{"id":2897,"date":"2025-12-05T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/?post_type=knowledge-base&#038;p=2897"},"modified":"2025-12-05T14:20:21","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T14:20:21","slug":"how-to-use-the-freehand-shapes-tool","status":"publish","type":"knowledge-base","link":"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/knowledge-base\/how-to-use-the-freehand-shapes-tool\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use the Freehand Shapes Tool"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>Freehand <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/knowledge-base\/how-to-insert-and-customize-ready-made-shapes\/\">Shapes<\/a><\/strong> tool in DRAWings PRO XII allows you to digitize designs intuitively, similar to drawing with a pen on paper. This tool is versatile, allowing for organic curves, straight lines, and complex multi-section objects.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed wp-block-embed-youtube is-type-video is-provider-youtube epyt-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><div  style=\"display: block; margin: 0px auto;\"  id=\"_ytid_16072\"  width=\"1290\" height=\"725\"  data-origwidth=\"1290\" data-origheight=\"725\" data-facadesrc=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Fuwndj1BDMk?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;rel=0&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__ epyt-facade no-lazyload\" data-epautoplay=\"1\" ><img decoding=\"async\" data-spai-excluded=\"true\" class=\"epyt-facade-poster skip-lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"YouTube player\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/Fuwndj1BDMk\/maxresdefault.jpg\" title=\"\"><button class=\"epyt-facade-play\" aria-label=\"Play\"><svg data-no-lazy=\"1\" height=\"100%\" version=\"1.1\" viewBox=\"0 0 68 48\" width=\"100%\"><path class=\"ytp-large-play-button-bg\" d=\"M66.52,7.74c-0.78-2.93-2.49-5.41-5.42-6.19C55.79,.13,34,0,34,0S12.21,.13,6.9,1.55 C3.97,2.33,2.27,4.81,1.48,7.74C0.06,13.05,0,24,0,24s0.06,10.95,1.48,16.26c0.78,2.93,2.49,5.41,5.42,6.19 C12.21,47.87,34,48,34,48s21.79-0.13,27.1-1.55c2.93-0.78,4.64-3.26,5.42-6.19C67.94,34.95,68,24,68,24S67.94,13.05,66.52,7.74z\" fill=\"#f00\"><\/path><path d=\"M 45,24 27,14 27,34\" fill=\"#fff\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Locating the Tool<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Navigate to the <strong>Digitize<\/strong> section on the Tools bar (usually on the left side of the interface).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If the icon is not immediately visible, place your mouse cursor over the section to expand it and reveal all available tools.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select the <strong>Freehand shapes<\/strong> tool.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Drawing in Freehand Mode<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the tool is active, it functions like a pen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Click and hold the Left mouse button.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/knowledge-base\/how-to-transform-designs-move-resize-rotate-skew\/\">Move<\/a> your mouse to draw the shape.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Release the mouse button to finish that specific section.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Note:<\/em> When you release the mouse, the specific section closes, but the tool remains active on the <em>same object<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You can continue drawing new sections. As long as you do not right-click, all new sections will belong to the same object and will be embroidered together with connecting stitches.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Creating Straight Lines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/knowledge-base\/how-to-use-combine-and-break-apart-tools\/\">combine<\/a> freehand curves with straight lines:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Click once<\/strong> to define the starting point.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Click once again<\/strong> to define the second point.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The software will automatically create a straight line between these two points.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Continuing and Closing Shapes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can extend an existing open shape or close a shape to create a solid object:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hover your mouse over the <strong>starting<\/strong> or <strong>ending point<\/strong> of a shape you just drew.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The cursor icon will change, indicating you can continue the path.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>To continue:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Click once:<\/strong> Extends the path with a straight line.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Click and drag:<\/strong> Extends the path with a freehand curve.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>To close a shape:<\/strong> Draw until your starting node meets the end node. A closed shape is automatically created.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Finalizing the Object<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>To finish an object:<\/strong> Right-click <strong>once<\/strong>. The sections you created become a single embroidery object.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>To exit the tool:<\/strong> Right-click <strong>again<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>To start a new object:<\/strong> After right-clicking once to finalize the previous object, simply start drawing again. This will create a completely separate object.