Improvements for two tools

[greenmorpher]

I would like to see improved implementation of two tools.

1) The Distort Frame tool. Effects > Shape Tools > Distort Frame. This tool is good but I would like to see an implementation where I could see the change of shape without having to click "okay", than have to adjust again, and again as I guess the amount a have to move a point to get the shape and size I want. The window you do the distorting in is small by default and there are no reference points. A grid would be good with the choice of stickiness plus magnification of area being worked on. also being able to select and move points by the cursor keys would be good. Trying to get find adjustments on screen with a guess-and-by-god mouse demanding very small movements is a recipe for hand and arm muscular disaster.

2) The Rectify Tool. Filter > Digital Camera > Rectify. Pretty much as above BUT the rectify tool should return to vertical and horizontal at the end of use by default unless otherwise set by the user.

Cheers, geoff

[bkh]

Just wondering: Why don't you use the layer tool for this kind of work? (Either switch to Extended Mode in the tool settings or hold down CMD/Ctrl while dragging a corner.) In that way, you can zoom and pan as needed, and you have an immediate preview. When I need a grid overlay, I often use the (alignment) grid without making it "magnetic"; guides can also be useful. You still can't use the cursor keys to move a corner, though.


Cheers

Burkhard.

[greenmorpher]

Just wondering: Why don't you use the layer tool for this kind of work? (Either switch to Extended Mode in the tool settings or hold down CMD/Ctrl while dragging a corner.) In that way, you can zoom and pan as needed, and you have an immediate preview. When I need a grid overlay, I often use the (alignment) grid without making it "magnetic"; guides can also be useful. You still can't use the cursor keys to move a corner, though.

Why don’t I do that? Why?

Because I keep forgetting I can! Dammit! I keep going to the menu items.

Thanks for the heads up again, Burkhard, though for the life of me, I cannot understand why we are presented with crippled little tools when we can do it all very much better as you describe.

Cheers, geoff

[Herbert123]

I feel a bit of a clean up and consolidation of all the tools in Photoline is in order at this point. A tool like the "distort frame tool" should be removed from the menu, because it is deprecated.

Tools like the other shape tools could be collected in one main shape tool, instead of individual menu items.

[photoken]

Tools like the other shape tools could be collected in one main shape tool, instead of individual menu items.

?? The Effects...Shape Tools are so different that they shouldn't (and probably can't) be "collected in one main shape tool". In particular, the Distort Image With Image Tool is very valuable -- it's what other programs call a "Displacement Map".

[greenmorpher]

Tools like the other shape tools could be collected in one main shape tool, instead of individual menu items.

?? The Effects...Shape Tools are so different that they shouldn't (and probably can't) be "collected in one main shape tool". In particular, the Distort Image With Image Tool is very valuable -- it's what other programs call a "Displacement Map".

now this is something that has puzzled me, Ken -- what is the use of "Distort Image with Image"? Ihave fiddled with it a bit and down a cluple of interesting things, but I really can't get my head around what I reallyshould be doing with it.

Can you psot an example of two or links to examples? I would be most appreciative.

Cheers, geoff

[mwenz]

...Can you psot an example of two or links to examples? I would be most appreciative...

Not Ken,

The screen shot was made in PL using the displace. There are other layers (a couple adjustment layers) and copies of layers (with some transparencies) to achieve the final effect. But it all began with using a copy of the bottom layer of the rocks to deform/displace the original flag (which was flat).

capture-002301.jpg

Here's a video of what one does. There are tons of tutorials on the web. My example was from one I found for another user elsewhere...but I didn't save the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vt44VEb_oU

Mike

[photoken]

Here's a tutorial I did a few years ago when I was still using Photoshop Elements:
https://forums.adobe.com/message/4022408#4022408

The steps are easily translatable to PhotoLine, and the reasons for doing the steps are also valid for PL.

[photoken]

I also find that using a Displacement Map is great for creating the appearance of text "floating" above the background image -- in this case, you only use the Displacement Map on the shadow layer:

Brigette Bardot 069.jpg

Unfortunately, the PLD file is too big to attach to a message here, but the layers look like this:

BB 069 layers.png

After applying the Displacement Map to the shadow, I added a couple of adjustment layers to it to get the look just right.

