Question about "sticky note" tutorial

[kim123]

Hi Everyone!

I've done a few tutorials so far...love 'em.
I'm having trouble figuring out what I'm doing wrong on the "sticky note tab" one though.

I get to this part:

"Click on, and hold your mouse down on the Path tool in the tools palette (also known as the Pen tool). From the secondary tool menu that slides out, choose the solid pointer icon (this is a general selection tool). With this tool, click once anywhere on the path, then once on the bottom left corner node on the path; that selects, or activates just that node. Press your right arrow key 17 times; this moves that node over 17 pixels. Then press your up arrow key 9 times."

The underlined part is where I sink. When I click the bottom left corner node it doesn't seem to select just that node. When I start moving the thing to the right, the whole box moves.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Kim

 

[Sanby]

My internet is going very slow right now so I can't verify this because I got to go to bed, but...

At this point you already have a path set up, correct? The path looks like a connect the dots, with lines in between little squares (nodes). What you need to do, click anywhere along the line that is the path. this should, I belive, create a new node. Then, click on the node/square that is already on the bottom left of the path. This makes that node active.

Hope this solves your problem.

I'm not great with the path tool, so I am not sure if this is correct, so if I'm wrong then someone step in and set me straight.

Sanby

 

[kim123]

Thank you for your reply! After reading it, I went back and chose the direct path selection tool and it worked.

I'm not going to let these paths whip me!


Kim

 

[theKeeper]

Hey good for you Kim, don't let those Paths whoop ya! Take control of 'em!

And i think the problem you had was due to my misnaming that tool. "Direct Selection" not "General Selection".

Sorry, my bad. [oops]
I'll fix that right now. :B

 

[Sanby]

Glad it worked!

I'd love to see your results.

Sanby

 

[wbiss]

Good stuff kim123!

The one thing to remember with the nodes (those little squares) is that they are 'inactive' when they are hollow and 'active' when they are solid. If the squares are all solid, the whole path will move. If just one square is solid, only that node will move.

Yeah, be sure to show us your results!

 

[kim123]

Thanks everyone!!

Results: I don't have the sticky note on there yet, but the other results of my question about curves can be seen at

www.teachersplanet.org

I am trying to make a (free/no ad) website for the teachers in my district---to share lesson plans, book reviews, chat, encourage one another, etc. etc.
(Well, it would be for any teacher, anywhere actually.)

I'm having so much *fun* making the graphics that I'm not getting any content on there.... ;\ This is what I look like about 2 a.m. each night.... 8} The tutorials on here are t-e-r-r-i-f-i-c! As are the people, of course!

Kindest Regards,
Kim

 

[Sanby]

Great job, very smooth curves.

I am the same, I get so caught up in the graphics that my site hardly ever gets content up.

Sanby

 

[sfm]

very cool curves well done
sfm

 

[Guest]

Good results Kim

 

[wbiss]

Kim, very nice job on the website!!! I love the 'curves' and the uncluttered, professional look that you have going!

Yep, no doubt, teachers use lots of these "sticky notes" so I can quite understand your resolve to nail that tutorial!

 

[ljiljana]

Hello Kim,

I still have that great PDF file of worksheets for using a pen tool and practicing.
Enjoy! [:I

 

[Guest]

And lots of tutorials and other info about the pen tool can be found here:

http://www.photoshopgurus.info/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2973

 

[kim123]

Holy Cow...thanks ljiljana and Gaussian! Thanks everyone for your kind words...and, yes, wbiss, at times it seems my life is awash in sticky notes... (What did I ever do before they were invented????)

Kindest Regards,
Kim