Pen, pencil and shapes
Draw paths with the pen or pencil, draw rectangles, ellipses and stars as layers of their own, and set fill and stroke.
EaseKit has a focused vector mode for drawing and editing paths. Everything you draw is a real vector layer you can animate, morph, trim and export. Vector mode takes over the keyboard while it's open, so single-letter keys pick tools.
Enter vector mode
- Press ⇧⌘P (Stage → Draw / Edit Vector) or click Draw in the toolbar with nothing selected to draw something new.
- Select a shape and press ⇧⌘P, or double-click it on the stage, to edit its points (Edit Points). Rectangles and ellipses are converted to editable vectors (“Converted to a vector — its points are editable now”).
- While you edit points, click another layer to leave Edit Points with that layer selected.
- Click Done or press esc to leave vector mode.
Tools
- V
- Edit Points: select and move points and handles
- P
- Pen: click for corners, drag for curves
- B
- Pencil: draw freehand; EaseKit smooths the line
- C
- Scissors: click a line or point to cut the path there
- R O S
- Rectangle, Ellipse, Star (also in the Shapes menu)
Draw a shape
Like in Figma, every rectangle, ellipse or star you draw is an object of its own: when you let go, EaseKit creates a new vector layer, leaves vector mode and selects it on the stage, ready to move, style or animate.
- Enter vector mode (⇧⌘P or Draw) and press R, O or S.
- Drag on the stage. Hold ⇧ to keep proportions; hold ⌘ to draw without snapping.
- Let go. The shape is a new layer, selected, and you're back in selection.
- Double-click it to edit its points.
To add a shape to the path you're editing instead (for a cut-out, or an icon made of several parts), hold ⌥ while you draw. The hint in the toolbar says so: “Drag to draw a shape of its own · ⇧ keeps proportions · ⌥ adds it to this path · ⌘ no snapping”.
Draw a path with the pen
- Press P for the pen.
- Click to place corner points; click and drag to place a curve point.
- Hover the first point until it says Close path, then click to close the path. Or press ↩ to finish an open path.
- Set Fill and Stroke in the vector toolbar.
Fill and stroke in the toolbar
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Fill switch and swatch | Turns the fill on or off and opens the paint editor (color or gradient) |
| Stroke switch and swatch | Turns the stroke on or off and sets its paint |
| Width | Stroke width in points |
| Ends | Flat, Round or Square line ends |
| Position, Join, Cap, Dash | The same border details as in the inspector |
| Draw On from Playhead | The stroke draws itself in over 0.8 s; fine-tune it in the timeline |
| Corner radius field | Rounds the selected corners by an exact amount; Return applies |
| Previous shape keyframe / Next shape keyframe | Jump between the path's shape keys |
Paste vectors
You don't have to draw everything. Paste SVG from Figma (Copy as SVG), drop an .svg file, or use File → Import SVG… (⇧⌘I). See Import SVG and code.
Troubleshooting
| If this happens | Try this |
|---|---|
| Letters type tools instead of text | Vector mode is open. Press esc or click Done first. |
| C cuts instead of typing a C | Tool keys only work while no text field is active. Click into the field first, or use ⌥⌘C for comment mode. |
| Apply saved a different box than you drew | Applying finishes vector editing first: it fits the path's box and drops a layer that never got a shape. |
| A drawn shape left vector mode | That's the default: each shape becomes its own layer. Hold ⌥ while drawing to add it to the path you're editing. |
| I can't grab a thin line | Select it (in the timeline or with a marquee), then drag from anywhere inside its box. |