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Paths/Shapes Conversion Question


C

chrish

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Hello helpful people,

I have a question :)

How can I convert a path to a shape in PS? I know a workaround: Make a custom shape from the path, then open the shape tool and add the newly created custom shape with the same size as the origianl path...presto, I have my path as shape and can mess around with it.

Is there any wayI can do this without this workaround? Create my path and just turn it into a shape.

Or, can I turn a selection into a shape? What I'm doing is to select an area with the magic wand, turn the selction into a path, then create a custom shape off that path and put that back into my .psd.

If there was a way to turn my selction into a shape that would save me a whole lot of time!

Thanks :)

Chris
 
make your selection with the wand, right click and make a path. Now grab the pen tool, right click within the path and selct custom shape.

I think this is what you are going for. If not, let me know.
 
Hey, thanks for the reply.

No, that is what I am doing, I was wondering whether I could avoid the custom shape part and turn the path into a shape without having to go and make a custom shape, delete the path anf then add the custom shape to my document...

...or whether I could turn my selection into a shape immrediately...

:)

Chris
 
Chris...

Just use the Vector Shape tools, and a "Vector Shape Layer". It allows you to create a shape using the normal Pen/Path tools, but while doing it on s Vector Shape Layer, you end up with an editable Vector Shape.

If you so choose, afterward you can still define the shape as a custom one.

The button on the far left of this example image is the "Vector Shape Layer" icon. Make sure that's clicked before continuing to create your Path.
 
Thanks Mark,

not quite, but you got me on the right track:

Make selection
Create new layer
Create path from selection
Add vector mask from path to new layer

...presto, I have my shape formed from the selection on the new layer...

Thanks for the help! With every reply I got one step closer :)

Now what I need is a makro which will do that automatically for me, from selection to new vector layer...hmmm...can I do that with an action? I'll try now, this just came to me as I was typing this...

Chris
 
About the last question, you might be interested by issue #83 of computer arts (out soon)...
 
Chris...

Even though your method "appears" to do the same thing as the one i suggested, it in fact is not as good. Why you ask? Because... Photoshop can never convert a selection to a Path half as well as if you simply created the Path yourself using the Path tool.

Selection-to-Path will always be inconsistent in line acuracy reproduction. Especially on freeform shapes. The common fault of this though is usually human error -- in entering the correct "tolerance" level number prior to the conversion.

And that's why i didn't suggest to you the method which you chose. ;)

Vector Shape Layers are the way to go -- at least until PS has a function to "clean up" the Path lines it creates. Another good reason to use them is that if you have to edit your Path/shape... you don't have to delete and reFill your Path again. A Vector Shape Layer does this automatically. [excited]

TIP: don't forget about the "Magnetic" Pen tool! :perfect:
 
Hi Mark,

yes, I agree, I would also prefer to have a true shape, rather than a converted path. However my starting point is the selction and I don't want to do this manually. I use the magic wand selection tool to create the selection. And then I need this selection to be turned into a shape.

If I drew the selection manually It would take me forwever, similarly if I created the shape manually it would take me forever.

So I use the magic selection tool to create the outline of the shape I need and the only way to turn this into a vector shape seems to be to make a path of my selection. Unless I misunderstood one of your explanations...

Otherwise I agree, I'd be much happier if I could work with vector shapes rather than having to work with paths.

Chris
 
Maybe to be more precise as to what I'm actually doing:

I'm converting a large number of photographs into illustrations. There are many ways of doing this, and many better (and prettier) ones than the one I use. However my client insists to have the whole image to be nothing but Photoshop shapes or paths. I started by drawing all of these shape layers individually but it takes far too much time, I am doing 100 of these!

What I do id to reduce the colors of the photo to 8 or 10 and save. Then open that new image and increase the size considerably to 2000 pixels width. You will see that the illustration is made up of 3 to 5 different color shadings of the face, then hair and eyes/mouth.

I use the magic wand to select on of the 8 colors of my gif. Turn it into a shape, give it the right skin/hair tone, then crerate the eyes, mouth, eyebrows and other details using the vector shape tools.

If I have to draw all of the head outlines and the diffferent face tone outlines manually it would take me about 3 hours to make 1 illustration. Using the magic wand and converting to paths it takes me about 1 hour. This is why I need to get from selection to vector and can't use the magnetic pen tool straight off. Unless I'm missing something....

Of course if I could use paintbrush layers I couls make a far smoother and prettier illustration, but my client insists on vector layers only, and only very few of them. He also pretty much dictated the color tones, which for some faces look better, the below is probably a bit pale...


