Flow chart vectors transferrable to photoshop

Hmm. I note that I asked about "pasting" vector material into PS. I really should have said "importing" in any way possible.

Hope this is clearer.

Neal

On Sat, 28 May 2005 20:49:28 GMT, Neal Margolis
wrote:

I’m integrating a lot of flow charts with a lot of photos and find that PS’s vector tools are a bit clumsy for producing lots and lots of complex flow charting. I’ve used powerpoint but the stuff gets rasterized as soon as it’s pasted into a PS layer.

First, I assume that Illustrator will let me retain the vector structure after pasting into PS. Is this correct?

Second, is Illustrator a good flow-charter?

If not, is there any other vector drawing tool that will let me produce flowcharts quickly and then paste them to a PS layer while retaining the vector structure?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Neal

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_______________________________________________________
Neal Margolis / / 415-845-1847

In article ,
Neal Margolis wrote:

I’m integrating a lot of flow charts with a lot of photos and find that PS’s vector tools are a bit clumsy for producing lots and lots of complex flow charting. I’ve used powerpoint but the stuff gets rasterized as soon as it’s pasted into a PS layer.

Ouch. Making a flowchart in Photoshop is like trying to drive nails with a wrench–yes, it’s theoretically possible, but it’s tedious, difficult, and frustrating. You really need to be using a true vector tool, like Illustrator.

You can paste Illustrator objects into Photoshop as vector paths. One question, though–why do you need to get these things into Photoshop at all?

—
Art, photography, shareware, polyamory, literature, kink: all at http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html

Hey thanks. I sure agree that PS is not for flow charting and, after d’loading the Illustrator tryout, I don’t think Illustrator is worth it either. I guess I’ll stick with PowerPoint for the charts and paste them rasterized into PS.

As to why I want the capability, go to:

http://www.skillware.com

and click on Life Flow Plans. I’ve been obsessed with this stuff for years. Lemme know what you think.

Thanks again for your thoughts,

On Sun, 29 May 2005 05:48:22 GMT, tacit wrote:

In article ,
Neal Margolis wrote:

I’m integrating a lot of flow charts with a lot of photos and find that PS’s vector tools are a bit clumsy for producing lots and lots of complex flow charting. I’ve used powerpoint but the stuff gets rasterized as soon as it’s pasted into a PS layer.

Ouch. Making a flowchart in Photoshop is like trying to drive nails with a wrench–yes, it’s theoretically possible, but it’s tedious, difficult, and frustrating. You really need to be using a true vector tool, like Illustrator.

You can paste Illustrator objects into Photoshop as vector paths. One question, though–why do you need to get these things into Photoshop at all?

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_______________________________________________________
Neal Margolis / / 415-845-1847

hmmmmm…interesting stuff. I like the idea of having the photos with ordinary flow charts…..however…i think the images are distracting from your flow charts and whatever idea you are trying to convey. perhaps you could lower the opacity or fill on the image layer so that your flow charts and text stand out more.

Anyhoo…you might like using illy rather than photoshop or powerpoint for your charts. You DONT have to even use an "import" option going from illy to PS. A simple copy/paste works and you can paste in ether as pixels paths or shapes!!!!

So find ye Illustrator!!! nice work….
"Neal Margolis" wrote in message

Hey thanks. I sure agree that PS is not for flow charting and, after d’loading the Illustrator tryout, I don’t think Illustrator is worth it either. I guess I’ll stick with PowerPoint for the charts and paste them rasterized into PS.

As to why I want the capability, go to:

http://www.skillware.com

and click on Life Flow Plans. I’ve been obsessed with this stuff for years. Lemme know what you think.

Thanks again for your thoughts,

On Sun, 29 May 2005 05:48:22 GMT, tacit wrote:

In article ,
Neal Margolis wrote:

I’m integrating a lot of flow charts with a lot of photos and find that PS’s vector tools are a bit clumsy for producing lots and lots of complex flow charting. I’ve used powerpoint but the stuff gets rasterized as soon as it’s pasted into a PS layer.

Ouch. Making a flowchart in Photoshop is like trying to drive nails with a wrench–yes, it’s theoretically possible, but it’s tedious, difficult, and frustrating. You really need to be using a true vector tool, like Illustrator.

You can paste Illustrator objects into Photoshop as vector paths. One question, though–why do you need to get these things into Photoshop at all?

