Timesaver question

Hi everyone.

I've read and reread the furom, tried and faield until I got basic designing right, and am now busy creating. I'm using CS2, and can't say I'm an advance user, but I know my way around enough to be able to desig what I want, at least I think I can. On to the question.

Is there an quick way to alter the shape of a texture? Closer explaination; I'm trying to apply trims to the inner and outer edges of a top I'm designing, and so far i've been using wraping to change and alter the straight-shaped texture that I want to use as the trim. It's time-consuming, and the results are not satisfying enough. Is there a more rapid and precise way to alter the shape of the trim?

Thanks in advance.

I think I might be able to help, but I need to clarify exactly what you're attempting and needing help with.

I'll assume that when you say you're using 'CS2', you mean 'Photoshop CS2'. If not, then please say exactly what that means.

If I understand your problem correctly, you are trying to adjust the patterned trim of an article of clothing, the 'top' you mentioned? If that's true, then maybe you're having trouble getting the texture seams to match up? Anyone would have trouble with that, since the avatar texture map is inherently flawed.

But if all my assumptions are correct, then you might try putting your trim pattern on its own Layer, and using the different Transform tools (Skew, Distort, Free Transform) to adjust where the pattern falls.

Does that sound like what you're dealing with?

Hi Rev, sorry for lack of info, I'll try to refrase.

Firstly, yes, I'm using PS CS2. Secondly, The trim texture is on it's own layer, and thirdly, at this point, I'm not worried about getting the seam lines to match up, I know there are problems with the mappins of the avatars. That's for later hehe.

Let's say it like this:

I have a straight line of trim texture, and I've been using the Transform tools to alter it's line shape to fit the contours of the design. My question is this; is there a more efficient and precise method to alter the shape of that straight line to for wxample an arc? For example, can one make a path to apply to the texture that it will follow, altering it's shape to that path (for example the outline of the contour of the collar)? Also, how can I make sure the texture doesn't lose it's quality after it has been transformed? When I'm done altering it with the Warp tool, it always becomes blury. How can I prevent that?

Hope that clearifies it a bit more.

Again, thanks in advance

You're talking about something like bra straps for example?
After the transform, I normally erase the strap area. Then go copy the strap section from the original, and paste it in. Then rotate and adjust it in place. Not sure about curve segments tho. I just apply multiple straight sections and try and blend them together.

Bra straps could be an example I guess, although in this case I'm thinking more of for example a lace that would be attatched to the straps. Would there be a way to make a straight line of lace to align with the curvy straps other than the Transform tools?

You could apply the flat lace texture onto a cylinder or sphere inworld, choose the right angle, and take a screen capture from there. But thats too crude for most people I guess.

Photoshop has some of the crudest tools for creating original things tho. Most of the time, its still classified as an image editor instead of a 'paint' program.

Other methods include using Corel Painter which has a sort of 'image hose' I think. you can load a texture on like a section of a pipe, for example, and paint a long curvy pipe simply by dragging it with the mouse. In your case, you load up a section of the lace and use it as the image hose. But I haven't been using painter for donkeys years, so somebody else has to confirm this.

Torley, you use Painter for your artwork, right?

Hi Cal!

The answer is yes and no. There's nothing that will allow you to simply force an image to adhere to a path (not in PS, anyway, although there is a way in Painter.)

However, there is something that works nearly as well. It's called a Smart Object, and it's also the answer to the blur question.

It will still take some time and tweaking to get the trim set up the first time; but for all subsequent trim that follows the same line, the process is automatic.

To use it, begin by making a Pattern that is a grid of some kind. (I use the same test pattern that I use for most things. Let me know if you want it.) This step will only have to be done once, as long as you remember to Save your patterns. Once that is done;

1. Make a marquee about the size that you will need for your trim. If you're not sure how long to make it, take your best guess. It's better, in my experience, to have it too short than too long; but getting it right is even better.

2. Make a new Pattern Fill layer, using the icon at the bottom of the layer palette. The pattern will fill the marquee. Move it or scale it as needed to get a nice even result.

3. Create a new layer below the Pattern Fill layer, by holding down the Command/ctrll key and clicking the New Layer icon.

4. Merge the two layers by shift-clicking on them, and tapping Command/ctrl E. This will rasterize the pattern, and apply the mask, both of which you need to do. (But this is faster than finding the commands in the menus.)

