Preserved Topic: IM A NEWBIE :)

ok now that we have that done. i have some VERY newbie questions. first off how do i make a freaking straight line! second off when i use the color burn filter it just makes what ever was in the layer go away am i doing something wrong? is there anyway to make a layer have more then one blending mode? and last for now is there an alignment tool and how do you curve lines? sorry for posting so many questions but i didnt relize the potential of photoshop untill i needed graphics for flash <img border=0 align=absmiddle src="http://www.ozones.com/forum/smile.gif"> THANKS ALOT!

Alignment Tool:
If you want to align a layer, you have to align it to a selection.

So, if you want it aligned to say the top right of the entire document...got to
SELECT>>>ALL

Then go under
LAYER>>>ALIGN LINKED
then align to Vertical Top, and Horizontal Right.

You can align a layer to any selection this way, but keep in mind, that it alings to the Selection (not the page) and it alings the entire layer, whatever is on it.

Straight Line:
Simple....Choose the Line Tool (conveniently looks like a diagonal line in the Tool Box Palette). Set the settings for the line tool by double clicking to bring up the options.

Now, with that tool, you can draw a straight line. If you want the line to hold a 45, 90, or 180 degree angle, then hold down the Shift key when you're drawing it...it will snap to the nearest of those three angles.

Another method is to set two anchor points with the pen tool, and connect them...then stroke the subpath in the Path Palette drop down.

Color Burn:
Keep in mind that the color burn setting darkens the colour that is underneath it. So, first, the layer or layers underneath must be lighter than the layer you are "burning in", and secondly, they have to be a lighter shade of the colour you're trying to achieve with the burn.

Blending Mode:
Nope, sorry, one blending mode per layer....but you can make copies of the layer, and use masks to set different areas to use different blending modes....a bit advanced though.


Curved Lines:
Best way, again, use the Pen Tool to set your anchor points, then click again to drag out the curve guides to make curved lines....then stroke them, as stated before in the Path Palette.


Hope that answers some of your wuestions anyway..I know it was fast, and I hope I didn't leave you in the dust back there.

One more tip...using Illustrator for Flash graphics helps a lot, as they're already in a vector format, and then don't suffer on resize like raster graphics (bitmaps) do.


Peter



ICQ:# 10237808

[This message has been edited by DarkGarden (edited 13-09-2000).]

THANKS! one thing i didnt understand though was the allignment thing. im not sure if what you said is what i need to do but i ment like the tool in flash. if you have a bunch of vertical lines you can just hit a few buttons and they are perfectly aligned...if theres not can or how do people make evenly spaced lines and stuff? thanks again

[This message has been edited by Tbot (edited 13-09-2000).]

The best way for me to do evenly spaced lines, is to make a document, the distance that I want the lines to be apart..make one line at the left of it (ortop if it's horizontal lines) then select all, and go to
EDIT>>>DEFINE PATTERN.

Then on the document that I want the lines on, I select the Fill Tool (paint bucket) and double click for the options...selecting PATTERN instead of Foreground. Then fill a layer, and you'll see the spaced lines tile and appear.


The alignment tool will help for what you might want though. Like I said, you need to align to a "Selection" (the "marching ants" going around whatever) If you're aligning to the whole document (to the top, or left, or bottom, or center...etc.) you just SELECT>>>ALL then go to that Layer menu and align there.

I'm tired, so I'm sure this is rushing by too fast..but try the method, and then you'll get the idea for yourself, and figure it out more.


Peter



ICQ:# 10237808

ok i tried the pen thing and that was just anyoying as hell....i could take a part and just bend it it bent in both directions oppositely. what i ment was like the one big line they guy shows in the Light Zapish effect? thread. you know where it is straight then it bends downwards a little. like i said before when i clicked on the line the pen made it just bent it both ways. thanks

Pardon my jumping in like this, but if I'm not mistaken, you're referring to the lines in DarkGarden's "demonstration" of the light ray effect. If so, apparently he drew those lines freehand. As for the pen tool, it can be fantastically frustrating until you get the hang of it. The Photoshop user guide is your best friend in this case. Anyway, I think what you want to do is adjust the two arms of the anchor point independent of each other? Well, you have to use the "convert-anchor-point tool" - the one in the expanded pen tool bar that looks like a little angle or just the leading edge of an arrow...like this thing here > - and that will allow you to move the two arms seperately. I hope some or all of that helped. <img border=0 align=absmiddle src="http://www.ozones.com/forum/tongue.gif">