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11/18/2007 08:40:32 PM · #1 |
To all you clever people out there, I have a question about using the pen tool in Photoshop:
After drawing a nice curve (see exhibit A), I need to Alt + Click on the last anchor point (Exhibit C) to make half of the previous direction line disappear. If I don't do that, the next curve will be some insane shape (Exhibit B) that simply will not behave.
Having to Alt-Click that anchor point after every single curve I make (straight is ok without alt-clicking) is a big waste of time.
Is there a better way? Is there a way to do the alt-clicking by default?
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11/18/2007 08:47:43 PM · #2 |
| I do a rough outline all the way around first. Then fine tune the path by adding, removing and curving the nodes. Helps prevent some of that wackiness. |
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11/18/2007 09:33:34 PM · #3 |
Originally posted by Beetle:
To all you clever people out there, I have a question about using the pen tool in Photoshop:
After drawing a nice curve (see exhibit A), I need to Alt + Click on the last anchor point (Exhibit C) to make half of the previous direction line disappear. If I don't do that, the next curve will be some insane shape (Exhibit B) that simply will not behave.
Having to Alt-Click that anchor point after every single curve I make (straight is ok without alt-clicking) is a big waste of time.
Is there a better way? Is there a way to do the alt-clicking by default?
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Any changes of direction that require a corner need to be alt-clicked (or drag the half-bezier line [the direction point] that runs tangent to the point, and drag it in the direction you want the line to continue).
You might also be able to add the points roughly where they should be, then go through with the convert tool and convert the points to anchor points. |
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11/18/2007 09:38:59 PM · #4 |
Thank you, Erick and Geoff.
I just tried the fine tuning idea, but so far that seems to take longer than the other way. However, it might just be a matter of practice because I'm totally not used to doing it that way.
Judging by your responses I guess there really IS no way to do that alt click by default :-( |
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11/18/2007 10:20:23 PM · #5 |
When using the Bezier curve tool you should always be dragging the mouse tangent to the angle of the curve as you make new anchor points; this will eliminate the wacky flip-flops and create smooth curves throughout. Then you go back and edit the nodes as needed to create corners. If you just move the mouse and create new nodes when it is stationary you get some strange stuff.
R.
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11/18/2007 10:32:27 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
When using the Bezier curve tool you should always be dragging the mouse tangent to the angle of the curve as you make new anchor points; this will eliminate the wacky flip-flops and create smooth curves throughout.
R. |
Unless I really don't know what I'm talking about (and that's a possibility, too), I'm doing exactly that. "Dragging the mouse tangent to the angle of the curve" seems to be the ONLY way to get them right, and yes, it works wonderfully, as long as I then get rid of the second half of that handle thing before I move onto the next one.
When it goes into that crazy mode, there is NO way to make the curve behave, no matter which way I drag the point.
It is all easy enough to fix, I just wish I could do without that extra step after each curve. |
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11/19/2007 05:31:15 AM · #7 |
In a sense "that alt-click" IS the default; when you draw a new node, you immediately "lose" one of the handles on the previous node. When you alt-click, you "lose" a handle the same way, but if later you go back and select that node both handles are there, and the nodes to either side of the selected node both show only one handle.
The example you have illustrated is what results when you flip the lines 180 degrees. It's an inverted smooth curve.
Are you aware that you can switch any node from smooth to corner mode?
One thing I have noticed is that when you're drawing with the photoshop pen and place the new node too close to the previous one it's REALLY hard to control the shape. If you want to draw precisely, you have to magnify a LOT.
In general, it's easier to rough in a shape with as few nodes as possible, then go back and ADD nodes as needed to fine-tune the shape.
If you have a pen tablet, it's usually easier to draw with the freeform pen instead of the bezier pen, then go back and delete unneeded nodes and fine-tune the ones you keep.
R.
R.
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