Nora Brown Design

Two point-handling Illustrator plugins reviewed

Luckily, some clever people have developed plugins that fill the gaping holes in Illustrator’s point and handle capabilities: Worker 72A’a Point Control, and Nine Block Software’s BetterHandles. The two have some overlapping functionality, but also provide unique functions. You might need them both!!

Shared functionality

• The ability to delete points while closing keeping the path closed (the equivalent of clicking on the point with the “minus point” tool). Seems like a no-brainer—why this isn’t a preference setting in AI I have no idea.
• Change points from curves to corners and vice versa. BetterHandles has the edge here, as going from corners to curves averages that handles; Point Control does something funky. Also, BetterHandles provides an palette and an actual Tool for this functionality.
• Retract handles. Point Control does this better, because each handle can be retracted separately. In addition, Point Control can extend handles, though it’s a little clumsy.

Some unique Point Control functionality

• The Point Control palette has an awesome button labeled “Make Paths Closed”. This is another function that is bafflingly missing from AI.
• Adjust stroke weight by percentage
• Align points, but you can already do this in AI’s Align panel

Some unique BetterHandles functionality

• Precision placement and sizing of handles. You can click on a point and precisely define the length and angle of the handles. With handles selected, you can also make relative adjustments by rotation angle and percentage length
• Split path at selected points
• BetterHandles provides a Tool with keyboard modifiers, rather than just a palette, to perform some of its functions

Conclusion

Basically, if BetterHandles had Point Control’s “Make Paths Closed” function, it would be the perfect plugin. It is the more expensive of the two, at $29 for a commercial license and $19 for personal use. Point Control is $10 for a single user.