Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

I've been through all the posts about rounded corners and Bezier curves, but I'm still stumped:

How do I draw a line with angles, that has straight line segments and rounded corners at the angles? I used the Polygon curve tool to make an "open ended" polygon. But in Format > Position and Size > Slant & Corner Radius, Corner radius is dimmed. (Please see my attachment.)

The simplest example is drawing an "L" shaped line, with the corner rounded to, say, 0.25". More complex is a zig-zag line with straight segments but rounded corners at the angles - not necessarily 45 degrees.

I'm sure the answer is Bezier curves, but I'm too dimwitted to make the Edit Points tools work. When I move the Bezier handles, everything goes into cattywampus "S" curves.

Any help would be most appreciated.

Sorry, I'm not sure I understand what you're looking for. The lines in your sample already have rounded corners—you just have to zoom in far enough to see them.

If you're looking for a line that follows a smooth path, then yes, you want a Bezier curve. You can convert what you have to a curve by Modify > Convert > To Curve. Once that's done, you can use "Edit Points" mode and drag the control handles to get the curve you want.

I modified acnack's technique. First I draw the lines with two points at each angle. Then I click on the first point in the angled section, and the Edit Points menu pops up. Then I click Convert To Curve.

The two points in the angled segment each get one Bezier handle - only on the inside, not both sides. The other points in the line do not change to Bezier points.

Then I zoom in and move the points and Bezier handles around to get the desired curve. I get perfectly straight segments with smoothly rounded angles. One thing was a huge help: turn on Snap To Grid.

Thanks, acknack. I couldn't have done it without your help.

Right. Nice improvement!