Quick links to procedures on this page:
The Nodes and Handles page of the Options dialog box (Tools 
Options) lets you customize the appearance of nodes, handles, and vector previews to match your preferences, making it easier to edit nodes and apply vector effects and transformations.
General settings
You can change the size and shape of nodes, and you can choose to hide or show the curve direction when editing. Three preset sizes are available for nodes and handles: small, medium, and large.
By default, each of the three node types has a different shape. Cusp nodes appear as squares, smooth nodes as circles, and symmetrical nodes as diamonds. You can change the shape of any node type, choosing from shapes such as triangles, diamonds, circles, and polygons. For information about the different type of nodes, see Using node types.
By default, each node type is displayed with a different shape - circle, square, or diamond. The curve direction is shown by the orientation of the end nodes.
The Shape tool 
is usually used to select and move nodes. You can enable node tracking to select and move nodes by using the Pick 
, Freehand 
, or Bézier 
tool.
Color settings
The Default color scheme uses blue as the main color and red as the secondary color for displaying nodes, control handles, and previews while you are editing. The main color is used in the first curve you select. When you select additional curves with the Shape tool, they are displayed in red, the secondary color. In addition, the Default color scheme applies a white highlight to improve visibility. This white highlight color is also used to fill unselected nodes and to make vector previews stand out.
With the Default color scheme, the main color for nodes, handles, and previews is blue (right). The secondary color, red, is used for the additional curve selected with the Shape tool (left). Unselected nodes are filled with white, the highlight color.
If you are used to the node editing colors of earlier versions, you can switch to the Legacy color scheme, which does not apply a highlight color and inverts the preview and node colors.
A selected curve with inverted node and preview colors (left) and without color inversion (right)
You can create a custom color scheme by changing the main and the secondary colors. In addition, you can hide the highlight from previews, and you can invert preview and node colors. To distinguish nodes types more easily, you can set the application to display each node type in a different color.
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In the Workspace list of categories, click Nodes and Handles. |
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In the General settings area, perform any of the tasks in the following table. |
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From the Node shape list boxes, choose a shape for each node type: cusp, smooth, and symmetrical.
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Next to the Nodes shape list boxes, click Reset.
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Enable or disable the Show curve direction when editing check box.
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Enable the Enable node tracking check box.
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In the Workspace list of categories, click Nodes and Handles. |
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In the Colors area, choose one of the following color schemes from the Color scheme list box: |
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The controls below the Color scheme list box become available only after you choose Custom from the Color scheme list box. |
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In the Workspace list of categories, click Nodes and Handles. |
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In the Colors area, choose Custom from the Color scheme list box. |
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Main color — used in nodes and handles when an object is selected for editing. When you select multiple objects for editing, the main color is used for the nodes and handles of the first selected object |
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Secondary color — used in nodes and handles when additional objects are selected for editing with the Shape tool or when you are editing vector effects such as extrusions |
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Enable the Invert node and vector preview colors check box.
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Enable the Show node types in different colors check box.
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Click Reset next to the Main color and the Secondary color picker.
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