Preserved Topic: Pen\ink Tool?

Hey, you know that pen/ink tool thingy that makes the biezer lines?
Does it actually do [b]ANYTHING[/u] for PS????? *hopes its useful, but isnt hopeful*


» THOAN.net (..soon to come..I hope)

oY?? what version ya runnin yo? hmm... i make losts of bizar lines wit... nevermind.... Welcome.

welcome Bmud,
I am not sure what you are talking about...
of course it is useful. You use it to make them lines... and shapes... and cropping paths. There is nothing that can beat it making complex shapes (unless you are very good at drawing by hand, I guess).
And I don't believe there is any good alternative to cropping paths to get transparencies when you put the picture in Quark/Pagemaker/Indesign.

...feeling that I probably misuderstood your questions somehow... You do know that you can stroke and fill a path, or make a selection from it?

I don't know, I did this with it. Would you call that useful?

It is one of the tougher tools to learn, but it is also one of the most useful.
I still use other methods for making simpler shapes, but for complex shapes, and for cutting an image out of a background it is invaluable.

Welcome Bmud.. Try this : http://www.arraich.com/ps6_tips_ppen1.htm . Read it . learn it . love it. play with it. And see if you still feel the same way about the pen tool next week.



[This message has been edited by docilebob (edited 03-24-2001).]

you got some tuts for making selections of fine object with the pen? I never use it for that.... I really dont need to do taht stuff often though.

I don`t specificly remember a tut for fine stuff, eye, but you should be able to zoom till you can see it and outline anything with it, then use the path to make a mask... I think VP is the mask master. Hey VP put aside the mop for a sec, eh ?

not guilty Bob.. I am a wannabee mask master.. if ya really wanna get yaself into masking (and I am nto meaning Zorro) I would grab Steve or Warjournal... I am only a struggling mask man....

Eye: the pen tool really is a great asset to have tucked in your belt. What it gives you over any of the other direct selection tools, i.e. the lasso, marquee, etc, is 'absolute control on the shape of the path you create. In other words, you get yummy , fluid, smooth, silky, sexy curves, that (if the path is saved) you can come back to and edit again and again ...

ultimately it is the King of manipulative selection tools, plus you can stroke paths with most of the painting tools, the eraser tool, the dodge/burn tools, and a few more I cannot remember......

Now dont assume that I am saying it is the be all and end all of selections.. definately not... some types of selection just do not warrant the fine detail and time involved increating a nice path, but on some occasions the basic selection tools in PS just are not accurate enough to get a smooth , tight yummy selction! *drools*

The path tool generates bezier curves.. bezier curves are curves that have no constant radii or curvature and are controlled by knot points (and poles which PS doesnt show you). However by pulling on a knot point using the pen tools you can infinately vary the curvature of a segment of your path and thus get a 'perfect fit' to a shape that yuo are trying to outline or select.

I highly recommend just opening a new file and just doodle with the pen tool.. just play with it, get a feel for how it works.. always available for questions if I can help...

now for masking , throws the conch over to Steve or WJ

(stop name dropping dopcile Bob) LOL


~Vp~

~Steve ducks the conch~

Hey - watch it there, would ya?

Ahh... what exactly is the question? Too much cross-topics going on for my little brain to handle.

pickesup mop.... hmm... this looks like... drool??? whered VP go? why is his mop here? *GASP* the aliens!... They have his Brain, Jim! oh.... wrong movie.... The beauty of a path has seduced him... ah... say it is not so!!!!!!
.... a conch on the floor? hmm...


[This message has been edited by eyezaer (edited 03-25-2001).]

[This message has been edited by eyezaer (edited 03-25-2001).]