled markers when using this menu item.

Width Selector Combine Selected Doubled Markers

To combine a pair of doubled width markers while using their average width, select only the doubled width markers, click the Average Widths button, and then use the menu item.

4. Convert Selected Paths to Variable Width

Changes all selected paths which are not already variable stroke width paths to variable width. This results in centered width markers at the start and end of the path with the path’s current width. This can be useful for applying the Vary Width Markers... menu item. 

5. Convert Selected Paths to Uniform Width

Changes the focal strokes on selected paths to uniform width (if they are not already). This removes all width markers; their width remains what was originally shown in the Control Bar or Stroke panel, which is equal to the maximum width among all the path’s width markers. 

Width Selector Convert to Uniform Width

6. Display Left/Right Widths

When marked with a check mark (the default), the panel shows controls which allow specifying the left and widths of each marker separately. Otherwise only the total width can be numerically specified. If you never use non-centered width markers, you may want to choose the menu item to uncheck it.

7. Display Marker Count

When marked with a check mark (the default), an informational line showing width marker counts, along with the Shift Selection Backward and Shift Selection Forward buttons, will be shown at the bottom of the panel.

8. Width Selector Preferences...

Brings up the preference dialog (see Width Selector: Preferences).

Using the flyout menu of the Width Selector panel, doubleclicking the Width Selector tool in the toolbox, or pressing the Enter key when the tool is selected will bring up the Width Selector preferences dialog:

Width Selector Preferences Dialog

1. Show Markers on Selected Paths Only

When enabled, width markers will only be displayed on paths which are selected, instead of on all unlocked paths. This prevents clutter when the document consists of numerous paths with variable width strokes.

2. Annotation Color

Specifies the color the tool uses when annotating the width markers, either red (the default) or blue. 

3. Default Taper Length

The fraction of the path that is tapered after the first click of the Taper Stroke button, from 0.1% to 100%. When both ends of the path are tapered simultaneously, the value applies to each half of the path.

4. Automatically Remove Redundant Markers

Depending on the surrounding markers, up to four consecutive width markers with the same width value may be necessary to hold a variable width stroke’s shape. However, identical markers beyond these four are redundant. When this preference is enabled (the default), these central width markers which do nothing to change the shape of the path are automatically removed when averaging consecutive multiple markers or changing their widths.

Width Selector Remove Redundant Markers

5. Use Increase/Decrease Diameter Keys to:

Specifies the function of the Increase Diameter and Decrease Diameter keys (as defined in the native Keyboard Shortcuts dialog; these are the left and right square bracket keys respectively, by default, for English language keyboards) when the Width Selector tool is in use. The default function is Change Stroke Width, in which the keys work just like the Decrease Width and Increase Width buttons on the panel. When set to Shift Stroke From Side to Side, each press of the Increase Diameter key reduces the selected marker’s  left width and increases its right width, thereby shifting the stroke to the right. The Decrease Diameter key does the same but to the left. The amount of shift is such that it takes ten presses of the key to move a centered stroke completely to one side or the other.

Width Selector Shift Stroke

6. Help Button

Opens the help documentation in the Astute Manager. If this does not automatically appear, please ensure your Astute Manager is running first.