Convert and Join Paths
Convert shapes like rectangles and circles to editable curves. Join open paths to merge them into one.
Convert to Curves transforms a parametric shape — rectangle, circle, ellipse, arc, rounded rectangle, ring, or line — into a freely editable path whose nodes you can drag and reshape. Join Path takes two separate open paths and stitches their nearest endpoints together into a single continuous path. Both commands operate on your current selection, so select the shape or paths first, then run the command from the Modify flyout in the left toolbar or the right-click context menu.
Join Path
Select two open paths whose endpoints are near each other. Right-click and use Join Path to connect their nearest endpoints into a single continuous path. The paths are merged into one.
Open the Modify flyout in the left toolbar
In the left toolbar, click the Modify flyout (the wrench icon) to expand the group and reveal the Convert to Curves and Join Path buttons. You can also access both commands by right-clicking on the selected shape and choosing from the context menu.
Confirm the Convert to Curves operation
Click the Convert to Curves button. A confirmation dialog will appear warning that the conversion is permanent for that shape — the rectangle or circle will lose its parametric settings (like corner radius or diameter) and become a plain path. Click Convert and Edit to proceed. The shape is immediately replaced with an editable path.
Convert to Curves is a one-way operation: the resulting path no longer has the original shape's parametric settings (corner radius, circle diameter, etc.). Those settings cannot be recovered after converting. Only convert when you are confident you want to reshape the geometry by hand. Use Ctrl+Z immediately to undo if you convert by mistake.
What each shape converts into
Different shapes produce different path types optimized for their geometry. A line becomes a 2-point polyline. A rectangle becomes a 4-node polygon. A rounded rectangle becomes a bezier path with 4 smooth corner arcs. A circle or ellipse becomes a bezier path with 4 smooth nodes at 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°. An arc becomes a bezier path approximating the arc segment. A ring becomes a polygon with separate inner and outer edge points.
Switch to Node Edit to reshape the path
After converting, activate the Node Edit tool from the left toolbar, or press E to enter path edit mode on the selected path. All nodes become visible and draggable. You can move individual nodes, add new nodes by clicking on a segment, or delete nodes to simplify the shape. For bezier paths, each node also has handle arms you can drag to control curve curvature.
Join two open paths into one
Select exactly two open paths — any combination of line, polyline, or bezier path — by clicking the first path and then Shift-clicking the second. Both paths must be open (not closed loops). With both selected, click Join Path in the Modify flyout or right-click menu. The command connects the nearest endpoints of the two paths and removes the original two entities, replacing them with a single merged path.
The joined path inherits its name from both source paths (e.g. "Line 1 + Polyline 2") and keeps the layer and style of the first selected path. Rename it in the inspector after joining if needed.
Check the result and undo if needed
After joining, inspect the resulting path with the Node Edit tool to confirm the endpoint connection is where you expected. If the wrong endpoints were connected, press Ctrl+Z to undo — both original paths will be restored exactly as they were. Then reselect and re-run Join Path after repositioning endpoint nodes to ensure they are the pair you want connected.
To build a custom closed garden bed shape from scratch, draw two open polyline segments tracing different parts of the outline, then join them with Join Path to create one continuous open path, and finally close the path in Node Edit mode by connecting the remaining two endpoint nodes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Convert to Curves is grayed out — why?
The button is only active when a convertible parametric shape is selected: line, rectangle, rounded rectangle, circle, ellipse, arc, or ring. If you have a polyline, polygon, bezier path, freehand, text, plant, or dimension selected, nothing will convert because those types are already editable or cannot be converted. Check your selection and try again with one of the supported shape types.
Join Path is not available even though I have two paths selected.
Join Path requires exactly two open (non-closed) paths selected — no more, no fewer. Closed shapes (a polygon used as a closed garden bed, for example) cannot be joined. Also confirm both selected objects are drawing paths and not other entity types like plants or dimensions. If a path has its 'closed' property set, it will not qualify as an open path for joining.
Which endpoints does Join Path connect?
Join Path automatically connects the nearest pair of endpoints between the two paths — it measures the distances between all four endpoint combinations (start-start, start-end, end-start, end-end) and picks the closest pair. If the result is not what you expected, undo with Ctrl+Z, use Node Edit to move the endpoints closer to the intended connection point, then join again.
Can I undo Convert to Curves or Join Path?
Yes, both operations are fully undoable with a single Ctrl+Z step. Convert to Curves restores the original parametric shape with all its settings intact. Join Path restores both original separate paths exactly as they were before joining.
I converted a circle to curves — why does it look the same?
A circle converts to a bezier path with 4 smooth nodes, which visually looks identical to the original circle. The difference is that you can now select it with the Node Edit tool and drag individual nodes or handles to distort the shape into an organic, asymmetric curve. Press E (or activate the Node Edit tool) to see and interact with the nodes.