Cal,
In order to check whether an image is straight I use the rulers that are provided by PE in the upper left hand corner. Simply by pulling them into the image you would have a straight vertical and horizontal line over your image. I then check whether doorposts or other vertical lines are straight by off-setting these against the rulers.
Depending on the perspective in the image I then decide whether to use the tool for perspective adjustment, distort or transform etc. I have not yet used the cropping tool for this. That one is new to me.
In case I need to adjust the complete image I go to rotate and do a purpose made rotation. That means I make the image rotate a few degrees to the right or left. I always take 0.5 degrees at a time or sometimes if I am totally off centre I start with 2.5 degrees and fine tune it with a smaller degree after that. I off set the results continuously against the above mentioned rulers.
Sometimes you cannot get the image a 100% square due to perspective distortion. In that case go and follow your hunch.
How I have answered your question adequately.
Robert
You could use the grid overlay to align your crop with.
To use toolbar view>grid
To set up toolbar>edit>preferences>ruler/grid
These should be right, although I’m working from memory.
Paul
Cal,
A trick that I’ve used to straighten images involves using the Info palette and the Line tool.
While you are drawing a line, the Info palette displays information which includes the angle of the line. You can draw a line along part of your image which you know should be vertical or horizontal, check the angle in the Info palette, and then Image-Rotate-Custom appropriately.
The Line tool makes the line "shape" on a separate layer, so just delete that layer when you’re finished. Also, the Info palette only displays the needed information while you are actually drawing, still holding down the mouse button.
Both suggestions by Robert and Paul are excellvø¢ BTW, and I only add mine in the spirit of sharing.
Byron
Pretty often I have to reproduce paintings. It is extremely difficult to shoot exactly under a right angle.
Almost always there is some distortion in it. I apply the distortion tool and correct my "mistake" until it is rectangular again.
My question to the people who are trained much better in mathematics: although I take care the hight relates almost exactly to the width (I hope you right brain people understand my laymans description) is there any distortion left in the image?
Leen
