Chapter 17: Working with Paths and Vector Shapes 557 l Exclude Overlapping Path Areas: When this option is selected, the current working path is altered to include only those areas where the original current working path and the newly created path do NOT overlap each other. Figure 17.13 shows how the exclusion path is created when an open path is intersected by the current circle path using the Exclude Overlapping Path Areas option. FIGURE 17.13 When using the Exclude Overlapping Path Areas option, the working path is altered to include only the area where the older working path and the newly created path do not overlap. Using the Path Selection tools The Path Selection tools, shown in Figure 17.14, allow you to create, move, and manipulate tools. You use these tools to adjust and customize existing paths. You also use these options to combine paths into shapes. FIGURE 17.14 Using the Path Selection tools, you can select, move, and scale one or more paths, as well as edit individ- ual anchor and direction points on a path. 25_584743-ch17.indd 55725_584743-ch17.indd 557 5/3/10 10:38 AM5/3/10 10:38 AM Part V: Painting, Paths, Shapes, and Text 558 Path Selection tools The keyboard shortcut A selects the path selection tools, and Shift+A toggles between the Path Selection tool and the Direct Selection tool. The following list describes the purpose of each path selection tool: l Path Selection tool: The Path Selection tool is used to select entire paths or groups of paths. You can use the Path Selection tool to select, move, or scale a single path or several paths. Multiple paths are selected by using the Shift key. Tip If you hold down the Alt/Option key while dragging a path with the Path Selection tool, a duplicate of the path is created and you drag the duplicate instead of the original path. This is a great way to create multiple copies of the same simple path. n l Direct Selection tool: The Direct Selection tool is used to select one or more individual anchor points on a path. You can use the Direct Selection tool to drag and reposition the anchor points. You also can use the Direct Selection tool to adjust the direction points of the selected anchor to change the curve of the line. You can select and manipulate multi- ple points on the path by holding down the Shift key as you select the anchor points. Tip You can change the Path Selection tool into the Direct Selection tool on the fly by holding down the Ctrl/Ô key. This saves you a bit of time if you need to toggle back and forth. n Tip When a path is selected using the Path Selection tool, you can fine-tune the position by using the arrow keys on the keyboard. When one or more anchor points are selected using the Direct Selection tool, you can fine- tune the position of the anchor point using the arrow keys on the keyboard. n Using the Path Selection tool options When the Path Selection tool is selected, several useful options are available in the tool options menu bar, shown in Figure 17.15. The Path Selection tool options allow you to add a bounding box to the path that contains handles that you can use to scale the path vertically and horizontally. The Path Selection tool options also allow you to define how the path areas combine into the working path. You also can use the Path Selection tool options to quickly align multiple paths. 25_584743-ch17.indd 55825_584743-ch17.indd 558 5/3/10 10:38 AM5/3/10 10:38 AM Chapter 17: Working with Paths and Vector Shapes 559 FIGURE 17.15 Using the Path Selection tool options, you can add a bounding box, define how paths combine, and align multiple paths. Add Shape to Area Intersect Shape Areas Distribution tools Subtract from Shape Area Exclude Overlapping Shape Areas Alignment tools The following list describes the options available for the Path tool: l Add to Shape Area: When this option is selected, the currently selected paths are added to the shape area; any overlapping areas are still in the resulting shape area. Figure 17.16 shows that adding all of the selected paths to the shape area will include them in the working path. FIGURE 17.16 When using the Add to Shape Area option, the area inside the selected paths is added to the existing working path. l Subtract from Shape Area: When this option is selected, the currently selected paths are deleted from the current working path—in other words, any overlap is removed from the working path. Figure 17.17 shows how the selected path is removed from the current path created in Figure 7.16 when the Subtract from Shape Area option is selected. l Intersect Shape Areas: When this option is selected, the current working path is altered to include only those areas where all the selected