Preserved Topic: Noob question

Ok sorry guys but i've been playing with PS for a while and cant get want i want quickly enough.

I only want to draw a shape, then make a hole in that shape - maybe in more than 1 layer, but on just 1 layer would be a start. ive tried lasso etc but must be doing something fundamentally wrong !!

Steve's pen tut is what you're lookin' for I think. click me!
If you run into problems... just post back here and I'm sure things can be sorted out.


... oh..
and welcome to the asylum.


FAQs n' Bits: Michael

What part are you having trouble with exactly?

Making the shape...or making the hole in it?

Or the whole process?

What kind of shape are you trying to make?

Need more info.

when you say shape , are you using the shape tool? If so and your using the 'vector mask' option you can 'subtract' from your original shape by drawing the new shape and then by clicking the subtract button that is located towards the right in the shape tool option bar. This in effect 'masks' out the original shape with the shape of the new shape.

More details from you can help us help you..

Just a shot in the dark, here...
try the eliptical marquee tool upper left hand corner of the tool bar (click and hold the button, if the round one is not showing ) click and drag the circle you wish, if you`ll need it again, go Select>>Save Selection and it will be in the Channels pallette when you need it.
Then activate the layer you want a hole in, and hit DELETE.

Firstly, thanx for all your help

I've more or less managed to do what i want (i think), using PS6. I have just created a filled rectangle, created a path inside the rectangle (loosely rectangular) using a PEN and selected to fill the path with the CLEAR option. What this gives me is a Retangle with a circular hole in it, through which i can 'see' the transparent background.

My intention is to create transparent windows, behind which will be some other graphics which can be seen through the window. Some tutorials i have seen dont seem to work the way they are meant too.

The link below is an excellent tutorial for my initial problem, but it doesnt seen to work for me !! - and yet again a different way to do things, apparently.
http://www.teamphotoshop.com/photoshop/tutorials/techniques/rings/rings.php

thanks again

Ok easiest way to do what you just described -

1) create a new layer

2) on taht layer, use the marquee tool to make the rectangle you want. Fill with color of choice.

3) use marquee tool again to create the inner rectangle/circle/whatever

4) hit [DELETE]

Done.

=)

or even easier
1) make the shape you want
2) control click the layer to select it
3Select>Modify>Contract However Many Pixels
4)Delete

Couple of problems with that method -

1) Contracting will ruin a circle

2) You can't contract a rectangle and get a circle



[This message has been edited by DL-44 (edited 02-27-2003).]

DL:

quote:

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You can't contract a rectangle and get a circle

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Whoa there fella - not so fast!! Now you can't do what!!!

___________________
Emps

FAQs: Emperor

erm....exactly what it says

see, he wanted a rectangle as his outer shape, with a circle for a hole.

You can't make a rectangular selection, and then use the contract option and end up with the circle...

So the contract method doesn't really work unless you want a rectangle shape with a rectangluar hole...or a circular shape with an octagonal hole (as the contraction alters a cricle into a puffy octagon).

Of course, as I'm a bit under the weather, it's entirely possible you're having fun with me and I'm just missing it

1. rectangular shape tool
2. circular shape tool - subtract

and its fully editable

Or fill an entire layer with a color, then apply a layer mask to reveal only the shape (holes and all) that you want. Again, completely editable.