Paths

Very simply

Take an image with a figure standing agianst a background. . Draw around a figure in it with an imaginary pencil 1 pxl wide. That’s a path

Fill in the area you’ve drawn with a crayon from an imaginary crayoning box. That’s a selection.

Now wait for all the clever so-and s0s to complicate it

HTH

Bobby D
"C Tate" wrote in message

I simply cannot get my head around ‘paths’, despite reading about them in a photoshop book! Can anyone tell me in a simple paragraph what the difference between a selection and a path is?!

A selection in Photoshop is a selection of an area that is defined in pixels. If you zoom way in on a circular selection, you will notice the edges are stair-stepped. It is a circle created out of many small square pixels. It’s like making a circle out of tiny Legos.

A path is a vector that is defined by a mathematical formula or equation. A circle is all points equidistant from the center point. A circle will look the same at any size. A circle created with a path will maintain a very smooth curve, since pixels have been removed from the equation entirely. Using a path to create a circle is more like a Hula Hoop than Legos.

Vector shapes, which are created by paths are very scalable in that they will maintain the same quality and characteristics at virtually any size. The file size won’t change significantly with graphic dimensions either when only vectors are used, at least not as significantly as when pixels are used.

Adobe Illustrator and Macromedia Freehand are vector programs that use paths and vectors extensively. Photoshop is more of a pixel based program, although it’s vector ability has grown in leaps and bounds over the last few upgrades.

I hope that helps. Oops! Three extra paragraphs! Sorry!

Peadge 🙂

"C Tate" wrote in message

I simply cannot get my head around ‘paths’, despite reading about them in

a

photoshop book! Can anyone tell me in a simple paragraph what the

difference

between a selection and a path is?!

What did I say? Watch the clever so and sos complicate it!

BD
"Peadge" wrote in message

A selection in Photoshop is a selection of an area that is defined in pixels. If you zoom way in on a circular selection, you will notice the edges are stair-stepped. It is a circle created out of many small square pixels. It’s like making a circle out of tiny Legos.

A path is a vector that is defined by a mathematical formula or equation. A
circle is all points equidistant from the center point. A circle will look the same at any size. A circle created with a path will maintain a very smooth curve, since pixels have been removed from the equation entirely. Using a path to create a circle is more like a Hula Hoop than Legos.
Vector shapes, which are created by paths are very scalable in that they will maintain the same quality and characteristics at virtually any size. The file size won’t change significantly with graphic dimensions either when
only vectors are used, at least not as significantly as when pixels are used.

Adobe Illustrator and Macromedia Freehand are vector programs that use paths
and vectors extensively. Photoshop is more of a pixel based program, although it’s vector ability has grown in leaps and bounds over the last few
upgrades.

I hope that helps. Oops! Three extra paragraphs! Sorry!

Peadge 🙂

"C Tate" wrote in message

I simply cannot get my head around ‘paths’, despite reading about them in

a

photoshop book! Can anyone tell me in a simple paragraph what the

difference

between a selection and a path is?!

What did I say? Watch ’em complicate the simple. I had maths teachers like that

BD
"Peadge" wrote in message

A selection in Photoshop is a selection of an area that is defined in pixels. If you zoom way in on a circular selection, you will notice the edges are stair-stepped. It is a circle created out of many small square pixels. It’s like making a circle out of tiny Legos.

A path is a vector that is defined by a mathematical formula or equation. A
circle is all points equidistant from the center point. A circle will look the same at any size. A circle created with a path will maintain a very smooth curve, since pixels have been removed from the equation entirely. Using a path to create a circle is more like a Hula Hoop than Legos.
Vector shapes, which are created by paths are very scalable in that they will maintain the same quality and characteristics at virtually any size. The file size won’t change significantly with graphic dimensions either when
only vectors are used, at least not as significantly as when pixels are used.

Adobe Illustrator and Macromedia Freehand are vector programs that use paths
and vectors extensively. Photoshop is more of a pixel based program, although it’s vector ability has grown in leaps and bounds over the last few
upgrades.

I hope that helps. Oops! Three extra paragraphs! Sorry!

Peadge 🙂

"C Tate" wrote in message

I simply cannot get my head around ‘paths’, despite reading about them in

a

photoshop book! Can anyone tell me in a simple paragraph what the

difference

between a selection and a path is?!

"Bobby Dogg" wrote in message

What did I say? Watch the clever so and sos complicate it!

That’s because your explanation was just totally wrong. Photoshop has no "imaginary pencil" or "imaginary crayon" tools. Besides, you mention pixels while creating a path which again is just plain wrong. Paths don’t use pixels. A selection ALWAYS involves the little "marching ants" that border the selection. It requires no ‘figure standing against a background."

I wasn’t trying to complicate it at all, I was trying to give the OP something based in reality (much less imaginary.) Didn’t get math, huh?

Just look at the differences. Create a new file and make a circular selection with the Elliptical Marquee tool. Inside this selection make a circle with the Ellipse Tool beneath the (Text tool). Zoom way in and notice that the Marquee selection is stair-stepped (jagged) while the Ellipse tool circle is perfectly smooth.

That’s the difference.

Peadge 🙂

OK guys, no fighting! I think I get the basic idea though. Are you both therefore saying that you would use paths to get a more precise edge? "Peadge" wrote in message

A selection in Photoshop is a selection of an area that is defined in pixels. If you zoom way in on a circular selection, you will notice the edges are stair-stepped. It is a circle created out of many small square pixels. It’s like making a circle out of tiny Legos.

A path is a vector that is defined by a mathematical formula or equation. A
circle is all points equidistant from the center point. A circle will look the same at any size. A circle created with a path will maintain a very smooth curve, since pixels have been removed from the equation entirely. Using a path to create a circle is more like a Hula Hoop than Legos.
Vector shapes, which are created by paths are very scalable in that they will maintain the same quality and characteristics at virtually any size. The file size won’t change significantly with graphic dimensions either when
only vectors are used, at least not as significantly as when pixels are used.

Adobe Illustrator and Macromedia Freehand are vector programs that use paths
and vectors extensively. Photoshop is more of a pixel based program, although it’s vector ability has grown in leaps and bounds over the last few
upgrades.

I hope that helps. Oops! Three extra paragraphs! Sorry!

Peadge 🙂

"C Tate" wrote in message

I simply cannot get my head around ‘paths’, despite reading about them in

a

photoshop book! Can anyone tell me in a simple paragraph what the

difference

between a selection and a path is?!

"C Tate" wrote in message

OK guys, no fighting! I think I get the basic idea though. Are you both therefore saying that you would use paths to get a more precise edge?

Yes. Paths create an absolutely perfect curve, like bending a strip of smooth plastic. Paths will maintain their accuracy whether the image is the size of a postage stamp or a billboard. Pixels cannot accomplish this accuracy. All you can do with pixels is make them smaller by increasing the resolution. Regardless of size, pixels remain square blocks.

Another way to see this in action is to view a Flash site online that uses vectors. I happen to have a Flash file on my server space. Right-click (or Command Click on a Mac) and choose zoom. Zoom in several times on the text and notice how fine and sharp the edges are. You can drag the image around with your mouse to find the play button if you lose it when zooming. You can also deselect "play" to pause the animation and zoom in on the red ball when it becomes very small.

http://home.comcast.net/~oneravenlunatic/ball_and_string.swf

Not looking for a fight, just trying to accurately help you. 🙂

Peadge 🙂