5. With that layer selected, go to the Fly-Out menu under the flippy at the top right of the Layer palette, and choose "Group into New Smart Object". You'll notice that there is now an icon on the layer, to show that it's a Smart Object.

6. Tap Command/ctrl T to enter the Free Transform mode, and position the "trim." I recommend aligning the center with the center of the opening. It's easier to adjust both edges than it is to drag the middle around.

7. Click the Warp Mode button on the top tool bar, and adjust the trim. (I think you know which it is, from your post, but just in case, it's the one just to the left of the Cancel icon, with the little envelope on it. This will put you into Warp mode.

Just a few words about using Warp, which can be very tricky.



Line it up so that it looks as good as possible. There will be some curvature, of course, but keep it even. Something like this.



8. When you have it, Save!

9. Double click on the Smart Object, to edit it. It will open in a new window, and look (and act) exactly like any other PS document. Now, you can replace the grid with any kind of trim you like. For instance, a piece of lace. Just paste it in, and remove the old layer. Save the Smart Object.

10. Click on the original image, and admire the way the trim automatically takes the shape of the curve you created.



(If it looks a little blurry, that's because the zoom is something like 236%)

The best part about it is that you can duplicate the Smart Object layer, and use it wherever you want your trim. Each duplicate will retain its own Warp information. To Unwarp it so you can start fresh, just click the Warp icon, and then choose None from the Warp menu at the left of the Options bar. It will sproing back to its flat shape.

Then when you are ready to change to the "real" trim, just change one of them. The rest will automatically change when you save the first one.

It's not instant and automatic to set up, but it's pretty quick; and it is instant and automatic after the initial time investment!

Hope this helps!

Yum Robin. I think that solves the problem already.

I was giving Painter Essentials and the pattern pen a go. Looks kinda fun painting ropes and lace. Needs a decent tablet to do it nicely tho.

http://forums.secondlife.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=41905
http://forums.secondlife.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=41907&stc=1

Right. It is very nice with my Intuos. I also use the free edition of ArtRage 2 which Kris Ritter clued me into, as well as Deep Paint which also has a free version. Of the three, ArtRage 2 has the nicest interface--Painter's feels oddly mechanical and too cluttered for something which should flow like... paint.

Thanx for addressing me forwardly too, it's nice to know I'm not dead (in this lifetime).

Brill tips, Robin. That deserves a PDF--did you already make one?

Cal IMd me in world, and asked for the pattern, so here it is. (Clicking on that starts the download, so be warned.)

To use it (once it's unzipped,) just go to Edit > Fill > Pattern and click to get the Pattern palette in the Custom Pattern swatch. From there, click the flippy on the top right of the Pattern Palette, and choose Load Patterns from the menu. Browse to wherever you put the download, and Load it. The new pattern will show up at the bottom of your Pattern Palette from now on.

(You can do this anyplace that lets you use patterns, by the way, so if you'd rather do it with the Paintbucket tool, or the Pattern Fill layer, or even double clicking on a layer to get the Layer Options, and then enabling Pattern Overlay on the left, you can. All you need is the Pattern palette, however you want to make it appear.)

Thanks, Torley! I should make some of these things into PDFs, I suppose; or at least put them on my site somewhere, to make it easy to link to them the next time. But no, I'm afraid that I haven't done that yet.

I use Painter, too, and I agree that the interface is... ummm .. less than ideal.

Doing this kind of thing is a snap in Painter 9, though. All you have to do is set the trim up as a pattern, and then make a path (it's best if you stroke it, so you can see it,) choose a Pattern brush, and click the "Align to Path" button in the Options Bar at the top of the interface. (It's the fourth from the left, after the Freehand paint and Straight Line paint icons.) As long as you are within the Tolerance you've set in Preferences, you'll make a line that's aligned to the path. If you're too far away, you won't make any marks at all.

You can do the same thing with the Image Hose, or any other brush, for that matter. But trims, I've found, work best as patterns.

So yeah, despite the clunky interface, I do find myself using Painter for this and that.

Thank you all for your replies and inputs. Robin, excellent describtion as always, I got it right on the first tryout. As I said inworld, you're a true lifesaver, this is going to save me a lot of time and hair-pulling (what little I have left anyway ). Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Nice little tutorial for working with bezier curves, Robin. If one was to tackle the same issue in PS 7, Paths and shapes would be the answer. Paths, however, will not do image warping. PS CS2 is much better for that.