paths and the original working path overlap. This can be a bit tricky until you figure out that all paths including the working path must overlap. Figure 17.18 shows how two selected paths intersect the current work- ing path from Figure 17.16 using the Intersect Shape Areas option. Notice that only the small circle is included in the resulting path, because it is the only part that actually inter- sects both paths and the working path. 25_584743-ch17.indd 55925_584743-ch17.indd 559 5/3/10 10:38 AM5/3/10 10:38 AM Part V: Painting, Paths, Shapes, and Text 560 FIGURE 17.17 When using the Subtract from Shape Area option, the area inside the selected path is removed from the existing working path. FIGURE 17.18 When using the Intersect Shape Areas option, the working path is altered to include only the area of overlap between the older working path and all the selected paths. l Exclude Overlapping Shape Areas: When this option is selected, the current working path is altered to exclude those areas where all the selected paths and the original working path overlap. This can be a bit tricky until you figure out that all paths including the working path must overlap. Figure 17.19 shows how the intersection of two selected and the current working path from Figure 17.16 is excluded using the Exclude Overlapping Shape Areas option. Notice that the small circle is excluded in the resulting path, because it is the only part that actually intersects both paths and the working path. FIGURE 17.19 When using the Exclude Overlapping Shape Areas option, the working path is altered to exclude the area of overlap between the older working path and all the selected paths. 25_584743-ch17.indd 56025_584743-ch17.indd 560 5/3/10 10:38 AM5/3/10 10:38 AM Chapter 17: Working with Paths and Vector Shapes 561 l Combine: When you click the Combine button, paths that make up the current working area are combined to form a single path set. Figure 17.20 shows how converting the path from Figure 17.17 results in a single path. FIGURE 17.20 Clicking Combine converts the paths that make up the current working path into a sin- gle path. l Alignment tools: The Alignment tools allow you to align two or more selected paths to the top, right, vertical center, left, right, and horizontal center. These options are useful to arrange paths in exact lines and position them accurately. For example, Figure 17.21 shows two items centered vertical with each other using the Alignment tool. FIGURE 17.21 Selecting multiple paths and clicking the Align Vertical Center option aligns the centers of the two paths with each other. l Distribution tools: The Distribution tools allow you to distribute three or more selected paths evenly to the top, right, vertical center, left, bottom, and horizontal center. These options are useful to evenly arrange paths in exact lines and position them accurately. For example, Figure 17.22 shows an example of using the Distribute Horizontal Center option to evenly distribute a set of four paths. 25_584743-ch17.indd 56125_584743-ch17.indd 561 5/3/10 10:38 AM5/3/10 10:38 AM Part V: Painting, Paths, Shapes, and Text 562 FIGURE 17.22 Selecting multiple paths and clicking the Distribute Horizontal Center option aligns the centers of the two paths with each other. l Show Bounding Box: When you select this option, a bounding box is displayed around the selected paths. The bounding box provides handles on each edge, as well as rotation controls at each corner. You can use the bounding box to resize and rotate the selected paths. If you hold down the Shift key, the size adjustments keep the vertical and horizon- tal proportions, and the rotation is done in 15-degree increments. Figure 17.23 shows an example of using the bounding box to resize and rotate the selected paths. FIGURE 17.23 Using the bounding box, you can rescale and rotate the selected paths in the image. Paths panel The Paths panel, shown in Figure 17.24, allows you to manage the current paths in your docu- ment. From the Paths panel, you can select paths, convert paths to selections and vice versa, as well as create new paths. 