Lisa

Hi

When I try to use this tool recently, instead of being able to bend and stretch the image it seems to "black it out". It's hard to explain, but it leaves a black block rather than mixing the colours.

Maybe I've hit a setting unintentionally ..

Any ideas?

Blinky2004

You might have, but it doesn't sound like it.

I'm thinkin it's a layer setting thing goin on.

Can we see a screenshot/capture of what the effect looks like?
That would help take some guess work out of the equation.

Lisa

Hmm it's quite bizarre!

I'm trying to do the fire text tutorial from photoshop techniques.com

When I'm in liquify mode, I've selected the right tool (warp) and I'm pulling the flames out of the top of the text. In the liquify window it looks all messed up but when I click 'OK' the image looks fine in the original window ?!?

I was going to save the image from there and show you but I'm not sure how to take a screenshot from the liquify window.

wbiss

[confused] Strange goings-ons, for sure LiquidSun!

To take a "screenshot" in Windows, find and press the Print Screen key on your keyboard. It's sometimes labeled PrtScrn. Doing this copies an image of the screen into the Windows clipboard. Open up a new image (size based on the resolution of your screen) and copy (CTRL+V) into your new image.

Lisa

That's how you do it! - I've been around computers for years and I never knew how that worked, thanks!

Right, this first image is the finished article - (I copied the tutorial, that's why it's pretty good )

http://www.angelfire.com/tn3/liquidsun/fire.jpg

This second one is the above loaded into liquify and I've done a few sample strokes

http://www.angelfire.com/tn3/liquidsun/Liquify.jpg

An even stranger occurrence is when the image looks messed up, if I click on another open window, or minimize photoshop, when I click back to it, it's normal again ?!?!?

wbiss

B7 That's some good looking FIRE LiquidSun! [righton] Excellent... despite your frustrations with the liquify filter!

As far as your 'preview' problem is concerned, did you try shutting down PS and relaunching it? Just a "thought"... sometimes things go "awry" for inexplicable reasons and this often does the trick. Just looking at your screenshot, I can't see any other reason... [confused]

Lisa

Yeh I've tried shutting it down numerous times.

I'll try a re-install when I can be bothered

Thanks for all the help people.

My experience is after reading numerous newsgroup articles, that problems with the liquify filter have to do with your graphics driver.
I had some problems with liquify too when I installed Photoshop 7 for the first time. Adobe's Chris Cox adviced me to update my video driver and it solved all my problems.

I can almost guarentee that it will solve your problem too

ladyfinger007

Welcome!
Yes, I'm with Gauss about the videodriver. But if you've got the latest version, if possible WHQL certified, you might have to reset your preferences... try first to update the video driver, we'll guide you for the Preferences if it is needed...

Lisa

Well I just bought myself a brand new card, an ATI 9500 - and guess what ... it's fixed!