—
_______________________________________________________
Neal Margolis / /

415-845-1847

Hey Jrzyguy,

You might not realize it, but your feedback in the first paragraph below is incredibly valuable! I started with totally opaque charts and got some feerdback that I ought to integrate them more. I did this, but saw how much more attention was required to get the chart — especially on a monitor. On a print it’s not as hard. Bur still some work.

Based on what you say, I now see that the difference in people’s reaction certainly was better when I was strictly opaque in the charts.

Thanks for hitting the point of what for me is an important issue. If I am trying to demionstrate how the binary consciousness interferes with experience then I had better clearly discriminate between the two.

Thanks again,

Neal

On Sun, 29 May 2005 10:32:32 -0400, "jrzyguy" wrote:

hmmmmm…interesting stuff. I like the idea of having the photos with ordinary flow charts…..however…i think the images are distracting from your flow charts and whatever idea you are trying to convey. perhaps you could lower the opacity or fill on the image layer so that your flow charts and text stand out more.

Anyhoo…you might like using illy rather than photoshop or powerpoint for your charts. You DONT have to even use an "import" option going from illy to PS. A simple copy/paste works and you can paste in ether as pixels paths or shapes!!!!

So find ye Illustrator!!! nice work….
"Neal Margolis" wrote in message

Hey thanks. I sure agree that PS is not for flow charting and, after d’loading the Illustrator tryout, I don’t think Illustrator is worth it either. I guess I’ll stick with PowerPoint for the charts and paste them rasterized into PS.

As to why I want the capability, go to:

http://www.skillware.com

and click on Life Flow Plans. I’ve been obsessed with this stuff for years. Lemme know what you think.

Thanks again for your thoughts,

On Sun, 29 May 2005 05:48:22 GMT, tacit wrote:

In article ,
Neal Margolis wrote:

I’m integrating a lot of flow charts with a lot of photos and find that PS’s vector tools are a bit clumsy for producing lots and lots of complex flow charting. I’ve used powerpoint but the stuff gets rasterized as soon as it’s pasted into a PS layer.

Ouch. Making a flowchart in Photoshop is like trying to drive nails with a wrench–yes, it’s theoretically possible, but it’s tedious, difficult, and frustrating. You really need to be using a true vector tool, like Illustrator.

You can paste Illustrator objects into Photoshop as vector paths. One question, though–why do you need to get these things into Photoshop at all?

—
_______________________________________________________
Neal Margolis / /

415-845-1847

—
_______________________________________________________
Neal Margolis / / 415-845-1847

On Sun, 29 May 2005 06:47:15 GMT, Neal Margolis
wrote:

Hey thanks. I sure agree that PS is not for flow charting and, after d’loading the Illustrator tryout, I don’t think Illustrator is worth it either. I guess I’ll stick with PowerPoint for the charts and paste them rasterized into PS.

Powerpoint isn’t it either. If you want to do proper flow charting get Visio.

—

Hecate – The Real One

Fashion: Buying things you don’t need, with money
you don’t have, to impress people you don’t like…

Visio???? oh hectate…you must be kidding!!! it is just sooooooooooo much easier to do your flow charts by hand. Either use PPT’s regular objects and totaly avoid the built in charting progam and connecters.

I would recomment coredraw…but with the OP doing some final stuff in PS it makes sence to use illustrator. It is so easy to create all the vectors and stuff in illy…and the just do a copy/ paste into photoshop.

and the the OP….glad you liked my advise. you just have to find some way to make your shapes and text stand out from the image. I am sure you can do it.

"Hecate" wrote in message

On Sun, 29 May 2005 06:47:15 GMT, Neal Margolis
wrote:

Hey thanks. I sure agree that PS is not for flow charting and, after d’loading the Illustrator tryout, I don’t think Illustrator is worth it either. I guess I’ll stick with PowerPoint for the charts and paste them rasterized into PS.

Powerpoint isn’t it either. If you want to do proper flow charting get Visio.

—

Hecate – The Real One

Fashion: Buying things you don’t need, with money
you don’t have, to impress people you don’t like…

Neal Margolis wrote:

Hmm. I note that I asked about "pasting" vector material into PS. I really should have said "importing" in any way possible.
Hope this is clearer.

Neal

Why don’t you just get something like Visio that has a bunch of flowcharting objects already built in? You can import photos if need be.

