Grant's plug-ins?

[MarieBoyer]

I have found the link for Grant's tools. The site does not explain what the tools do or how to use them. I have seen people rave about them here. Should I just go ahead and download them and play with them? Will it be obvious once I start to use them? (I have PSE3).

Thanks for your advice.

[willpresley]

Some time back I think it was Wendy gave an explanation of what the tools do -- you might search the forum to see if you can find the thread.

But by all means do download and install -- and play with them to get a feel for what all they do -- but if you upgrade to pse 4 you'll lose some of the tools.

[GaryK]

Some are obvious, some require some knowledge of "photoshop" type stuff, but download them anyway. Even if all you use is the layer mask ..its worth it.

[Carbone]

Ask your questions about the tools here, surely someone will be able to answer. I know a few of us have the full Photoshop so we can help (myself, Wendy, and some others).

Ray

[Grant]

MarieBoyer

One day I will write a tutorial for my tools but ... If you have any questions about a particular tool please ask. If no one answers before I get home then I will jump in and try to help.

[Norm F]

Hi Grant,

I get the impression from the forum that your tools are a must have. I'm using PSE4. Someone suggested that they don't work with this version. Someone else says they do. Have you tested them with the latest version?

Thanks very much.

[Carbone]

Norm,

Adobe disabled a few things tools like Grant's and others require to work under Photoshop Elements 4. Hence, some of Grant's extra tools don't work under PSE4.

Ray

[MarieBoyer]

Thanks to all! I will download and explore! I will ask questions as they arise, and I am sure they will. Thanks in advance from all us newbies! We appreciate your willingness to help!

[Ward Grant]

Here is a reply Grant posted previously in the Adobeforums on which of his tools work in PSE4.

Now, as of last time I looked and with a caveat. All my tools were
constructed using Photoshop 7 and while I do own CS (Not CS2) I haven't
rebuilt the tools as of yet.

What works

All alignment tools work
Center Horizontal
Center Vertical
Alignment Top
Alignment Bottom
Alignment Left
Alignment Right

All Channel tools work
Channel Blue
Channel Red
Channel Green
Channel RGB

Creating a Mask Layer Works
Transforming selection works.

What doesn't Work

The following actions don't work:

Action Channel Mixer
Action Colours Balance
Action Curves
Action Colours Selection
Grid Actions
Quick Mask actions


The Quick Mask is a mute point as the improvements to the 'Selection Brush
Tool" have eliminated any need for this action.

While people seem to like some of the actions that will be missing I
personally don't feel that the users of elements will really derive much
benefit from Action Colours Balance, Action Curves, and Action Colours
Selection.

I do feel that Action Channel Mixer is very important for those that want to
do Colour to B&W translations. While I can accomplish the same task in
Elements without this tool it is an extremely complex procedure that I have
never successfully been able to teach in class.

I can teach object alignment without Grids but the use of grids really does
make life simpler for people doing text layout.

I do hope this is what you are after.

[Brenda]

Hi
Can someone tell me how to install grants tools I have downloaded them to my documents but how do i put them in elements,

please help I am having same problem with all plug-ins i download
Thanks

[Wendy]

Hi Brenda,

Just go back tothe page that you downloaded the tools from and the instructions are there :)


http://www.cavesofice.org/~grant/Challenge/Tools/index.html

What other plug ins are you having problems with ??


Wendy

[Norm F]

Hi Brenda,

There are some good installation instructions at http://www.cavesofice.org/~grant/Challenge/Tools/HowtTo.html.

Thanks to everyone for their direction on this. I'm going to install them today.

[Brenda]

I have realised why I couldn't install tools it say elements can't be running at the same time this why it wouldn't install them.

Silly me I should read all instructions first

thanks guys

[whaycock]

Here is a download site for Grant's layer Mask Tool:

http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/pselements/p/layermasks.htm

It explains exactly how to download it as well as installing it - it is a "must have" tool if you use layers and layer masks in PSE3 - I use it every time I work on an image!

