Photoshop path is fully proficient in the three-node definition of the manual

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The Photoshop software provides a set of tool groups for building, editing, and setting paths, which are located in the Toolbox floating panel in the Phtoshop software, and their icons are rendered as pen icons by default, as shown on the right.

Use the left mouse button click here icon for two seconds, the system will pop up the hidden tool Group, total seven tool groups in Left-to-right order they are the pen tool, the magnetic pen tool, the free Pen tool, the Add node tool, the Delete node tool, the node position adjustment tool, and the Node Slick adjustment tool ". As shown in figure:

By function, they can be grouped into three broad categories, namely:

One, node definition tool

Includes the pen tool, the magnetic pen tool, and the free pen tool.

They are mainly used for the node definition and preliminary planning of Bezier curve group.

Second, node deletion tool

Includes the Add node tool, delete node tool.

They are used to delete Bezier curve nodes based on actual needs.

Third, the node adjustment tool

Includes the node position tuning tool and the node slick adjustment tool.

Used to adjust the position of the curve nodes and adjust the curvature of the B curve, these tools are arranged as shown above. As we detailed below, this article focuses on the node definition tool.

One, node definition tool Group

The node definition tools include the pen tool, the magnetic pen tool, the free Pen tool, and their functions, which we have described earlier, are used to define the nodes and to draw the path initially.

1, Pen Tool :

This is the most commonly used path node definition tool, in general, the tool is used to manually define the nodes, and the pen tool is easy to use, using mouse to click on this tool icon, select the tool, and then click the mouse left button directly in the image to define the node, A Bezier curve node is generated for each click of the mouse left arrow, and each node is connected by a Bezier curve according to the mouse click order (that is, using a straight segment connection). The following figure shows the process of defining three nodes sequentially (note: The path is not exactly the same as the selection area, the user can define a closed path, or it can define an unclosed path, and the path can have intersecting attributes.) When the user's mouse cursor is at the starting node, a small "O" appears in the lower right of the mouse cursor "pen", indicating that the path can be closed. The curvature of the curve is also adjusted if the drag behavior is generated. The following figure.

Double-click the Pen tool icon to eject the Pen tool Setup Panel in the options control Panel of Photoshop (pen options),

There is only one option available in the Control Panel, that is, the rubber band item. If you select the item, a secondary "rubber band" will be displayed on the screen to help you locate the next node. Also known as the "Rubber band option."

Use the keyboard control keys to match the pen tool. For easy user action, in Photoshop, hold down the [SHIFT] key on the keyboard to maintain the line at a 45-degree angle with the line that forces the last node to be created, while holding down the [ALT] key on the keyboard, the original The pen tool "will temporarily transform to" node smoothness adjustment tool "

, when you hold down the [Ctrl] key, the original Pen tool is temporarily transformed to the node position adjustment tool

。 With the combination of these key combinations, user tuning Bezier curve will become very easy, do not bother to switch tools, can greatly improve work efficiency. Another special feature is that in the process of defining a node, when the user moves the mouse cursor over a node that has already been defined (not the starting point), the user's pen tool is immediately transformed to the Delete node tool.

The user can then delete the current node, and if the mouse cursor moves to the true line segment of the two node, the Pen tool transforms to the Add node tool

, the task of adding and deleting nodes becomes very simple, and there is no need to constantly change level two tools through the tool panel.

2. Magnetic Pen Tool

Definition: is a newly added path generation tool in Photoshop, with the definition of a selection of magnetic lasso is basically similar to a fixed range of areas as a reference, automatic analysis of the pixel trend of the image, automatic analysis of the inner object boundary area, the difference is that the magnetic pen tool here is generated by the path , not exactly the selection area.

Features: The advantages of magnetic pen tool in addition to the easy to outline the image of the object outline, more important function lies in the "path of the modifiable and smooth path, because the path can be converted from the selection area, and due to the path of the adjustable, The effect is better than using the magnetic lasso tool in the application of the background of removing image. To remove the image background operation, because the use of magnetic lasso tool to generate images of objects outside the boundary area selection, in addition to the selection of Save as a channel to modify, can not be directly to the selection of the region to adjust the precise work, By using the magnetic pen tool, the path of the outer boundary of an object in the generated image because the obtained path has the very good direct modification, so the user can make the contour path of the image object, directly to modify the resulting path, so that the result is better, this point at the beginning of this article can be seen.

