Rioter

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

pdog182

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.

Rioter

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

Blinky2004

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.

Rioter

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

ladyfinger007

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

Blinky2004

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! [righton]

Rioter

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

Rioter

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

Rioter

...reservoir dogs....