25_584743-ch17.indd 56225_584743-ch17.indd 562 5/3/10 10:38 AM5/3/10 10:38 AM Chapter 17: Working with Paths and Vector Shapes 563 FIGURE 17.24 The Paths panel allows you to create, adjust, and manage the paths in your images. From the Paths panel, you can use the following options: l Fill path with foreground color/Fill Path: This fills the currently selected path with the current foreground color. The path does not need to be closed, but it does need at least two line segments that do not form a straight line. l Stroke path with brush/Stroke Path: This option allows you to apply a bitmapped brushstroke to the path. The currently selected brush style and size are used to trace the lines in the path on the image. Even though the path is visible on the screen, it isn’t visible in the saved image or in the printed image unless a fill or brushstroke is applied. For example, Figure 17.25 shows an example of the effect on the image when a brushstroke is applied to a path. FIGURE 17.25 Applying a brushstroke to a path makes it visible in the actual image. The currently selected brush style and size as well as the current foreground color are used. 25_584743-ch17.indd 56325_584743-ch17.indd 563 5/3/10 10:38 AM5/3/10 10:38 AM Part V: Painting, Paths, Shapes, and Text 564 l Load path as a selection/Make Selection: When you select this option, a new selection is created using the line segments of the currently selected path in the Paths panel. Creating selections from a path is extremely useful for two purposes: You may want to use the capabilities of paths to create and manipulate line segments using the anchors, you may want to apply a path to an image, and you want to alter the pixels below the path before applying it to the image. l Make working path from selection/Make Work Path: When this option is used, the current selection in the image is converted to a path. This is a great way to create complex paths from existing images. For example, it was easy to select the darker areas of the image of the moon in Figure 17.26 and create a path from them. FIGURE 17.26 You can use the Make working path from selection option to quickly create complex paths using areas of existing images that are easily selectable. l Create a path/New Path: When you select this option, a new path is added to the Paths panel and you can begin to add path components to it. l Delete current path: This removes the currently selected path from the document. l Duplicate Path: This creates a copy of the currently selected path and adds it to the Paths panel as a new path. l Clipping Path: This creates a clipping path in the image. The dialog box allows you to set the flatness of the clipping path in terms of device pixels. Printers use the value specified in the flatness field to determine the granularity they look at when applying the clipping path. The lower the flatness field, the crisper the clipping looks. You also can select which path to use for the clipping path. l Panel Options: When you select panel options from the Paths panel menu, a dialog box is displayed allowing you to set the size of the thumbnail used to view the path in the Paths panel list. 25_584743-ch17.indd 56425_584743-ch17.indd 564 5/3/10 10:38 AM5/3/10 10:38 AM Chapter 17: Working with Paths and Vector Shapes 565 Tip You share paths between documents by selecting them in the Paths panel of one document and then dragging and dropping them into another document window in Photoshop. n Using Paths In the previous sections, we discussed path components, the vector tools used to create paths, and Paths panel used to manage paths. In this section, we put that knowledge to use in some of the common tasks that you can perform when working with tasks. The following sections take you through some examples of creating and using paths. Creating a path The first example we look at is creating a basic path using the following steps: 1. Select the Pen tool. 2. Set the mode to Paths in the Pen tool options menu. 3. Select the Ellipse tool from the Pen tool options menu. 4. Draw two circles by holding down the Shift key, as shown in Figure 17.27. FIGURE 17.27 Selecting the Ellipse tool from the Pen tool options menu with the mode set to Paths adds circles to the current path. 5. Use the Path Selection tool to select both circles, and then click the Exclude over- lapping shape area option in the Path Selection tool options menu to remove the center of the inner circle from the path area. 6. Click Combine in the Path Selection tool options menu to combine the path, as shown in Figure 17.28. 25_584743-ch17.indd 56525_584743-ch17.indd 565 5/3/10 10:38 AM5/3/10 10:38 AM . multi- ple points on the path by holding down the Shift key as you select the anchor points. Tip You can change the Path Selection tool into the Direct Selection tool on the fly by holding down the Ctrl/Ô. path, because it is the only part that actually inter- sects both paths and the working path. 25_584743-ch17.indd 55925_584743-ch17.indd 559 5/3/10 10:38 AM5/3/10 10:38 AM Part V: Painting, Paths,. Shapes 565 Tip You share paths between documents by selecting them in the Paths panel of one document and then dragging and dropping them into another document window in Photoshop. n Using Paths In the previous