Also because the Bezier curve group is used in Photoshop to define the path, so that the path can have a very smooth appearance, and adjust the arbitrary, this is difficult to adjust the channel to achieve, although the channel in the constituency editor function is not strong, but in this sleek and subtle adjustment is still congenitally deficient. Because the Bezier curve set used by the path is a representation of a vector, the precision of the path is not the same as a channel representing the selection area, which affects its precision and appearance as the image is scaled. Because the path has the above advantages, so the use of magnetic lasso tool to define the image of the external contour, and then through the adjustment, and finally the path to the selection of the process is widely used in the precise removal of image background work.

Usage: The magnetic lasso tool is basically similar to the magnetic lasso tool.

Only select this tool, and then use the mouse in the image required to move the extra outside boundary, in the process of mouse movement, the path node automatically generated, if the user found that a node, and in the mouse moved here when the photosho[p did not generate a node, At this point, the user can click the Moue left button, forcibly define a node, if in the course of moving along a region, because the Moouse movement control is not good, causes the Deviation object outer boundary, causes some wrong node, (repeatedly presses "deletes the key" the user to be able to carry on the multiple node backward deletion work) After completing the path definition of an area, users can consider whether to close the whole path according to the actual image composition and their own processing needs, the same method, move mouse to the first node, click Mouse Left button to close the entire path.

The image below shows an art photo, by using the magnetic pen tool to outline the path of the flower body in the image and the path that is generated by adding/deleting nodes, adjusting the node position, adjusting the curvature, and so on, the final path, the path-digging is the most brilliant of his smooth curve features. (Note that the path at this point is the perfect combination of the petal boundary in the original image).

Parameters: Similar to other path tools, use the mouse left mouse button to double-click the Magnetic Pen tool, you can do the appropriate tool property settings in the Options control Panel, the magnetic Pen tool corresponding to the property set window name "Magnetic pen opitons Control Panel." As shown in the following figure.

As you can see from the control Panel on the left, the properties of the magnetic pen tool are basically similar to the properties set for the magnetic lasso tool. which

(1), Magnetic pen width : Similar to the lasso width in the magnetic lasso tool, used to define the diameter of the target area (round) used for the reference. (lock on Caps caps lock to toggle)

(2), frequency value The {FREQUENCY} frequency value determines the density of nodes that are generated when the magnetic pen tool is dragged along the boundary of an object.

(3), boundary chromatic aberration The boundary color value of [edge contrast] determines the magnetic attraction effect when the boundary chromatic aberration reaches the number. The smaller the value, the easier it is to create attraction in areas with lower chromatic aberration, and you can pull out fine boundary contours. (You can also use mouse left-click Force Generation node)

(4) There is only one option in the type type setting pressure, this option is only valid for users who use the electronic tablet, and when this option is effective, it indicates that the width of the magnetic lasso can be changed instantly by the size of the user's stroke pressure passing through the electronic tablet. The user's pen pressure strength directly affects the actual value of pen width. The pen width of the reference area will be smaller if the pressure value of the pen is large.

(5), Curve matching CURVE Fit: Curve adapter settings are specific to the magnetic pen tool, this option determines the maximum allowable error when the path is sketched along the outer boundary of an object, the setting unit of this option is a pixel, the smaller the value, the closer the resulting path is to the actual outer contour of the object, but for some low-resolution north images, Due to insufficient image boundary data, that is, the strength is not enough to produce enough attraction, will result in the actual external contour has obvious ladder effect, the path will appear very not smooth, for such images, we will often encounter, in order to get as smooth as possible the outer boundary path, the need to pass this set of allowable error range, The resulting outer contour path, though not fully suited to the outer boundary of the original image, has a very smooth path contour. Obviously, there is a dialectic problem that depends on what you think. Reasonable use of this set of items, can be a certain degree of smooth path selection, you can use this physical property, some of the low precision clipart image smoothing, the automatic smoothing of the image body contour.

Shortcut key way: Keyboard control key with the magnetic pen tool with the effect, hold down the [ALT] key, will switch to the pen tool, hold down the [Ctrl] key, will switch to the node position adjustment tool, if at this time mouse is located in a node of the curvature adjustment point, will switch to "node smoothness adjustment tool"

3. Free Pen Tool

Definition: A tool that is used in Photoshop to draw a path freely.

Usage: It is in use with the Lasso tool in the Phiotoshop selection tool basically consistent, basically only need to create an initial point on the image can drag mouse for freehand drawing path,

Parameters: The configuration window for this tool is the freeform PEN optiones Control Panel,

There is only one set item curve fit option in this control panel to set the allowable error range.

Quick Key mode: Keyboard control key and free pen tool with the effect, press the [ALT] key on the keyboard, the free Pen tool will become the node smoothness adjustment tool, press the [CTRL] key on the keyboard, the free Pen tool will become the node position adjustment tool.