[greenmorpher]

14-11-22 PNG flag.jpg

Thanks guys. I'm getting the idea. Not quite right yet but I am understanding where I have to fiddle.

I made a 500x375 of the flag, then changed the image size to 700x575 with a 100 margin all around which was initially transparent but turned white (I was was working in JPEG).

I made a 700x575 of the water, copied it, and pasted it as a layer into the flag file. I made it the bottom layer.

I Distorted the flag image.

Then I drew a rectangle over the flag, about 500x375, converted it to a selection, deactivated the flag and activated the water layer, and copied the selection.

I pasted that as a layer, put it on top of the flag, lightened it (I should have desaturated it), and applied the hard light.

I then erased some bits of the rectangle layer that overhung bits of the flag image outline.

And I am stting here thinking -- thanks the Brothers, and thankyou Mike and Ken, I am now a genius!!! (But still not perfect, you will note a certain lack of modesty!).

Cheers, geoff

[greenmorpher]

The previous one was bit wrong, wasn't it? So this is the correct technique:

experiment P1010036.1.jpg

NOTE: THE ABOVE IS THE ATTACHMENT WHICH APPLIES not the previous attachment some saw.
For this I made the background water a 700x475 image. I saved it as a PLD file.
I duplicated the background.
I desaturated the duplicate.
I made the flag 500x375 then copied it and pasted it as a layer into the the PLD file.
I changed the size of the flag layer to 700x475, centering the flag and leaving it surrounded by transparency.
The layers were in the order (bottom to top), background water, desaturated water, flag.
I selected the flag layer, applied Distort with Image, and it automatically picked up the desaturated image on the layer beneath it.
I moved the desaturated layer to the top, then applied hard light.
I selected the flag layer and lightened it “to taste” using the curves tool.
A little of the edge of my flag was ragged, but most was a straight line. I adjusted it a little with the autotransprency tool, the eraser, and finger tool applied to the flag layer.

mwenz, the edge of your flag seems to be distorted in accordance with the rocks. Can you tell me how you achieved that?

Cheers, geoff

[Hoogo]

NOTE: THE ABOVE IS THE ATTACHMENT WHICH APPLIES not the previous attachment some saw...
A little of the edge of my flag was ragged, but most was a straight line. I adjusted it a little with...
mwenz, the edge of your flag seems to be distorted in accordance with the rocks. Can you tell me how you achieved that?

I had seen the other picture and was wondering how you retained your edges that straight?

It depends on the picture how well this receipt works. Imagine you would have to texture this simplified stone:

Stone.jpg

...but you don't have a distort-filter, just the finger tool to smear!

A simple receipt for using the smear finger would look like this:

To make the texture match the form of the stone, you would smear the upper parts down, just in the area of the edge. And you would treat all other edges like this. That matches the brightness of the stone: Where it was bright, the texture was moved down/left, medium parts left it untouched, and at darker parts it was moved up/right.

The distort filter does just follow this receipt, it is using 2 channels to move up/down and left/right independently instead of using just the simple brightness.

But the movement and the brightness do not match so nicely in all pictures like in this stone. The receipt was fine for Mike's stones and somewhat OK for Photoken's BB. But I think the smear finger would be used other than just following the brightness. I guess some edge detection would look fine. We had a receipt long ago, with a swirl in water, but I can't remember...

[mwenz]

I did a search and *think* this was the link I used. Blend mode is important, as you will see. I still tweaked it a bit for mine after the tutorial, but it will get you there.

http://myphotoshophowto.wordpress.com/2 ... llo-world/

[greenmorpher]

Thanks for your responses, Hoogo and mwenz. I will check out the tutorial a bit later.

After posting last night, I tried one more thing -- at the start, place a square over the flag, apply roughen to get a ragged edge, convert that to a lasso, then use that selection of the flag.

That gave me a somewhat better appearance in the end.

Cheers, geoff