Masking

[auggybendoggy]

Guys,
I'm trying to mask out a person from the picture. Simple task right??? Not so when you're used to using 10 year old photo software. In Picture Publisher I would freehand an outline using brezier cureves then select a button called "object".

In Corel I HAVE no idea how to mask the person out. I read the help menu and it tells (vaguely) about what the different selections. But nothing helpful.

I'm hoping someone might be able to guide me here a bit.

Auggy

[LeviFiction]

You can use the freehand selection tool with either a Edge seeker mode or Smart Edge mode and see if PSP can select your person for you.

You can also use the backround eraser tool to actually erase the area around the character (depending on how complex the background is) of course this isn't as good as masking but it's pretty nice.

You can also use the pen tool to create bezier curves and go to the selections menu and create a selection from the vector object.

With selections you can make a new mask layer based on the selection.

Here are a few video tutorials on doing these:

FreeHand Selection
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihWIX3Ifbe8

Background Eraser: Part 1 & 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRgHaVMxgEY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHfk6VIJE1Q

Vector Selections
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAtyS4pehUQ

Yes these are my videos and yes this is shameless self-promotion. But I don't look up other videos so I'm useless in finding better ones.

The only ones I don't have right now are Masking in general and the path tool. I was planning on making the path one later this week when Fall Break starts.

[auggybendoggy]

Levi,
Thank you so much for the help. I hope those you tube are not the techno versions. I've seen so many with some crappy music instead of the instructor explaning.
Please understand it's always hard teaching an old dog new tricks. As much as deep inside I want to install PP - I WONT! I have to learn this program. So bear with me.

Let me ask this question.

I laid out some text and I want to fill it with a gradient.
I've done that except I cannot get the text to be 100% white in the center and black on both ends (3 point gradient). What I end up with is a faded gradient but not 100% white in the middle.
I've checked all the opacity settings I can possibly find (lol) but nothing seems to get this text to show normal.

Aug

[LeviFiction]

I would never do a techno version. I have no taste in music at all. Don't worry I've done all of my teaching classes at college it's full talking.....unless that's also something to worry about. *Shrug*

I'm not overly sure what you're talking about. But let me give you one more video, it's on using gradients and how to edit them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mBYIND-Dhg

[auggybendoggy]

I refilled the text with a solid and that worked. Then I refilled with a gradient and it worked. So far so good and the text seems simple. It's only a matter of doing things.

Now might I ask for a tip on text on a curve (brezier)?

[LeviFiction]

You can ask, I did go over it slightly in my Text Tool tutorial, but I can't guarantee I'll be of any use. XD

Otherwise I can point you to the tutorial I learned from http://www.michelespaintshop.com/psp-text-on-curve.php

[auggybendoggy]

When a mask is created by using the vector selection tool, can it be edited later.

Suppose I create a square of 4 point and select "from vector object" - now suppose I want to add a point and re-do it later? Will I have to re-draw the vector? My first guess is to create a different layer - do the small edit as it's own selection - then merge the two masks?

[LeviFiction]

I'm not sure I understand what you're asking. But first off, in my attempts to follow your example merging of the two mask layers did not result in the new shape. You can defloat a selection onto a mask but merging down doesn't appear to do anything decent with the masks.

Are you editing the selection at all before you create the mask?

A mask is nothing more than a greyscale image that is used to determine levels of opacity. Black conceals while white reveals. So if you want to edit the mask after you've already made it just select the mask and you can paint on it, apply filters (like Gaussian Blur), and anything you want. No need to create a brand new mask just because you're editing the shape of the original selection.

With the new selection made just select the mask layer and either paint in, or use the fill tool (Heck the Delete key will fill it with the background color for you) to fill it in with either black or white. And it'll make the proper edits to the mask for you.

[auggybendoggy]

Levi, forgive me for my poor form of communication. It's as if college did nothing for me LOL.

Ok, I think the real challenge for me so far is getting used to working with layers vs objects. In Picture Publisher there are no layers. Everything is an object and is treated as if it is it's on it's own layer but there's no layers. So I think getting used to working with these layers will really help me to graps some of the things you do.

I'd like to know (while watching your tutorial) why Corel does not add to Brezier Curves - CURVE BEFORE AND AFTER!!!! Why not have the 3rd selection in the menu so you don't have to back and forth in the menu setting each. If they had before AND after then you could simply choose that.

Aug

[LeviFiction]

I wouldn't go blaming college or yourself for poor communication. I often have a hard time understanding what people ask. So I'm pretty sure it's me, not you. Although since you're unfamiliar with working with these things I don't expect well formed questions either.

I remember having trouble with layers. Like yourself I was more used to objects or just flat images (MSPaint) so layers were very awkward for me. I've actually received a few good comments on my layers tutorial from people who have also had a hard time understanding layers. Though I listen to it over and over and I don't know why. Haha. It's a mish-mash of information more than anything else.

Now as for the not having a "Curve Before and After" command I have often wondered that myself. I mean they have a "Convert To Line" option that does the Line before and After functionality.

Since most of the time I need to bend the line before and after anyway I use the small shortcut of defaulting all nodes to a cusp curving both before and after. First double-click on a single node in the contour to select them all. Then apply the node type changes from there. Since a smooth (symmetric/asymmetric) or line option are a lot easier to apply to single nodes from there it drastically decreases the number of steps required on larger projects.

There is another way, however, if you don't mind making your own script.

With the script toolbar visible (view->Toolbars->Script) Select the node you're going to apply the curve before and curve after commands on. Now hit record on the script toolbar and curve the lines before and after the node. Go ahead and hit save and give your script a name.

Now we could leave it there, hitting the play button on the script toolbar anytime we wanted to use the script. Or we can bind the script to the pen tool context menu.

You can watch the video I just made here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxtEpQXe-0I

Or you can just read these instructions.

1 )Go to the View menu and select Customize at the bottom.

2 )In the dialog box that pops up select the Scrips Tab.

3 ) Find the script you just made in the drop down box.

4 ) Select the icon you want your script to have (you have limited choice but it doesn't matter, we won't see it)

5 ) Hit the "Bind" button. It binds the icon to the script making a new command we can use in menus and toolbars.

6 ) Click on the Menu tab

7 ) Under Context menus in the drop down box select Pen Tool. The Pen Tool context menu should pop-up to the left.

8 ) Select the Node Type Menu and you should see the node type list.

9 ) Go back to the script tab and drag your newly bound script into the context menu.

10 ) Right-click and select "Menu Text" to change how the script name appears in the menu.

11 ) If you add an ampersand "&" before one of the letters that letter will be underlined and become a shortcut key for the menu item.

12 ) Click one of the other menu items to give paint shop pro a chance to register the change.

13 ) Click the node type menu again to see if the change is still there. If so hit close on the customize dialog.

14 ) Try out the new command yourself by editing the node.