Larry, this is getting to be the workflow idea that sounds best — as long as I can end up with a printable JPG of high enough resolution to print at 13" by 19" on my Epson 2200.

Now I’m off to look for a trial version of Visio.

Thanks,

Neal

On 30 May 2005 04:03:36 -0700, "Larry Bud"
wrote:

Neal Margolis wrote:

Hmm. I note that I asked about "pasting" vector material into PS. I really should have said "importing" in any way possible.
Hope this is clearer.

Neal

Why don’t you just get something like Visio that has a bunch of flowcharting objects already built in? You can import photos if need be.

—
_______________________________________________________
Neal Margolis / / 415-845-1847

On Sun, 29 May 2005 22:43:50 -0400, "jrzyguy" wrote:

Visio???? oh hectate…you must be kidding!!! it is just sooooooooooo much easier to do your flow charts by hand. Either use PPT’s regular objects and totaly avoid the built in charting progam and connecters.

Not at all. I’ve been using Visio since well before MS bought it and it’s a wonderful tool, second only to Excel in it’s abilities. I use for Flowcharting, mind mapping, web site design outlines, org charts and so on. The only difference is that, like PS, it takes some time to learn to do things properly. Once you can however, it’s simple as hell to get it to do what you want.

—

Hecate – The Real One

Fashion: Buying things you don’t need, with money
you don’t have, to impress people you don’t like…

Can you export a Visio file into PS and retain the vectors?

Neal

On Mon, 30 May 2005 22:37:29 +0100, Hecate wrote:

On Sun, 29 May 2005 22:43:50 -0400, "jrzyguy" wrote:

Visio???? oh hectate…you must be kidding!!! it is just sooooooooooo much easier to do your flow charts by hand. Either use PPT’s regular objects and totaly avoid the built in charting progam and connecters.

Not at all. I’ve been using Visio since well before MS bought it and it’s a wonderful tool, second only to Excel in it’s abilities. I use for Flowcharting, mind mapping, web site design outlines, org charts and so on. The only difference is that, like PS, it takes some time to learn to do things properly. Once you can however, it’s simple as hell to get it to do what you want.

—

Hecate – The Real One

Fashion: Buying things you don’t need, with money
you don’t have, to impress people you don’t like…

—
_______________________________________________________
Neal Margolis / / 415-845-1847

On Tue, 31 May 2005 04:37:37 GMT, Neal Margolis
wrote:

Can you export a Visio file into PS and retain the vectors?

Never tried it, though I have exported as a vector file. You can export as an Illustrator file, a Postscript file and, if you must, a Windows Meta File. I would’ve though the first 2 would give you decent results. The third might or might not.

—

Hecate – The Real One

Fashion: Buying things you don’t need, with money
you don’t have, to impress people you don’t like…

Just a note to say that I have reviewed three different vector programs and have decided that, for my purposes, they are each either too much trouble or simply not effective enough.

I have reviewed Illustrator, Expression, and Visio.

Visio is the best flow charter, for sure, but I cannot get it to import vector objects easily into PS — any easier, that is, than PowerPoint, which means rastrerization.

Expression 3 was an intersting find — a vector drawing program that Microsoft seems to be distributing for free (for now). Incredible tools and beautifu results but, for me, too steep a learning curve. Seems to import via cut and paste into PS, but i can’t get it to perform consistantly.

Illustrator is just a whole lot of work for charting — even though my charting needs are fairly simple. Also, the cost is high.

So, I’ve decided to stick with PowerPoint docs. If I set the page at about 30 inches by 40 inches, I get a cut and paste rasterized version at high enough resolution to integrate with my 240ppi PS file which is aimed at a 13X19 output.

That’s all for now. Thanks, folks, for your help and direction.

Neal

On Sat, 28 May 2005 20:49:28 GMT, Neal Margolis
wrote:

I’m integrating a lot of flow charts with a lot of photos and find that PS’s vector tools are a bit clumsy for producing lots and lots of complex flow charting. I’ve used powerpoint but the stuff gets rasterized as soon as it’s pasted into a PS layer.

First, I assume that Illustrator will let me retain the vector structure after pasting into PS. Is this correct?

Second, is Illustrator a good flow-charter?

If not, is there any other vector drawing tool that will let me produce flowcharts quickly and then paste them to a PS layer while retaining the vector structure?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Neal

—
_______________________________________________________
Neal Margolis / / 415-845-1847