Bill

[Bayla]

I've followed the instructions for installing Grant's tools. Didn't have PSE3 loaded when I did the installation, deleted the six files from the two caches, when I go to Windows Explorer it looks just like the link says it should, but.......when I then start uo PSE3, I go to styles and effects, click on effects, scroll to Grants tools but NOTHING shows up in the box below. What am I doing wrong :confused:

Bayla

[Wendy]

Hi there ...

It takes a while to rebuild the cache so you do have to be patient and leave it for a little while.

Try deleting the files again and then wait a few minutes for it to rebuild before you go to the effects palette :)


Wendy

[Wendy]

Hi Bill ...

I just took a look at the link you gave but I don't think that Grant did that version ... here is a link to Grant's tools:

http://www.cavesofice.org/~grant/Challenge/Tools/index.html

Wendy

[Bayla]

Thanks Wendy,

Still wouldn't show up even though I waited ages, so I fiddled around in Windows Explorer - Grants tools were showing up in two different places for some reason, also found bits of the trial version of PSE4 still there (I thought I'd removed it) so got rid of that just in case it was having some sort of effect, waited patiently for about half an hour and lo! and behold, I've got the tools there!

Now all I've got to do is figure out what on earth they all do and why you experts are always raving about them and telling us lesser mortals that they are indispensible:o

Bayla

[Wendy]

Hi there ...

Well glad that youu now have them working :)

Lets start with an easy one ... have you ever used masks??


Wendy

[Bayla]

Good morning Wendy,

I presume you mean the levels & hue/saturation adjustment layers which give you a little thumbnail mask? Yes I've used them but usually only when i'm following a 'recipe' or tutorial which tells me to! I'm a bit hazy about when and why I should be using them:o I know you use them to mask selections and that they're useful cos you can go back and make adjustments cos they only affect the mask not the image itself, but I frequently get mixed up about which colour my mask thumbnail should be and which colour I should be painting with....the lightbulb hasn't clicked on yet for me I'm afraid so any help will be most gratefully received.:)

Bayla

[MarieBoyer]

Bayla:

I am glad you asked this. I am with you as the lightbulb has not gone of for me yet either (despite reading several books). Thank goodness for the tutorials that tell you step-by-step. But wait here for Wendy's response. She is amazing. Adobe ought to enthrone her.

I will be watching too!

[Wendy]

Hi there ...

Well that certainly made me laugh :)

OK then I have done a mini tut on layer masks. I posted it its own thread as it would probably get lost in this one ... so here is a link to it:

http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4601

Could someone check it out and make sure that it all works :)

I have also put a link to it in Wendy's Mini Tutorials (http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3641)

Hope it helps !!

Wendy

[Bayla]

Wendy,

You are a darling. If it's anything like your other tutorials it will be amazing!

I plan on trying it out later on when all the kids are occupied or asleep:) Hopefully by that time my Pixentral problem will have resolved itself and I'll be able to see the images in the tutorial. At the moment as you know I'm having major problems with the Pixentral site, the ONLY site that I can't go to!!!:mad: :mad: :mad:

Bayla

[whaycock]

You could be right! All I know is I did download that "Layer Mask" and followed the instructions to install it in PSE 3.0. It is a great "add on" to have - I use it every time I work on an image - I will look over "Grant's" tools and see how they work for me!

I have really enjoyed this Forum! Great resource for all of us - the two "online" courses presented here have made 100% improvement in my capability - I suggest any new comers to Elements take and study both the courses offered!

Best Wishes to all from the deep south land of America - it is still in the 60 degree range (F)!:) :)

Bill

Hi Bill ...

I just took a look at the link you gave but I don't think that Grant did that version ... here is a link to Grant's tools:

http://www.cavesofice.org/~grant/Challenge/Tools/index.html

Wendy

[Wendy]

Hi Bill ...

When you go to Grant's site you will find that the tools set has quite a few good ones in it. I think that the most useful ones are:

Layer Masks
Curves
Transform Selection
Guides
Channel Mixer
Colour Balance
Selective Colour

If you like masks I am sure that you will really like the other ones :)

Wendy

[Bayla]

Wendy,

Any chance you could upload your screenshot to Imageshack or something as I just can't view anything on Pixentral without everything shutting down.

