Featured Tools:
Easy Palette
Path Outline Drawing Tool
Eraser
Additional Files required for users Nova
Development Version of PI: ulead-key.zip
Description: Learn how to create a puzzling
loop image that looks as though it's entwined around an object.
This tutorial should be easy enough for the newest of PI users
to complete.
My terms of use for this tutorial are simple....What
you create using this tutorial is yours to do with as you please.
A link back to this tut is appreciated but is not a requirement.
The tutorial itself along with the images herein are copyrighted
to me and all rights are reserved.
1
Standard Mode vs Basic Mode
PhotoImpact 10 has two work modes, Basic and Standard.
Basic Mode features a simplified workspace with larger buttons
and the most common functions whereas the Standard Mode displays
all of the functions. We will be using the Standard Mode
in this tutorial.
To check your mode, click Workspace on the Menu
Bar. If the Standard Mode is greyed out, that means you are already
in the Standard Mode. If not, click Standard Mode now.
Warning: If
you switch from Standard to Basic Mode, and you have custom settings,
you will lose all your custom settings.
2
PhotoImpact Preferences
It's
essential to be sure that one of the preferences in PI is set
to work in your favour, so start by clicking on File/Preferences/General.
With the category PhotoImpact highlighted in the left window,
ensure that the box "Shift objects after doing Duplicate
command" is UN-checked. By doing that, you're making sure
that whenever you do a duplicate command throughout this tutorial,
the duplicate will be directly over the object you're copying
rather than a step to the right.
Click on OK and you're ready to start the tutorial.
3
A New Image
You're
going to need a new image or canvas to work on, so click on
File/New/New Image. Be sure to click on the Data type RGB (the
button coloured red, green and blue). You want your Canvas to
be white and that the User-defined settings show Width 400 pixels
and Height 300 pixels. When you're ready, click on OK.
4
Selecting An Image From the Easy Palette
To open the Easy Palette, click on the relevant button
located in the Access Panel on the right side of your PI screen.
Click on the Library icon and look for the image of the Key
located in the category Image Library/Special.
Left click on the Key and whilst holding down your left mouse
button, literally drag and drop the image onto your canvas.
Deselect the Key by clicking on a blank area of your canvas.
5
The Path Outline Drawing Tool
In
the Tool Panel look for and activate by clicking on the Path
Outline Drawing Tool (You may have to click on the downward
facing triangle to find it).
In the Attributes Bar, choose a shape and colour you'd like
to use. (For the purpose of this tutorial I have chosen the
outlined circle with a dark yellow colour.) Ensure that the
Mode is 3D Round.
Click on the Outline tab in the Path Panel box and change the
Width to 6 and the Style to a straight line.
Click
on the Options tab and ensure that Anti-aliasing is checked.
If you were to go onto the next part of this tutorial without
ensuring that anti-aliasing is checked, then the outline shapes
you draw will have horrible jagged edges whereas our aim is
to make them look nice and smooth.
6
Drawing Duplicating and Arrange your Path Outline Shape
Draw the outline of your chosen shape over your key by clicking
on and holding down your left mouse button whilst dragging in
a downward motion until you have a shape that will encircle
the top part of your key.
Right
click/Duplicate.
Drag the duplicated circle toward the middle of your key.
Right click/Duplicate again.
Drag this third and last circle toward the end of your key.
Use the Pick Tool
located in the Tool Bar to select the key image and then click
on the upward facing arrow with a line above it in the Attributes
Bar. This will cause the key to be on top of your circular shapes.
Deselect the key by clicking on a blank space
on your canvas.
Still using the
Pick Tool, select each of the outlined circular shapes by clicking
on each of them in turn whilst holding down the Ctrl key on
your keyboard.
Right click/Duplicate. This will give the impression
that the circles are now over the key again where in fact it
is a duplication of the circles below the key. Don't check...just
trust me on that one :-)
Deselect all circular shapes by clicking on a
blank area of your canvas.
To be able to use the eraser in the next section,
you need to change each of those top circular shapes from path
to image. To do this, click on the first circle using the Pick
tool
to select it. Then, right click, and choose Convert Object Type/Text
Path to Image. Do the same with the second and third one.
7
Using the Eraser
Select
the first outlined circle.
In the Tool Bar activate the Eraser
and use it to erase areas of the circle as shown in the screenshot
on the right. You'll be pleased to know that you don't have to
be overly careful doing this.
When you're ready, click on the second circle and erase areas
of that too so that it looks as if it's entwined with the key
and the first circle. Do the same with the final circle until
you end up with something similar to the screenshot shown below.
Right click/Select All.
Right click/Merge as a Single Object.
Don't forget to save your image. If you're unsure
how to save it, then please refer to my Optimizing
those Images tutorial.
8
Below are wonderful examples of puzzling loop images created
by a couple of my PI user friends.
When you have completed this tutorial you are welcome to download
and display this award on your web page. As a courtesy, you
may wish to display your results on the PhotoImpact International Board. This award is being offered on the honour
system. Right-click on image and save to your hard drive.
It's
essential to be sure that one of the preferences in PI is set
to work in your favour, so start by clicking on File/Preferences/General.
You're
going to need a new image or canvas to work on, so click on
File/New/New Image. Be sure to click on the Data type RGB (the
button coloured red, green and blue). You want your Canvas to
be white and that the User-defined settings show Width 400 pixels
and Height 300 pixels. When you're ready, click on OK.
located in the Access Panel on the right side of your PI screen.
In
the Tool Panel look for and activate by clicking on the Path
Outline Drawing Tool (You may have to click on the downward
facing triangle to find it).
Click
on the Options tab and ensure that Anti-aliasing is checked.
Right
click/Duplicate. 
located in the Tool Bar to select the key image and then click
on the upward facing arrow with a line above it in the Attributes
Bar. This will cause the key to be on top of your circular shapes.
Select
the first outlined circle.
and use it to erase areas of the circle as shown in the screenshot
on the right. You'll be pleased to know that you don't have to
be overly careful doing this.
