pen tool VS lasso tool for selection

RS
Posted By
Reza_Saheban
Jun 15, 2004
Views
211
Replies
5
Status
Closed
Hi.PS 7 user
Suppose I open a picture from Tennis match and I want to select the tennis player. Usually I use lasso tool, but I’ve seen someone who used pen tool. How can I select a part of a picture (here tennis player) with pen tool? The problem is when you use pen tool inside of pen tool is filled with foreground or background color, and I don’t know how to move the shape and put it into another layer with pen tool as well. Could you direct me?
Related Tags
lasso pen select tool vs

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J
jonf
Jun 15, 2004
In short, the fill is probably because you have Shape Layers as the default in your option bar at the top of the screen. Select "Paths" instead.

To use the pen tool to make selections just draw your path, then in the Paths palette either command-click on the path thumbnail, or just click on the flyout arrow and select Make Selection. Treat it as any other selection.

There are probably some useful tutorials or handbooks explaining all this in depth.
EH
Ed_Hannigan
Jun 15, 2004
A path made with the Pen tool can also be made into a selection by hitting Command-Enter, or Command-Return or Command-double clicking on the path in the Paths palette or by dragging the path icon in the palette to the broken line circle icon at the bottom of the palette.
RS
Reza_Saheban
Jun 15, 2004
Thanks,I have another question. In PS it seems there is no difference when you make a point (dot) then another point via the pen tool compared to when you make a point then put your pen on the last point to put another point.Did you understand it? In Freehand when you put a point with pen you have two choices 1. to put the next point on the previous point and continue as this or put the next point somewhere else (not on the previous point).There will be a great difference between these two ways(in Freehand) and usually for sophisticated shapes sometimes we need to put a point on the previous point to follow the shape better.I don’t see such a thing in PS.It seems there is no difference to put the points on the previous ones or put them on an empty space (not on the previous points).Am I right and this is a disadvantage of pen tool of PS compared to Freehand?
AS
Ann_Shelbourne
Jun 15, 2004
It depends on HOW you put the pen tool down:
click and drag for smooth points (curves); click for straight line segments; option-drag for cusp-points.

You need to learn the Adobe Finger Dance: for more on this see your Manual or Photoshop Help/Drawing with the Pen tool.
J
jonf
Jun 17, 2004
Frankly, I prefer PS’s pen tool interface over FH or Ai. The ability to edit the points and the line you’ve already drawn without then requiring you to re-select your end point in order to continue the path is pure genius. I wish Ai would adopt that, at least as an option.

But then I don’t like that PS deselects your path when you close it. I guess you can’t have everything.

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