—>Layers Problem… Help is Greatly Appreciated! :)

AB
Posted By
Alex Buirch
Aug 8, 2004
Views
567
Replies
11
Status
Closed
I’m using PhotoShop 6 at the moment. I’ve been trying to create some art but it wont let me. If I draw a box, a circle, a line, paint, or do anything on a layer it will no longer let me edit that layer anymore. For example, if I make a box and then I try to draw a line on that box using the Line Tool, I get a message saying "Could not use the line tool because the content of this layer is not directly editable".
Basically if I do any ONE thing on a layer, I can’t do anything else do it. My layers aren’t locked and they’re all set to "normal", yet it still doesn’t let me do anything on one layer more then once. I can’t edit a layer or even erase something on a layer. What am I doing wrong?
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Y
YrbkMgr
Aug 9, 2004
Look in the options bar when you use your shape tool. Make sure that you not creating a path, rather you are creating a shape/shape layer.

Peace,
Tony
AB
Alex Buirch
Aug 10, 2004
Well, it doesn’t look like I’m making a path. It has the "Shape Layers" option selected. Here’s two pictures I took which may help a little.
Picture 1. <http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=106719> Picture 2. <http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=106718>

1. In the first picture I am drawing a simple circle (which is what the thin black line is). As you can see I’ve already drawn one circle on the screen… now I’m simply drawing another.
2. Now in the second picture I try to use the paint brush on the circle I drew. As soon as I try, that message pops up.

I hope that makes things clearer…
Y
YrbkMgr
Aug 10, 2004
Ah, got it. What gave the clue was the second image with the actual error message.

The error is derived from the fact that you are trying to edit a vector layer with a raster tool. You can’t use a paintbrush (raster tool) on a shape layer (vector layer) unless you first convert the vector layer to raster via the layers menu. If you don’t convert it, the layer is not "editable".

So, depending on what you want to do, you can either rasterize the layer and use a raster tool, or, you can add more vector shapes (lines and other shapes) with the Shapes tool. You can change these shapes using the Path Selection Tool or the Direct Selection Tool, the arrow tool on the left side of the toolbar, about half way down.

Peace,
Tony
AB
Alex Buirch
Aug 10, 2004
Hehe, okay, thank you. But I’m having a really hard time trying to figure out what all that means, hehe. 😛
I’ve only learned the basics of PhotoShop and I’m kind of teaching myself the rest. So I’m pretty dunce when it comes to terminalogy of it…
Y
YrbkMgr
Aug 10, 2004
What it means is that, basically, you can’t do what you’re trying to do, the way you’re trying to do it.

The point is, there are two types of image data, raster and vector. They can both be in the same image, but not on the same layer. The shape tool is a vector tool, the painbrush is a raster tool.

So, you need to create your circle differently (like with the elliptical marquee) – then you can add image information with the paintbrush; or you need to add your "line" with a shape tool if you want to edit the shape you added.

This can get quite complicated if you’re a bit of a novice. Look at the layers pallet that you drew the circle on. If you understand why it has two icons in it, you’ll understand what I mean.

Peace,
Tony
MM
Mac_McDougald
Aug 11, 2004
…. and I’m kind of teaching myself the rest.

You’ll never know ALL of "the rest".
Nobody will.

Mac
JJ
John_Joslin
Aug 11, 2004
It’s like they said Descartes was the last man to know "everything".

After that, human knowledge expanded exponentially, as have the features in Photoshop in the last 7 iterations.

Cheers – John
AB
Alex Buirch
Aug 11, 2004
Okay, I think I get it now. Thanks for the help.

And yes, I know I’ll never know "everything". Nor did I ever say I would. If everyone knew everything, life would get pretty boring now wouldn’t it? 😉
DM
dave_milbut
Aug 12, 2004
I used to know everything, but I’ve forgotten most of it. 🙁
AB
Alex Buirch
Aug 12, 2004
🙁
2
2Shy
Feb 5, 2005
Here’s the answer to your question: after you draw the shape layer, go to the layers palette and right click on the shape layer you want to paint on. In the menu that pops up, click "rasterize vector mask". Then you’ll be able to use the painting tools on the shape layer, but the shape layer will no longer be a vector graphic. Instead, it will be a bitmap graphic. And that means that if you resize the shape too much it will get pixilated; it won’t retain clear edges like it does as a vector object. Read pages 53-54 in your Photoshop 7 manual for more on the difference between vector and bitmap graphics.
"Alex Buirch" wrote in message
Well, it doesn’t look like I’m making a path. It has the "Shape Layers" option selected.
Here’s two pictures I took which may help a little.
Picture 1. <http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=106719> Picture 2. <http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=106718>
1. In the first picture I am drawing a simple circle (which is what the thin black line is). As you can see I’ve already drawn one circle on the screen… now I’m simply drawing another.
2. Now in the second picture I try to use the paint brush on the circle I drew. As soon as I try, that message pops up.

I hope that makes things clearer…

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