Feather edges

[Peter Clifton]

Hello People

Object Clipping 101
===================

To make the technique clear and take less words to explain, you will need the attached, example Photo-Paint File (150 kilobytes approx)

Open up the file in Photo-Paint

Enable/Show the Object Docker and Channel Docker

The file consists of an image loaded into photopaint

A black filled circle created as a separate object

A circular mask feathered inside, you can use the dockers to take a look at each element.

To finish of the image.

1. Select the background in the docker and go to menu option object/create/from background
2. Select the black circle (titled - potential clipping object) in the Object docker
3. Click on the mask tool button in the toolbox
4. Press the delete key
5. Delete the mask (red no entry button in the top toolbar)
6. Click on the main background object in the object docker and drag it above the potential clipping object
7. Click on the empty box between the eye icon and the background object description so that a paper clip appears
8. Click on the potential clipping object and using the slider at the top of the docker to set the transparency to 0%

You should now have a crescent shaped image, feathered down one side

9. With the clipping object selected (lowest item in the object docker) from the docker you can slide it around over the image if it is not in quite the right place.

When happy

10. CTRL Click both objects in the docker to select them and right click/combine/objects together to reduce the elements to the size of the clipping object for incorporation into other images.

I find Photo-Paint much easier to use than a certain other bitmap editing package, I don't use it that often as I primarily work in vectors, however I have never found it lacking when I need to work with bitmaps.

HTH

Peter

[Grafixman]

Hi, Peter. You're right, this is easier done in Photopaint than Draw. Photopaint is a capable image editor. It's just that it seemed lots of the functions are tucked away and harder to find than contemporary apps. They're there, alright, but you have to be very familiar with the layout and workflow to implement them. It is lacking in convenience and intuitiveness.

[skareta]

2 tacksie: it was cdr11.

I was just trying to make a point that you could do it with blends. It wasn't exactly Grafixman post (nothing like that, indeed) that I had in mind... but you could really do it all in vector if you just played with blends a bit more, especially since version 11 allows to blend trasparent objects. IMHO.

[skareta]

>> seemed lots of the functions are tucked away and harder to find than contemporary apps. They're there, alright, but you have to be very familiar with the layout and workflow to implement them. It is lacking in convenience and intuitiveness. etc etc

Right. The default interface could hardly be worse, the way everything is really hidden and looking ugly... but once you take a little time to sort things out and place them where you want them...

Anyway, I am just posting a workspace file (one of the few that I'm using) to show how it can be different. For anyone interested, see if this is any better than default settings.

I am sure you know how to import those settings in Tools > Options > Workspace.

[Grafixman]

You're right, skareta. I guess I should spend more time customizing the work area to suit my needs. I just naturally assumed that the work area is optimized in the default, but that indeed is not the case. Going to spend more time with Photopaint now...

[tacksie]

Hi Guys.....Blimey i'm almost sorry I asked. It is not easy is it...are you listening corel !

I will of course try all the things you are suggesting but then again I might just sneak into adobe photoshop do a feathered eclipse and export back as a bmp. I am absolutely useless with photoshop I think it is really heavy going but i'm sure it does feathering easier than this. Anyway guys, if nothing else its got you all thinking hasn't it.

Thanks for all your help you are top people

Regards

David

[Grafixman]

The simplest way to do it in PhotoPaint:
1. Open your image.
2. Convert the background into a layer.
3. Create an elliptical selection.
4. Invert the selection.
5. Press the delete button.
6. Mask/Feather; adjust the value as desired
7. Save as a psd or cmx file.
Import into Corel Draw.

[Grafixman]

Copy and paste also works between Draw and Photopaint. So if you started with PP, you can just copy the feathered layer and paste it in Draw.
If you started out in Draw, you can use the powerclip to place the pic in an ellipse. Create a larger rectangle with no fill and no outline and again powerclip ellipse into this. With the object selected, click copy. Then open Photopaint and from File, choose open new file from clipboard. (If you already have an image opened in PP, this option is in Edit/Paste/New image from clipboard.) Mask/Feather feathers the edges of the ellipse. Click the eye icon so you can preview the result as you adjust the feathering value. (The invisible rectangle makes sure you have enough transparent spaces around your ellipse.) Copy from PP and paste in Draw.

[tacksie]

Thanks grafixman...
I think I am finally getting there bit by bit, but wouldn't you think it would be easier than this just to blur an edge...what a load of faffing around. Thanks anyway man, take care I appreciate your help

David

[Peter Clifton]

tacksie

Are you sure it does not seem that complicated, descriptions of techniques are always harder to write/describe than to do.

I like object clipping in Photopaint, I only used the example to show a single feathered edge to show it's flexibility but there are other ways.

For instance, given the heart example you asked about in the photoshop area, this took less than a minute.

In CorelDRAW 10/11 or 12

1. Create a heart using the preset from the perfect shape tool (basic shapes category)

2. Powerclip the source bitmap inside the heart shape and adjust position of bitmap in powerclip if required

3. Convert the powerclip object to a bitmap (menu bitmaps/convert to bitmap and make sure transparent background is checked)

4. Right click on the new bitmap object and edit in PhotoPaint

In PhotoPaint

5. Menu - Object/Feather as desired

6. Exit photopaint and save image back to draw.

That is it the entire example in 6 steps.

HTH

Peter