Vector Layers

Vector layers store editable paths instead of painted pixels. A layer can contain multiple open or closed cubic Bezier paths. Trace and Fill create raster output without removing or rasterizing the source paths, which remain editable.

The blue outlines are geometry previews, not colored strokes. Changing the foreground color does not change these previews; that color is used when you trace or fill paths. Vector layers do not contribute to image generation until you materialize their paths into a raster or mask layer.

Create Vector Paths

Add and select a Vector Layer, then use the existing Shapes tool:

• Rect and Oval create closed outline paths.
• Polygon / Polyline places anchors one at a time. Click the first anchor to close the path, or press Enter or double-click to finish an open path.
• Freehand fits the drawn gesture to editable cubic Bezier segments. It preserves subpixel coordinates at high zoom and simplifies the gesture to avoid excessive control points when zooming back out.

Shapes on vector layers are stored as outlines. They are not filled vector objects. See the Shapes tool guide for the behavior of the same tool on raster and mask layers.

Edit Paths

Right-click the vector layer in the layer list and choose Edit. Clicking an outline outside Edit mode does not select it for editing. Once Edit mode is active, all paths and anchors in the layer remain visible while one path is active. Click a path or one of its anchors to make it active. Edits to previously active paths remain part of the same session.

The Move tool is the default point-manipulation tool during editing. The Shapes tool can also remain active and append a new path to the current edit session.

Select and move points

• Click an anchor to select it.
• Drag an empty area to replace the selection with all enclosed anchors.
• Hold Ctrl on Windows/Linux or Cmd on macOS while clicking or dragging to add anchors to the selection.
• Drag any selected anchor to move the complete selection while preserving its handles.
• Hold Shift and click a path segment to insert a new anchor at that position.
• Press Delete or Backspace to delete selected anchors. If the deletion would leave too few anchors, the complete path is deleted. With no point selection, the active path is deleted.

When anchors from different paths overlap or are very close, the active path receives selection priority. Copy Path creates the copy in place, makes it active, and selects all of its anchors so it can be moved immediately.

Shape the curve

Each anchor stores one of three handle modes:

• Corner: handles move independently.
• Smooth: handles remain collinear but may have different lengths.
• Symmetric: handles remain collinear and mirror each other’s length.

Assigning a mode applies it to every selected anchor. Smooth Path operates on either the active path or the selected anchors; Selected Points changes its scope, while Smooth Path performs the action. Handles are shown for all selected anchors. The last selected anchor has a green selection outline; other selected anchors have white outlines.

Split and join

Split Points opens a closed path at a selected anchor or divides a path at selected internal anchors.

Join Points requires exactly two selected endpoints from open paths. Nearby endpoints are welded at the last selected point. Distant endpoints are connected directly without adding an intermediate point. The connecting segment respects the endpoints’ Corner, Smooth, or Symmetric modes, so it is not necessarily straight. Joining the two endpoints of the same path closes it.

Joining endpoints or deleting neighboring anchors preserves the remaining anchors’ Smooth or Symmetric handle constraints; you do not need to move a handle to restore the curve.

Finish the edit session

• Apply commits the complete layer edit session. The default shortcut is Enter.
• Cancel restores the layer to its state before Edit mode. The default shortcut is Esc.
• Reset restores the initial geometry without leaving Edit mode.
• Edit-session Undo and Redo operate on in-progress vector changes.

Choosing another layer or a tool that cannot continue the edit session opens a three-button confirmation dialog. Apply keeps the edits and continues the switch; Discard restores the initial geometry and continues the switch. Cancel or Esc returns to editing without switching.

Path and Layer Menus

The vector layer menu contains whole-layer operations, including Edit, Transform, Trace All Paths, Fill Closed Paths, Create Inpaint Mask, and vector-to-vector Merge Down.

While Edit mode is active, right-clicking a path outline or anchor on the canvas shows an Active Path group above the whole-layer actions. Right-clicking empty canvas space or a layer header shows only the regular layer menu. Path actions always target the active path; right-clicking another path does not change the active path. The group supports:

• Transform, trace, or fill the active path.
• Create an inpaint mask from a closed active path.
• Extract a copy of the active path into a new vector layer above its source, without leaving Edit mode or changing the selected layer, active path, or point selection. The original path stays in its source layer.
• Copy or delete the active path.

Path transforms and materialization use the current in-progress edit-session geometry and keep Edit mode active.

Transform Paths

Use Transform in the layer menu to transform the complete vector layer. In Edit mode, use Transform Path in the active path’s context menu to transform only that path.

• Drag the transform handles to resize or rotate the geometry.
• While transforming an individual path, use the arrow keys to move it by one canvas pixel per keypress, regardless of viewport zoom.
• Isolated Preview shows only the path being transformed. Turn it off to see the other paths on the same layer.
• Apply keeps the path transform and returns to editing. Cancel or Esc cancels only the path transform and returns to editing, rather than ending the edit session.

Fit to Bbox is also available for vector layers. Transforming vector geometry before Trace or Fill lets you generate raster output at the intended size without resampling an existing raster layer.

Trace, Fill, and Masks

Materialization creates a new raster or inpaint mask layer and preserves the source vector paths.

• Trace supports open and closed paths and uses the foreground color. Fill also uses this color.
• Trace Width controls stroke width in canvas pixels, not screen pixels.
• Taper Ends narrows both ends of each open traced path; closed paths are not tapered. Taper controls the length of the narrowing: larger percentages produce a longer, more gradual taper, while smaller percentages make it shorter.
• Fill and Create Inpaint Mask only process paths explicitly marked as closed.

Select a vector layer to show Trace Width, Taper Ends, and Taper in the top bar. The numeric fields allow direct entry and stepwise adjustment; the width and taper sliders are available in popovers. These settings apply when tracing and do not change the blue geometry preview.

Endpoints that only overlap visually do not make an open path closed. Close a path during creation, or join the two endpoints in Edit mode.