So far so good with the layer mask tutorial, but would like to compare my screen with yours!!

Thanks

Bayla

[GaryK]

http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/9472/wednylayermask3sc.th.jpg (http://img54.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wednylayermask3sc.jpg)

Give this a try..not sure if its right or not:)

[Pauline]

Bayla, remember BLACK CONCEAL< WHITE REVEAL! If you paint with black it hides what you don't want seen. It works much better than using the eraser to take away what you don't want because once you use the eraser your pixels are gone. With the mask you can put them back. The mask is the one that I use the most, but yesterday I used the guide lines for the first time and they work great.

So say you have two layers of a picture. The original and one on top of it. The one on top you change to grey scale and then just want one section in colour. In that case you would just paint with black the area you want to be in colour, because it is concealing your top grey scale layer. Does that make sense? It takes a bit to get your head around it but once you start playing with it you will start to understand. Sometimes you fill the complete layer mask with black and paint with white to reveal. Sometimes I leave it white and paint with black to mask off the effect. It all depends on which is less work. (ie which has the least painting)

You can also paint in shades of gray to make it partially revealing. It doesn't just have to be black or white. You might want 'some' effect to show through but not all.

[GaryK]

Pauline

Was using the "transform selelction" one the past few days for a border breakout effect..worked like a charm. It bypasses that whole "make a shape on a layer, fill it, transform it, select it, erase layer" thing.

[Pauline]

Gary, I only tried that one once. I really must just have to tools open and sitting there so that I know what's there to try them!

[Wendy]

Gary ...

Once you use transform selection there is no way you ever want to give it up :)

Thanks for posting the image ...

Wendy

[Bayla]

Gary

Thanks for posting the screenshot via Imageshack - it was good to see that my screen looks the same......

Pauline

Thanks for your explanation. Still not quite sure of the difference between painting in black on a white layer mask and painting in white on a black filled layer mask....but tomorrow I'm going to have a go with some actual photos and then I think things will be a lot clearer

Wendy,

Thanks for your tutorial. I think I'm finding PSE3 one of the most challenging things I've ever put my brain to, and the help on this forum is something I just couldn't have managed without!

Bayla

[GaryK]

Bayla

The only difference with Paulines suggestion is how much white as opposed to black you need. If you just need a spot or two of black (to conceal) then paint in black (white mask thumbnail)). If you just need a spot or two of white (to reveal) then fill with black (mask thumbnail) and paint the white. Same resullt just less painting.

[Wendy]

Hi Bayla ...

Don't worry about the two ways of doing masks ... just learn one of them and once that clicks into place you will then find that you understand the other one as well ...

So just concentrate on doing a white mask and then painting on it in black to hide things :)


Wendy

[Bayla]

I am soooo excited. :) I started off this am playing around with the layer mask and I've got the idea and have worked out some practical applications. But then I went on to investigate the transform selection tool which Gary and Wendy both mentioned and wow! It wasn't so much that the lightbulb flickered on, more a case of being bathed in a floodlight:D :D

I had such fun and really got the hang of it and could see all sorts of things I could do. I was helped by the fact also that I read through the chapter on managing layers in 'The Missing Manual' last night so I've really got the hang of manouvering layers now:)

I was so pleased to have actually figured something out myself for once.

But now back down to earth with another question. I also tried out the two other mask tools (masks quick & masks standard), but beyond figuring out that when you paint one paints in blue and one in red I was a bit flummoxed. What do you use them for ?

Bayla

[Wendy]

Hi there ...

Just forget the other two mask icons ...

Quick masks ... you use the paintbrush which will paint in red (no matter what colour your colours are set to) THEN you
use Standard Mask and it converts the red into a selection.

Its a bit like using the selection brush .. (which Photoshop doesn't have ... it has this instead)

Nothing at all to do with layer masks ... the only reason they are called masks is because they use a red mask (called a Rubylith Mask) to make a selection.

Wendy