Working with Paths - Xara Xtreme 5: The Official Guide - page 60

that should be cusp—there's a sharp change of direction.
Double-click the control point; doing this changes its
property from smooth to cusp. The Shape Editor draws
shapes but is also an editor —Trick 2 of 2.
Drag first one and then the other curve 7.

Drag curve handle to
reshape segment handle visible when the control point is

selected to reshape the two associated
path segments. Then return to the
last point you set, click it to select
it, and proceed to click or click and
drag to position the remaining points
as needed to complete the profile.
You always know if the next action
will extend a path if a plus symbol is
showing by the cursor's lower right.
To close the path, single-click the first control point you

Double-click control
point to change
smooth to cusp

8.

created, when the cursor's plus symbol is visible. Now that
you have created the coarse path, you can push and tug at
the curves and curve handles with the Shape Editor Tool to
perfect the shape. End of experiment; you now know how
to draw and edit by using the Shape Editor Tool.

Work with the Pen Tool
The Pen Tool is a logical choice when you have a design that
has a mix of smooth curves and sharp corners. Unlike the Shape
Editor Tool, you cannot use the Pen Tool for editing curve
handles as you draw. However, you can backtrack and move a
control point, and change a straight line segment to a curve (by
dragging directly on the line). Additionally, you have a pop-up
menu entry while using the Pen Tool—right-click over a control
point or a path segment and choose Shape Editor Tool.
The operation guide for the Pen Tool is short:

N

You click and drag in the direction in which you want

a curve path segment to follow. Doing this creates a
control point with control handles and a smooth join
property.
You single-click to create a control point whose join

N

is a corner that is neither cusp nor smooth because the
control point has no control handles.
You single-click instead of clicking and dragging to

N

create straight-line segments.