Path objects are the key to vector graphics, the dynamic feature that makes programs like Freehand and Illustrator so powerful. Each object you make is represented by the program as a path. Since it is a path, it can always be changed without losing any quality in the image.
Each path object, when selected, looks something like the image to the
right of this paragraph. Each point is represented by a dot, and the
point "currently selected" is represented by a hollow dot. The small
lines with dots on the end are called handles. The curve of
the line is determined by the length and angle of the handles. A
point can be classified as part of a curve, a corner, or the start of
a curve. Such classification will determine how many handles the
point has.
The Join feature
Sometimes, you will want to connect
some paths together. For instance, if you use the pencil tool to do a
drawing, you will probably create several different paths, one for
each stroke you take with the pencil. When you're finished with your
drawing, you may want to treat all those paths as though they were
one. You can do this by using the Join feature. Simply
select multiple paths by holding "shift" and clicking them (or using
the pointer tool to draw a box around them), then choose Join
from the Modify menu.
The Group feature
When you join paths, they all acquire the same characteristics. In
other words, if you have one path that is 2 pixels thick, and another
that is 8, you don't want to join them. In that situation, you would
likely want to use the Group function. The Group function
allows you to treat several different paths as though they are one
object. This makes it easy to use the transformation tools covered
later on. Select the paths you want to group and then choose
Group from the Modify menu.
Handles
Each point on a path has
handles that determine the curve on either side of it. Most
points have linked handles, while "corner" points have independent
handles that can have wild effects on the curve. To see how the
position of a point's handles effect the curve around it, refer to the
image below, which shows three sets of similar points (notice that
they're in a triangle formation) with wildly different lines. The
center points are selected so you can see how their handles are
oriented.
