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You are here: User Guide > Nuke > Using RotoPaint > Point Cusping, Smoothing, Expressions, and Links

Point Cusping, Smoothing, Expressions, and Links

Roto and RotoPaint allow you manipulate curves, by cusping or smoothing the points on the curve, add expressions, and link controls to points.

To Cusp or Smooth Points

You can cusp points on a shape to create sharp corners, and smooth points to replace sharp corners with curved lines.

1.   Select the shape you want to edit in the Viewer or the stroke/shape list.
2.   Select the Smooth Points tool or Cusp Points tool in the RotoPaint toolbar, depending on whether you want to cusp or smooth your points.
3.   Make sure hide points is disabled in the tool settings.
4.   In the Viewer, click on the point that you want to cusp or smooth.
5.   With your point selected, you can also use the shortcut keys Z and Shift+Z to smooth and cusp it respectively.

OR

Right-click on the point you want to smooth or cusp, and select smooth or cusp/de-smooth.

To Add Expressions to Points

1.   With the Select All , Select Points , or Select Feather Points tool active, make sure hide points is disabled in the tool settings.
2.   Select a point in your stroke/shape. Right-click and select add expression.
3.   Enter your expression values to the fields in the Expression dialog. Alternatively, you can Ctrl/Cmd+drag expression values from another node to the point in your stroke/shape.

You can add expressions to edit your point’s location or the shape of the point’s feather effect. For more information on Expressions see Expressions.

To Link Other Controls to a Point’s Position

You can copy a point link (that is, a point’s x and y position) and use it in other nodes.

To copy a point link:

1.   With the Select All , Select Points , or Select Feather Points tool active, make sure hide points is disabled in the tool settings.
2.   Right-click on a point and select copy > point link.
3.   Go to the field you want to use the link in, for example another node, right-click and select Copy > Paste.

For example, you can copy a point link, click on a Transform node’s animation menu next to translate, and select Copy > Paste. An expression arrow appears between the RotoPaint node and the Transform node, and when you move the point, the Transform node’s translate values update with your changes.

NOTE:  When copying, cutting, or pasting from the right-click menu, numbers are displayed next to the curve, spline, or point. These numbers represent how many of each you have selected and thus, how many are copied or pasted. For example, 2 point (values) denotes that 2 points are selected. Pasting two points into a shape with many more points replaces the lowest two points in the shape, or the highest two splines in the stroke/shape list.