Thursday, October 23, 2008

ADDING GLITTER TO A TUBE

This is a tut to show you how to add a pre-made glitter to the outside of a tube/image.
Remember it's all in the layers :o)
Understanding glitter:
Glitter is noise added to a color. Each layer has a different volume of noise.
When those layers are put together in animation shop the noise becomes what is called "glitter".
To use those glitters on a project you must open the glitter swatch in Animation shop and export the frames to PSP.
This tut will show you how to achieve those steps.

Here's my tube.
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Here's the glitter I'm using:
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Let's get your tube ready for glitter.
Open your tube in PSP.
Copy and paste it onto a new canvas as a new layer.
(I prefer to use a white or black canvas, because I don't like changing my animation shop preferences everytime I make an animation)

Close your original tube.

On your layer palette, rename that layer to "tube".
On your tool bar click selections--select all--selections--float--selections--defloat.
The ants will be marching all around your tube.
Selections--modify--expand--
(this number will depend on the size of the outline glitter you want. The larger the number the wider the outline you will fill with glitter)

I used expand by 8.
Keep the ants marching.

Now go over to your Animation shop
Browse to find the glitter swatch you want to use and open it.
You'll see how many frames it has, usually 3 or 4.
Now you want to bring those frames over to psp to use as your pattern fill.
Go to EDIT--SELECT ALL ( this selects all the frames)
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Go to FILE--EXPORT TO PAINT SHOP PRO
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Now go back to PSP and you will see your glitter swatch there.
Activate it and look on your layer palette.
It will show you how many layers you will need to add onto your project.
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Mine has 3 frames.
This means I must add 3 new raster layers to my project.
Activate your tube project. Go to layers, add new raster layers. Do this 3 times.
Rename those layers. fill 1--fill 2--fill 3--.
Right click on your layer palette and arrange your tube layer to bring it to the top.
This is what you should have on you layer palette.

TUBE
FILL 3
FILL 2
FILL 1
BACKGROUND or if transparent RASTER.

Activate your glitter frames you'll see the frames on your layer palette numbered already.
X out frame 2-3 and make sure you highlight frame 1.
Go to your pattern section on your color palette. Find the glitter pattern and click ok.
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Activate your project.
X out fill 3-2- and highlight fill 1
Make sure fill 1 layer is highlighted.
Using your fill bucket, fill it that layer with glitter.

Activate your glitter swatch, X out frame 1--UNX frame 2
In your color palette, set the pattern again.
Activate your project.
X out fill 1 and UNX fill 2.
Fill 2 layer is highlighted on your layer palette, fill with glitter.

Activate your glitter swatch again, X out frame 2 --UNX frame 3.
In your color palette, set the pattern again.
Activate your project.
X out fill 2 and UNX fill 3.
Fill 3 layer is highlighted on your layer palette, fill with glitter.

Ok now you're ready to animate that glitter.

On your layer palette, highlight the background layer.
Xout fill 2-3 layers.
Edit--copy merged.
Over to Animation shop, EDIT--- PASTE AS A NEW ANIMATION.

Back to PSP, X OUT FILL 1 LAYER, UNX FILL 2 LAYER,
Edit---copy merged.
Over to Animation Shop, EDIT--- PASTE AFTER CURRENT FRAME.

Back to PSP, X OUT FILL 2 LAYER, UNX FILL 3 LAYER.
Edit---copy merged.
Back to Animation shop, EDIT--PASTE AFTER CURRENT FRAME.

You now have 3 frames in animation shop. Click to view.
If your happy with it, save as a .gif

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Just remember to make sure you have the same amount of layers as you have frames of glitter. With glitters that have more than 3 frames, just add new raster layers to equal the same amount of frames on your project.
Hope this tut has helped you learn a bit about glittering around the outside of a tube.

Below will show you how to use your freehand/lasso tool to add glitter to a portion of a tube.
You can export the frames of glitter into PSP as shown above and use the fill in the areas you have freehand cut or you can add the glitter using noise in your PSP program.
Here's my project:
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I just want to glitter the bow.
Using the freehand tool, I go around the bow from one end to the other.
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Duplicate your tube layer 2x's
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Now add the noise to each layer
1st layer noise at 40---2nd layer noise at 45---3rd layer noise at 50
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Selections-- Select none.

