How to set anchor points?

[mburwen]

Let's say I have a raster image that is a square, and I want to reshape this image so that it has an octagonal shape. I'm guessing that the way to do this is to somehow set anchor points along the edge, then grab an anchor point and move it. I cannot figure out how to do this. I thought the magnetic lasso tool would set anchor points, but as soon as I finish setting them, the points disappear. Can this be done with PE? An acqauintance says that there is a Set Anchor Point tool in the full version of Photoshop. Maybe it is lurking somewhere in PE as well.

[willpresley]

Sorry -- that is a Photoshop option -- PSE doesn't do Raster Images.

[Ward Grant]

You could try the 3-d filter, but I can not promise it will do what you want. Highlight the shape before applying the filter. There is a provision to apply/drag anchor points, but I believe it can only be done to one side.

[Byron Gale]

...PSE doesn't do Raster Images.Mine does!!

[willpresley]

Byron -- is that what the shapes are?

[Byron Gale]

Will,

All of the image formats PSE works with are raster images... JPG, GIF, TIFF, BMP, etc.

(Shapes begin as a vector, but are rasterized when simplified)

Sorry for not just saying so up front...

Byron

[willpresley]

Thanks for the info, Byron.

[Wendy]

Hi ...

Lets go back a step on this one ...

In photoshop if you create a vector shape (like a custome shape) you can go back to the anchor points and change them and if you have used a shape layer then the "colour" within the vector selection changes too. However once the shape layer is rasterised it becomes just a normal pixel image and you then can't change it using the same method.

With Elements you can't create your own vector shapes (you can only use presets like custome shapes) ... and there isn't the same flexibility with them.

What is it that you are actually trying to do ... you say that you have a raster image of a square and you want to change it to octangonal. Is this square on its own layer and it it just (for example) a plain filled colour.

It may be easier of you post your image on Pixentral and tell us how many layers there are ... that way we may be able to find a workaround for you :)

Wendy

[graficalicus]

What Byron said - raster images are all pixel-based images. Vector images (PSE doesn't do those) are mathmatical-based images based on curves & percentages (shapes are vectors, for example)

ANY raster image will be square. What you are trying to do is, essentially, create an octagonal frame.

Use the "Sign1" shape in the cutout tool - it's an octagon - to create the octagon shape on your image - my example is below. I just dragged out this shape over the top to get an "octagon" image (which is really square with an octagon frame the same color as the BG of this page)

start:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f219/graficalicus/Amazon_Warrior1.gif

finish:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f219/graficalicus/Amazon_Warrior2.gif

[mburwen]

What is it that you are actually trying to do ... you say that you have a raster image of a square and you want to change it to octangonal. Is this square on its own layer and it it just (for example) a plain filled colour.

It may be easier of you post your image on Pixentral and tell us how many layers there are ... that way we may be able to find a workaround for you :)

Thank you Wendy.

The file is a psd and pixentral won't accept it. It was made by someone using Photoshop and apparently contains many layers. PE's acccess to these layers appears to be limited. PE's layers palette shows two layers: a background layer and a layer consisting of a) thumbnail that looks like a blue square with white bars on each side; b) link icon; c) layer mask thumbnail labeled IR3; and 4) an icon signifying layer mask styles. If I click on a) the color picker appears. If I click on c) nothing happens. If I click on 4) a window appears that allows me to change a variety of bevel and lighting options.

The image I am trying to change the shape of is actually a button that has 3D, texture and lighting properties that I want to retain. I simply want to change the shape. It seems to me that what I want to do is change that layer mask. The mask may indeed be a vector image, but since I haven't figured out how to access it, I can't change it. I would be happy to email the file to anyone, or if there is a way to post a psd file on this forum, I will do that.

[Wendy]

Hi ...

It sounds as though it it may be a colour fill layer ... does it look like this:

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1hWU33O6qSI4pU4KuF8d4hKCwVlK_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1hWU33O6qSI4pU4KuF8d4hKCwVlK)

If so then I am afraid that all you have is a background layer with all of the image on it ... including the button.

The colour fill layer is simply changing the colour part of the background layer ... and a layer style is then applied to that section. (Check that by switching off the eyeball next to that layer in the layers palette)

If it does look like the image here then I am afraid that there isn't a way of changing it :(

Wendy

[mburwen]

Yup, that's the way it looks. Foiled again.

[Wendy]

Hi ...

I have been thinking about this over dinner ... and if it is a colour fill layer then it should be possible to change it.

Try this change your foreground colour to white, select the paintbrush (choose a hard edged one) ... click on the white mask layer in the layers palette then on the image paint over the button.

Hopefully it will be painted out ... :eek:
change to black and paint in the new shape ..

I think it will work but try it and see ... do let me know :)

Wendy

[mburwen]

Wendy, your approach is successful! Genius at work. I know it is impolite to ask a lady her age, but your "Enlightened Elder" moniker is intriguing to say the least. I am 68. Do I qualify as an "Unenlightened Elder"?

[Wendy]

Hi there ...

Oh I am so pleased that it has worked :)

Now about the Enlightened Elder ... well everyone starts off as a New Forum User, then as your number of posts increase your title keeps changing ... until you finally reach 10,000 posts and then you become an Enlightened Elder :)

Wendy

[mburwen]

You are probably 19.

[Wendy]

Hey ...

I do wish that I was 19 ... or maybe not !

A lady does't give away her age BUT have you seen my baby photographs in one of the threads on the forum ... Umm the black and white does tend to give my age away :eek:

Here is a link to the thread you should find it fun ... :D

http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10183

Wendy

[mburwen]

Saw your pic. I was right. 19 it is. Or did you doctor the pic with Photoshop!

[Wendy]

Hi ...

Oh you got me there !! ... :)

Wendy