Scale problem

[Doogsby]

Hi, I know this has been covered to an extent in other posts, but I couldn't find the answer to my problem, so bear with me. I have Painter IX and I can't work out how to use the scale/rotate etc controls. The boundary box appears, I drag the handles (as in P'shop), but no preview occurs. Someone here said they only get the transformation when they hit the OK button, but what is this if not the return button? It doesn't work. Any hints?

Thanks.

[Fes]

Hi Doosby in Painter IX.5 if you use the Effect/Orientation/Scale way of transforming objects then you don't get a preview (in version X you do get to see the size of the bounding box).

The best way to see/do transformations is to click on the selection tool (well it's called Layer adjust I think - the arrow/move symbol) and then right mouse click on the layer then choose Free transform from the pop up box. Then your layer should have a box at each corner. Just left mouse click and drag the box to make bigger/smaller. Hold down the shift key if you need to keep the same shape. To rotate hold down the ctrl (on a PC... Command key on an apple) key while the mouse is over the corner boxes. To slant (rhombus) hold down the ctrl key over a middle box.

Then once you've got it how you want right mouse click again an choose Commit Transform. You can also commit by right clicking the layer in the Layers palette and selecting commit.

Sometimes it's a little temperamental and wont let you grab the box handles... try clicking on and off the layer in the layer palette... it wont set the transformation unless you tell it to or unless you want to draw on the same layer.

[Doogsby]

Thanks Fes, but when I do as you say it tries to rescale the entire layer, not just the selected area. Is there a way to scale only the selected area? I tried floating the selection, but this creates a new layer (or something akin to a layer)

Ta.

[Fes]

To my knowledge you can't transform a selection and have this affect your image/layer underneath - if you resize the selection (using the selection adjuster in the tools pallet) it just affects the selection area shape not the image. You can only transform (resize/rotate/skew) a layer. If you only want to transform a bit of your layer, select the bit, cut and paste (either right click on the selection and choose 'cut to layer' or use the keyboard shortcuts ie: 'Cut' Command + X (mac) or Ctrl + X (pc) and then 'Paste In Place' Command + Shift + V (mac) or Ctrl + Shift + V (pc).

Then transform that tiny bit of layer and Collapse that back with your previous layer (highlight both layers in the layer palette with the shift key down, click on the Layer Commands button at the bottom left of the layers pallet and select Collapse).

[Doogsby]

Thanks Fes, I'll go with that. Shame it's not as simple as the P'shop route, but hey. Appreciated.