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Tip:<\/strong> If you accidentally created multiple sections in one object that you intended to be separate, right-click the object and select <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/knowledge-base\/how-to-use-combine-and-break-apart-tools\/\">Break Apart<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Using Grid Snapping<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Precision drawing is easier with the Grid view enabled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Enable Snapping:<\/strong> If &#8220;Snap to Grid&#8221; is enabled, your cursor will magnetically snap to grid points while drawing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Alt Key Toggle:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If Snapping is <strong>Enabled<\/strong>: Hold the <code>Alt<\/code> key to temporarily <strong>disable<\/strong> it while drawing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If Snapping is <strong>Disabled<\/strong>: Hold the <code>Alt<\/code> key to temporarily <strong>enable<\/strong> it while drawing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Adjusting Smoothness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can control how many nodes are generated and how smooth your curves appear. The Smoothness level ranges from <strong>0 to 10<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>How to adjust:<\/strong> Use the <strong>Up\/Down arrow keys<\/strong> on your keyboard or enter a value manually in the tool options.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Value closer to 10:<\/strong> The drawing becomes smoother with fewer nodes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Value closer to 0:<\/strong> The drawing follows your hand movement exactly, resulting in a rougher curve with many nodes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Useful Tip:<\/strong> To create smoother curves on the fly without changing settings, hold down the <strong>Shift<\/strong> key while drawing.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Creating Holes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can easily create &#8220;holes&#8221; or negative space within your embroidery design:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Draw a base shape.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>While the object is still active (before finalization), draw a <strong>closed shape section<\/strong> directly on top of the previous shape.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The overlapping area will become a hole.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Troubleshooting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Issue: I drew a shape inside another shape, but it didn&#8217;t create a hole.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Cause 1:<\/strong> The inner shape might not be closed. Ensure you connected the start and end nodes of the inner shape.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cause 2:<\/strong> You might have right-clicked (finalized the object) <em>before<\/em> drawing the inner shape.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Solution:<\/strong> The hole must be drawn while the main object is still active (before you right-click to finish). If you have already finalized the object, select the main object, re-activate the Freehand tool, and then draw the hole.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Issue: My lines look jagged and have too many nodes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Cause:<\/strong> The smoothness level is set too low (close to 0).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Solution:<\/strong> Press the <strong>Up Arrow<\/strong> key on your keyboard to increase the smoothness value, or hold the <strong>Shift<\/strong> key while drawing to force smoother line generation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Issue: I cannot separate two shapes I drew.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Cause:<\/strong> You drew both shapes without right-clicking in between, so the software sees them as one single object.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Solution:<\/strong> Right-click on the object to select it, then choose the <strong>&#8220;Break Apart&#8221;<\/strong> option from the context menu. This will split the sections into individual objects.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Issue: The cursor isn&#8217;t snapping to the grid.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Cause:<\/strong> &#8220;Snap to Grid&#8221; is disabled, or you are holding the Alt key.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Solution:<\/strong> Check if the Snapping icon is active on the toolbar. Remember that the <strong>Alt<\/strong> key reverses the current state\u2014so if Snapping is On, holding Alt turns it Off, and vice versa.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Freehand Shapes tool in DRAWings PRO XII allows you to digitize designs intuitively, similar to drawing with a pen on paper. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2898,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":""},"categories-kb":[333],"class_list":["post-2897","knowledge-base","type-knowledge-base","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","categories-kb-how-to-training"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"categories-kb":[{"value":333,"label":"How to Training"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/how-to-draw-and-digitize-freehan-1024x576.jpg",1024,576,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"DRAWings Embroidery Software","author_link":"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/author\/drawings\/"},"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledge-base\/2897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledge-base"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/knowledge-base"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"categories-kb","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories-kb?post=2897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}