I attach an example below

Check out my reservoir dogs into black dudes conversion illustration. I used a lot of brushes for this one and the result comes out a lot prettier and more balanced...but that's not the style my client is looking for :)


Chris
 
Oooooh... I love your "reservoir dogs" conversion to illustration picture chris! :perfect:
 
aaa ok i get ya now then Chris.
You're correct to be doing the way you are in this case, true.

Oh also...
I'd be much happier if I could work with vector shapes rather than having to work with paths.
Click to expand...
Don't get confused about this... Path ARE vectors. I was referring to not using selections. That was the one step i was saying you could do without... not Paths. ;)

What you really need here Chris is XaraX, or Illustrator. They have bitmap tracing abilities that could cut your time WAY down. Much less than an hour, guaranteed. :perfect:
 
Here Chris, thought you might like to see this...

This photo was "vectorized" in less than 2 minutes; using XaraX's bitmap tracer. The settings are variable, so this is only one type of outcome that could be produced. You can, if you wish, create an almost exact photographic copy in vector format if you wanted to -- it would just take a tad bit longer to generate it. But no even close to an hour... i'm talking a few minutes.
And the settings can be saved so it's only a matter of importing a photo, opening the filter, clicking the "Trace" option, and then the Apply. Done deal. :)

You can see that there are some small areas of discolouration... by sampling the original photo in the same areas, you can easily recolour those sections. And... if you wish to, you can also combine multiple areas to make one single shape. Or, just "Group" them. Thus reducing the colour and the complexity of the image.

I know this is only one job you'll have where this is important, but if you're at all into graphics, having a good Vector app is not only a plus, it's a must. And bang-for-buck XaraX is THE best choice IMHO. If you wanna see just what it can do, have a look through the Gallery on Xara's site.
 
Damn, this is AWESOME!!

Mark, thanks for the renewed reply: OK, so I'm not that far off then cool, cheers :) Yes, I am aware that paths are vector but as you pointed out yourself, I don't have to recolour them if I change anything and also I find that stroking paths often has lesser results than stroking shapes. In any case, why can I turn a selection into a path but not into a shape? Photoshop 8, here we come :)

I am aware that Illustrator would be more used for this sort of thing, my client insists on PS Shapes, that's why I do it in PS...

I can't believe the XaraX stuff. I started out on XaraX and actually came to this forum saying:

"Why is Photoshop so difficult when XaraX is so easy?"

Without you guys I would have given up on PS. But the more I browsed around here, the more I got aware of the world that opens up to you when you get to know PS. Now I'm a freak and spend all day in PS. And I have used XaraX only in conjunction with Xara3D since (Did you ever try exporting XaraX shapes to Xara3D to make 3D objects? It's incredible, any beginner can create 3D studd without any prior knowledge of...umh...anything :))

I didn't know about the trace option...I will open up XaraX again tonight...maybe I'll fall in love again :)

Thanks again, your help is much appreciated! If this really does the job as well as you say it might, I should put you on commission. I'm looking at a potential 2 - 300 of these illustrations, basically I'm doing the whole staff of a company. If it cuts down my time, I might get more in numbers and I won't ask less pay, lol :)

Chris
 
hahaa hey be my guest Chris, i'm up for the challenge. [excited]

I tried one with PS also, and i have a different method for reducing the colours than you used. I do it straight from within PS, i don't save the photo out with 8-10 colours first. Doing it that way you have WAY less control over how the colours look, and how they're spread out over the face. By staying in PS and posterizing, you can control the look.

Can i ask exactly WHY this client is SO hellbent on these being PS vector shapes, when essentially, Ilustrator's would be exactly the same thing? They're both Adobe products. Just seems odd... but then the client may have some specific purpose in mind for these...?
 
Hi again,

I was away for a few days, surf was up, the world is good, now I'm back to PS stuff :)

Thanks, I'll try the posterize method!

I'm nopt sure why it has to be PS shapes for my client. Maybe it's the only program he knows and he might want to work on them himself. I had to submit a couple of examples before getting the job and in those I had to exactly follow intructions and method. Only after displaying that I can do that was I given the job...I guess he has his reasons...

I played around with Tracing in Xara and Illustrator but I found I get better esults using my method. I have better control over what is turned into a shgape and what not, plus I can control it quite well because I play wih the "expand selections" and "smooth" options before converting to a path.

Thanks for all the help :)

Chris
 
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