dazco

I often use the pencil tool to make straight lines from one point to another by clicking at the start point then clicking at the destination point while holding shift. However, you have to guess at where to do the destination click or the line isn't straight. Is there a way to make it always create a straight line? In other words, a way for PS to determine automatically that the destination is to the right, left, top or bottom in relating to the sart point and then make a straight like to that direction regardless whether the destination click was exactly level. Hope thats clear !

MsOz

Vertical and Horozontal is handled by holding down the shift key. If you try any other angle, you will only get 45 degrees.

If you need to be more precise, and can't eyeball it, throw a grid over the layer (ctrl+') and use that to place your cursor where you want it. You can adjust the divisions as needed.

dazco

yes i know...thats what i've been doing, but thats not what i need to know.
Hmm....are u sure you read my post?!

MsOz

Yes, I read your post.
No, Photoshop cannot determine what your intentions are. What you click, is what you get.

By using a grid over your image. You can make a click at point 'A,' and using the grid to determine the "exact point" where you want the straight line to end, you click on point 'B' while holding down the shift key. And VOILA! a straight line is then drawn from point 'A' to point 'B', and because you used a grid, you clicked on (hopefully) the exact spot where you wanted the line to go to...

That is about as much "determination" as you will get out of Photoshop, and is the answer to your problem as you have stated it. If this is not what you wanted, then although I read your post, no, you are not clear enough as to what you are trying to accomplish.

dazco

It's really simple, but hard to explain i guess. In any case, i was hoping there was a way to do the click and shift thing, but to have the line never deviate from straight up and down or totally level. So for example...

1)click anywhere
2)click again some distance to the right holding shift

In that senario i was hoping there was a way it would draw a straight line to the distance that the second click is to the right, but ignore whether the 2nd click was exactly level with the 1st click so that the line ends up being straight. Thats the best i can explain it, but i guess it's not possible anyway.
Using the grid is how i'd been trying to do it, but that didn't work much better for a couple resons.

Bacardi

As MsOz pointed out, vertical and horizontal are handled by the shift key. Only, you don't have to click, hold shift and click somewhere else because that creates a straight line between the two points (yes, I read your post, and yes, I know you know), but you have to click where you want to start, then hold down shift and finally drag vaguely in the direction you want to go (up, down, left or right).
Or you can use guides if you prefer your two-click method.

Stroker

Line Tool + Info Palette = GOOD

Welles

dazco,

What you are describing is exactly what the Pen Tool does. How about using that instead of the Pencil Tool. The difference is that you have to use it to draw a path and then stroke the path to get your line.

dazco

Yes, i've used the pen tool a tiny bit, but Erik nailed it with the idea of doing it with the pencil as i was but DRAGGING it instead of clicking the destination I knew there had to be a way. I should have known to try dragging! Works perfect....thanks much.