X out layers 3 and 2. Highlight background layer.
Edit, copy merged.
Paste into animation shop as a new animation.
Go back n forth to PSP and copy merged your other 2 frames till you have 3 frames in animation shop.
View your animation, and save as a .gif.
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Saturday, October 18, 2008

INVERT TO DELETE

Recently I tried to explain these steps but found it's so difficult to explain in words so I thought I'd show with ss's.
Usually a mask and tubes are on separate layers, but in this case, I didn't add a layer before adding my cloud tubes and the clouds are directly on the mask layer.
It worked out fine, because I didn't want the mask outside the frame anyway.lol.
But here is how I removed all the outside stuff and left only the tubes inside the frame.

My steps to this point were, new transparent image.
I flood filled with white.
New layer flood filled with yellow, and applied a mask.
Applied auto cloud tubes and copy & pasted my mouse tubes on as a new layer.
This is what it looks like:
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I want to remove everything outside the frame.
So here are the steps to achieve that result.
Highlight the frame layer.
Using your magic wand, click inside the frame.

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Ants will be marching inside the frame area.
Go to selections
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--MODIFY--EXPAND by 3

SELECTIONS---INVERT---

Highlight the maskcloud layer

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HIT DELETE key on your keyboard.

Everything outside the frame will be removed.
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Select none.
Here's the finished image.
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:o)Hope this helps if you ever find yourself needing to delete stuff.

CUTTING TUBES FROM A SHEET

When I first started using tubes in PSP I noticed they came in different formats. Some had a sheet with a bunch of tubes all on different layers and some were on one layer.
It took me awhile to find the proper tool and steps to use to get one tube off the sheet.
So I thought maybe there were others that were having the same problems and this tut is for them :o)

Here is a sheet of tubes that has been tubed all on different layers.
You'll notice on the layer palette they are all named.
On these sheets, it's easy to get just the one tube you want off, just hightlight that tube layer and copy it onto your project or as a new image.
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But...... in some cases, the sheet of tubes is all on one layer.
Like the image below:
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When you have a sheet like this, it's a bit more work to get that one tube off, but once you learn how, it's easy.

You'll need to know your tools. The tool used for this is called the "freehand or lasso".

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Use that tool to outline the tube you want. Hold down your mouse and go around the tube connecting at your beginning point.
Ants will be marching around when you've completed the outline.
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Now you want to keep your tube sheet original, so you want to copy that tube and paste it as a new image.

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And now you have that one tube. You can save it as a psp image so you can use it later without having to redo the freehand again.

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I've always thought of the freehand tool as a pair of scissors lol
Hope this tut helps you get those tubes off one layer tube sheets :o)
Thursday, October 16, 2008

HOW TO INSTALL PLUGINS for PSP

Plugins are a great add to your art programs.
They bring so many different effects to images and can bring the image to life.
A great place to find some fantastic free plugins is:


FREE PLUGINS


First begin with making a new folder outside of your program to hold your filters.

IE: Go to your documents, make new folder, name it PLUGINS.
This is where you will install all your plugins that you add to your program.
Putting them outside the program helps PSP to load and work better.
It is also a step in preventing a PSP crash or shut down.

Open your PSP program.
Click on FILE.
Click on PREFERENCES.
Click on FILE LOCATIONS.
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You file locations folder will open.
You will see a list on the left side that has all your PSP program folders. Highlight the "PLUGIN" folder.
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Over on the main page, click ADD.

Use the folder arrow to browse till you find the new folder you made in documents named PLUGINS.
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Click ok,

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Make sure you have all the same check marks and shown above.
Close out your PSP program.

Now find a plugin you want to install.
Download the plugin to the new plugin folder you made in documents. Extract the file in that folder.
When your finished. Shut down your computer and reboot.

When you're up an running again, open your PSP program.
Open an image,anything will do.

Click on EFFECTS and you shoud now see your new plugin showing in those effects.
Look under "PLUGINS" to make sure it's there.
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Check out all the cool effects plugins will do to the image you opened.
Have fun, and most of all EXPERIMENT!
Hope you've found this tut helpful.

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