How do you edit only a single Path Segment?

Question

In Photoshop is there a way to adjust only a single Path segment without affecting the adjacent segments? I can adjust the segment by using the "Direction Lines", but this can change the angle unless you use only 45 degrees. I am looking to adjust the entire segment while constraining both "Direction Lines" angles at the same time.

If I remember correctly, way back in the old days, you could adjust segment B in the way you see in the img without changing A and C. Holding [SHIFT] will constrain the "action" at 45 degrees, but the "Direction Lines" will adjust their angles, affecting A and C. The only way I can see to do this is to set the "Direction Lines" at 45 degrees and dragging the "Direction Points", but I'd like to just keep the angles the same while adjusting the length of the "Direction Lines". Can this be done with a setting or keybinds?

Answer 1

I don't know of any method to constrain any bezier handle in Photoshop to anything other than the default 90/45°. The vector tools within Photoshop are simply not as robust as they are in an actual vector application and Photoshop has no options to alter the constrain angles.

However, it is possible to adjust a path segment if you have corner anchors and not smooth anchors.

Let's assume there are smooth anchors...

Using the Convert Point Tool to break the symmetry of the handles by moving them a bit will change the smooth anchors to corner anchors.

Once that is done, each path section can be adjusted independently of the others. But again, the angle of the handles can't be contained to anything other than the default 90/45°.