Rectangle or ellipse: Choose the Rect or Ellipse tool from the Tool menu. Rectangles and ellipses are drawn with a bounding box. Press the mouse button at the location for any corner of the bounding box. With the mouse button still pressed, drag out the bounding box in any direction. You will see a rubber band rectangle stretch out from the starting point to the current cursor location. Release the mouse button at the location for the corner that is opposite the starting corner of the bounding box. The bounding box is removed and the rectangle or ellipse is drawn on the canvas.

Polyline or polygon: Choose the Polyline or Polygon tool from the Tool menu. Click the mouse where you want the first vertex (point in the geometry) to be. While you move the mouse, a rubber band stretches from the most recently created vertex to the current cursor location. All preceding line segments are represented by stationary lines. Double click at the last vertex. The rubber band is removed and the polyline or polygon is drawn on the canvas. Unlike the line tool, polyline and polygon work best if you click the mouse at your next point rather than hold the mouse down as you draw. This tool does not provide feedback as you draw.

A polyline can have one or more line segments and two or more vertices. A polygon must have at least three line segments and three vertices. Polygons use an even-odd rule to determine which portions of the polygon get filled. See 2-D and 3-D Graphics for information on the even-odd rule.

A polygon must be closed; that is, the starting vertex and the ending vertex are the same. When you double click for the last vertex of a polygon, the polygon is automatically closed. When you double click within five pixels of the starting vertex, the double-click point is dropped and the previous vertex is connected to the starting vertex in an explicit closure. If you double click more than five pixels away from the starting vertex, that point is placed on the canvas and a line segment connects the double-click point to the starting vertex in an implicit closure.

Curve: Choose the Curve tool from the Tool menu. Curves are sketched with a pencil tool. A rough sketch is produced interactively and smoothed upon release of the mouse button. Click the mouse where you want the curve to begin. With the mouse button still pressed, do a freehand drawing. Drawing slowly allows more curve points to be sampled. Release the mouse button when you are finished. The jagged drawing is replaced with a smoothed curve.