Straighten tool in PSE8

[bryn]

Tried tool on a vertical line and it rotated the picture.
Tried using Ctrl and the tool and it dragged the picture like the move tool.
Tried tool pressing left button then adding the Ctrl and it rotates picture.
What is the answer for vertical surfaces?

[Wendy]

Hi ...

You need to select the Straighten Tool then hold down the Control key and draw down a vertical line ... try this link it may help you

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Photosho...-7eea_WIN.html

Wendy

[mrod]

Hmmm...sounds like #3 should have worked:

1. Select tool and move out to image

2. Left-click and hold, then press and hold Ctrl (Mac would be Command). You can also add Shift to draw an exactly straight line.

3. Drag along vertical line in image and release.

If that's not working, try resetting the tool by clicking the tiny black triangle in the top-left corner of the Options Bar and see if that does the trick. Maybe it got a few wires twisted somehow. Figuratively speaking.

Mike

[Tina_B]

there is a video in the subscriber area on the straighten tool.
Tina B

[TonyW]

Timing and order is everything - just used it in PSE8

Click>drag>Ctrl>release

Holding down Ctrl first won't work because Ctrl is a short cut for the move tool (hmm I didn't know that - I always thought it was V ) . Just looked it up and Ctrl-drag with any tool is a move shortcut.

Tony

[bryn]

Tony,
I cannot make it work.
If I try Click>drag>Ctrl>Release, then nothing happens.
If I then Click, the image rotates 90

[gisele]

I know this is an old thread, but since the threads I read didn't really help me with the answer, I'll post it here for future use.

I was watching a video on vertical straightening as well, and it said "Select, press control and start drawing the line".

That's not exactly what happens (at least to me in Win 7, PSE9).

If you select, and hold CTRL and then start drawing, it will tell you that you need to create a new layer, because the background layer is locked.

If you select, start drawing and then hold CTRL, when you get to the end of your line and let go, it will rotate it horizontally.

After a bunch of trial-and-error, I realized that the sequence is:

- Select straighten tool
- start drawing line
- while drawing line, hit CTRL
- finish drawing line
- KEEP HOLDING CTRL and let go of mouse. This will straighten it vertically ***this is the missing piece in the video and written tutorials I have seen****


I hope that helps somebody. I was banging my head against the wall - watching the tutorial over and over again and swearing that I was doing what they were saying and it wasn't working.

If this is not the right answer (worked for me!), please feel free to correct it.

[JulieM]

Hi Gisele,

I don't often use the straightening tool in PSE but I can confirm that the steps you describe work for me in PSE8. The CMD or CTL key does have to be released before the mouse or the image will flip. Thanks for detailing your experience - I'm sure it'll be helpful to others.

Edit: Information given was incorrect. Releasing mouse first while holding CMD or CTL works.

[gisele]

Originally Posted by JulieM

Hi Gisele,

I don't often use the straightening tool in PSE but I can confirm that the steps you describe work for me in PSE8. The CMD or CTL key does have to be released before the mouse or the image will flip. Thanks for detailing your experience - I'm sure it'll be helpful to others.

Julie - can you check that again? For me in PSE9, the trick is to release the mouse FIRST, while holding down CTRL....or if flips.

[ChrisAnn]

Originally Posted by gisele

I know this is an old thread, but since the threads I read didn't really help me with the answer, I'll post it here for future use.

I was watching a video on vertical straightening as well, and it said "Select, press control and start drawing the line".

That's not exactly what happens (at least to me in Win 7, PSE9).

If you select, and hold CTRL and then start drawing, it will tell you that you need to create a new layer, because the background layer is locked.

If you select, start drawing and then hold CTRL, when you get to the end of your line and let go, it will rotate it horizontally.

After a bunch of trial-and-error, I realized that the sequence is:

- Select straighten tool
- start drawing line
- while drawing line, hit CTRL
- finish drawing line
- KEEP HOLDING CTRL and let go of mouse. This will straighten it vertically ***this is the missing piece in the video and written tutorials I have seen****


I hope that helps somebody. I was banging my head against the wall - watching the tutorial over and over again and swearing that I was doing what they were saying and it wasn't working.

If this is not the right answer (worked for me!), please feel free to correct it.

I think it changed in PSE 9 - I find it very irritating having to click Ctrl after drawing my straightening line but before letting go. It was different in V8 - I wish Adobe would stop messing with the processes.