PSPX2 Question--Nikki, others?

I recently have gone back to using PSPX while I was using all of the Cookies 4 Kids templates...I have never previously been a big template user and I prefer X for templates because the materials pallette works faster...anyway...since switching to X and back to X2, I've remembered one of things I MISS from X and don't know if you can get X2 to do it. In X, the resize function remembers the last resize info you put in, and I can't figure out how to get X2 to remember. Does anyone know if you can make X2 remember?

Oh and another question...speaking of templates...

How do you use them?

I always put my paper in the materials palette and flood fill the layer...but that doesn't always work...like for instance on this week's cookie, there was a scalloped edge that wasn't a solid color on the template itself. It was green and marbley...therefore I couldn't flood fill it. I tried color replacing it back to a solid color but it wouldn't work so I gave up and removed it from the layout completely.

Any advice?

I have XI and it also remembers the last re-size. I'm not sure about X. My space is VERY limited, as in.....I can't really buy any new kits until I get a new EHD. Did I just admit that? :blink: I always open the template, delete the background layer, resize to 8x8 (cause that's how I print and scrap them) and then save it as a .psp image. Go back and delete the PSD file. Saves me a ton of space. Would have had to delete a bunch more if I hadn't done that. LOL.

What I do with those layers.....I right click on the one I want to use and choose to view only that layer I'm working on. Usually that will do the trick but sometimes I still have to get the magic wand tool and select it. Otherwise it'll fill other stuff. Also change the tolerance thingy up at the top when you go to fill. Sometimes if you lower that to 70 or less, it behaves better. Oh yeah, first I open up the paper I want to use. Click on the materials and then when the box comes up, right click on patterns and find it in there and then flood fill. I hope that makes some sorta sense Lena.

I have never been able to figure out how to get it to remember the last resize either so I'm no help there.

For a long time when I used templates I did the flood fill thingy too and then I found THIS SCRIPT (pause for halleuliah chorus)

It is wonderful and makes scrapping with templates so easy now. And it's free!! I think it's similar to the clipping mask in PSE? But it's fabulous. Go get it. Seriously

When I'm using templates in PSP, I just make sure the layer that I want is highlighted (in blue in the palette), then go up to Selections, choose Select All, then Float, then Defloat - this selects just that particular layer. Then I just copy and paste my paper, resize if needed, go back up to Selections - Invert - Delete. The excess is cut away. There's probably a much easier and faster way to do it than this, but it works for me. Probably even faster if you have the keyboard shortcuts memorized (which I don't...lol).

I place my paper layer above the layer I want it on, use the select tool and select outside of what I want selected then select the paper layer and press delete. It deletes all but what you want deleted.

LenaBrandenburg said:

Oh and another question...speaking of templates...

How do you use them?

I always put my paper in the materials palette and flood fill the layer...but that doesn't always work...like for instance on this week's cookie, there was a scalloped edge that wasn't a solid color on the template itself. It was green and marbley...therefore I couldn't flood fill it. I tried color replacing it back to a solid color but it wouldn't work so I gave up and removed it from the layout completely.

Any advice?

Click to expand...

nikkiARNGwife said:

I have never been able to figure out how to get it to remember the last resize either so I'm no help there.

For a long time when I used templates I did the flood fill thingy too and then I found THIS SCRIPT (pause for halleuliah chorus)

It is wonderful and makes scrapping with templates so easy now. And it's free!! I think it's similar to the clipping mask in PSE? But it's fabulous. Go get it. Seriously

Click to expand...

EEEEEEEEEE! Thank you SO much! Wish I had asked sooner...I never wanted to use templates because it takes so long doing it the other way! I downloaded and installed that and just played around with it...it's fantastic! Off to thank Jen!

LenaBrandenburg said:

Oh and another question...speaking of templates...

How do you use them?

I always put my paper in the materials palette and flood fill the layer...but that doesn't always work...like for instance on this week's cookie, there was a scalloped edge that wasn't a solid color on the template itself. It was green and marbley...therefore I couldn't flood fill it. I tried color replacing it back to a solid color but it wouldn't work so I gave up and removed it from the layout completely.

Any advice?

Click to expand...

Using PSP XI, I use the color replacer tool. I use this tool alot. I use it for all templates, and probably at least once on a LO. I also use this tool if I want to change any paper on a LO, instead of copy and paste. The settings I use are as follows:

shape: square
size: 214
hardness: 100
step: 25
density: 100
thickness: 100
rotation: 0
tolerance: 200

I never change these settings, and it always works exactly like I want it to.

I pretty much do what Jessica does with templates. I dropthe paper in the layout, switch to the item layer,select 'all opaque' or 'opacity' depending on the size of the item, switch back to the paper layer and then either CTRL-Shift-P to promote the selection or delete to delete the excess paper.

The thing I have noticed with X2 is that sometimes it remembers & sometimes it doesnt when I resize things & I have no idea what makes it do which..

I'm going to have to check out that script

jessica31876 said:

I place my paper layer above the layer I want it on, use the select tool and select outside of what I want selected then select the paper layer and press delete. It deletes all but what you want deleted.

Click to expand...

This is what I do, too, except if it would be too complicated of a pattern then I do the material thing, but that takes much longer.

***Long post incoming*** :thumbup:
Lena,
I'm new here in SSD, my name is Giseli and I'm one of the new girls of Misty's last CT call. I use PSP for a long time and I miss the remembering of the resize function too
Unfortunately, there's no way to make PSP X2 remember the last size you set up there, but I figured a way to do this myself: I made a script for me named "resize myself". *lol*
You can create a script with the resize you use most, run the script and it will resize for you in 1 second or less...
You can make one for resize 3600x3600 to the size you like most and other for resize the elements... You can create it for all the sizes you want.
To make a simple resizing script:
Open a sample image
Go to Script bar (View > Toolbars > Script)
Start script recording (the "ring" button)
Pull down "Image > Resize" and define new size in pixel or percent you use most
Click the last button in the Script bar and save your scrip under some name you'll remember.

To play the recorded script:
Pull tiny arrow on the Script bar and find the name of the script you made in the list.
When resizing multiple files, you may want to suppress opening dialogs. Click "Toggle Execution Mode" button in the Script bar.
Click "playback" button
Here it is!

To batch resize-multiple files: (resize various elements you may want in your page, for example)
Go to "File > Batch Process"
Click "Browse" and select all the files you want to process this
Check "Use Script" gadget and select your script from the list
Choose output format, saving path and naming options
Click "Start"
I hope that helps...
Hugs from Brazil
Giseli

I think the Not remembering last resize is something Corel must have messed up in X2--it's really irritating---there's a couple of ways I do my templates---most of the time, I copy and paste my paper as a new layer, then go to the layer I want to copy and select either outside (if the layer isn't solid, then invert) or inside if it is solid and can be selected easily-then I right click on my paper layer and "promote selection to new layer", then when I know I'm done I can go back and delete the layers I didn't use.

Also, you can almost get PSP to act like photoshop with masking if you "lock" your layers' transparency--you will see a little lock for each layer up near at the top of the layers tool bar and it looks like the lock is open, just click it and that locks the transpency of that layer, then copy and paste your paper "as a new selection" right above the layer you want to cover. Then "select none" and the paper layer merges with the next layer down but takes the shape of the object of that layer, because it will not cover the tranparent parts of the layer.

I also use some scripting for resizing and such

PSP sounds complicated. :blink:

OMG!
Totally one of the MOST annoying thing since I switched...I HATE this...HATE...but not much I can do...I have tried it all.