Need help with P&GD9 Shape Painter Tool

[cyberqueen]

I own Photo & Graphic Designer 9. I have found this forum and Gary Priester's "First Look" very helpful in understanding how to use some of P&GD9's impressive features. However, the Shape Painter Tool continues to mystify me. I have read the Help file and Gary's First Look, but I still do not understand the exact steps Gary went through to add more cloud shapes to the first photo. Before posting this message, I also tried searching the forum for information, but I failed to find what I was looking for. I'd be most grateful for some "Shape Painter Tool for Dummies" step-by-obvious-step instructions for how to do what Gary Priester shows in his "First Look" or any other tips for using the Shape Painter Tool.

Thanks in advance.

[gwpriester]

The actual size of the photo is larger than the rectangle as indicated by the dashed red outline. I selected the photo with the Fill Tool, selected Repeating Tile from the drop down list on the Infobar, copied the photo to the clipboard, then selected the rectangle and used Edit > Paste Attributes to apply the photo to the rectangle (could also be applied to an ellipse or any other closed shape.

Select the photo then the Shape Painter Tool and paint on the photo edges. This will only work if there is more photo or if the photo has been set to Repeating Tile with the Fill Tool.

[Big Frank]

the Shape Painter Tool continues to mystify me

you are not alone
thanks gary for your help in understanding this
i confess i'm still using many of my years-old techniques because those new tools intimidate* me





* thank god for thesaurus.com, lol

[cyberqueen]

Gary, thanks very much for your prompt response. Alas, I'm afraid I'm still mystified. Where did the red dotted rectangle come from? When I read your "First Look," I assumed that the red dotted rectangle simply showed the size of the original photo from which the visible photo had been clipped. But apparently I was wrong. I've tried to duplicate what you did. I took a photo and clipped it. But no dotted rectangle appears. Clearly, there's something I'm not understanding, but I don't know what it is. If you or anyone else could summon up still more patience to deal with my confusion, I'd be most grateful.

[gwpriester]

I added the red dashed rectangle to indicate the size of the original image (you can also see this with the fill path arrows).

Sorry for the confusion.

[cyberqueen]

I added the red dashed rectangle to indicate the size of the original image (you can also see this with the fill path arrows).

Thanks very much, Gary, for your continued help and patience. Here, you say that you added the red dashed rectangle to show the size of the original image, but in your earlier message, you said in one of the steps you selected the rectangle. How could you select it? Did you somehow create a blank rectangle before you clipped the original photo? If that's what you did, where would it be so that you could select it later? Needless to say, I feel like an idiot asking these questions, but it's the only way I'll learn.

[gwpriester]

Ah, yes, I could have simply selected the photo with the Fill Tool and made it larger.

I am in the habit of creating a rectangle to a specific size and then using Paste Attributes to add the photo. Obviously this is an extra set of steps and steps that are not really necessary for the demo I created.

As Rosanna Rosanadana (Gilda Radner) used to say on Saturday Night Live, Never mind.

[cyberqueen]

Thanks VERY much, Gary! I think with this new information, I'll be able to get the Shape Tool to work. I'm most grateful to you.