Gauging interest in pen tool tutorial

Scintilla · Post by **Scintilla** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:07 pm

I know The GIMP's pen tool works pretty much the same way as Adobe Photoshop 5.5's, if that helps.

The pen tool is probably #1 on my list of "technologies I wish I'd learned about earlier in my AMVing career".

DriftRoot · Post by **DriftRoot** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:01 pm

trythil wrote:I'd still recommend that you explicitly limit the scope of the tutorial to (say) Adobe programs only, or even a subset of Adobe products that actually have very similar behavior.

I know, of course any programs whose pen tool or workpath tools vary significantly would not factor into my tutorial, this would be mentioned up front. You have to start somewhere, though. If you're really serious about using the pen tool, it will get you off to a good start. *rummages around*

The tutorial, btw, would probably be a PDF with video clips embedded in it. It would not be straight text. It's unfortunate that I hate the sound of my voice, or I'd narrate, but let's be fair - we can't have deaf people making AMVs, now can we? Hehe.

I'd probably use my vector-buddy Alucard for the tutorial, since he's got some attitude and nice shapes and is, of course, anime-related. Anyone know what the righthand writing on his gun is supposed to say? I never could read it clearly enough and had to make up some hogwash to put there instead. I should have put, "Make sweet love to me XOXO Integra." This would have gone over a lot of people's heads, though.

DriftRoot · Post by **DriftRoot** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:11 pm

trythil wrote: Synfig's "pen" (actually called bline) tool operates in a way that is rather different from Inkscape's. In Synfig, you can edit all components of the path at any time when the tool is active (and thus combines both pen and path editor). This can dramatically reshape one's workflow once one gets used to the idea of tool capabilities being combined.

And btw, unless one is used to being restricted by inadequate knowledge of the pen tool (Photoshop-wise, anyways), there will be no dramatic reshaping of workflows going on because I'm going to make sure tutorialees know about the wonders of the keyboard shortcuts and what that mysterious white arrow is used for.

Minion · Post by **Minion** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 9:54 pm

though it's a very good tutorial overall, has anyone read ladymercury's vegas guide? right there is a fine example of mis-using the pen tool. she cuts out al from FMA with pen tool at one point.
now, this should have taken no more than 20 ancor points, i'd say.
theres likely over 100 ancor points, though.

DriftRoot · Post by **DriftRoot** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 7:11 am

Never read it, but that situation is pretty much the inspiration for this tutorial. *hugs her pen tool* Think simple, people, the fewer anchorpoints, the better!

There will be a warning, though, in the tutorial that some people seem to have an inherent knack for its use and that others don't. In class, once, I was ready to shake the living daylights out of this guy next to me who seemed to have no concept of what a smooth curve looked like, but insisted he was well-versed with the pen tool - even though he was tracing a smooth line, he had all sorts of weird bumps and angles going on. ARGH!!

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 2:20 pm

I, for one, can hardly wait to see it ready. I have nightmares with the pen tool in AE, only to awaken sweating cold and screaming in the middle of the night, waking up my neighbors and family. A well-written tutorial can make all that pain and suffering go away as if it were magic.

DriftRoot · Post by **DriftRoot** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 3:39 pm

Gepetto wrote:I, for one, can hardly wait to see it ready. I have nightmares with the pen tool in AE, only to awaken sweating cold and screaming in the middle of the night, waking up my neighbors and family. A well-written tutorial can make all that pain and suffering go away as if it were magic.

Nightmares? You poor thing!

Drift will make it all better, promise!

Mind, my tutorial will be for Photoshop only, I haven't played around with AE's pen tool enough to confidently whip up a tutorial on that program - or even know whether one is needed. AE users - are there any weird functions the pen tool in AE has that it doesn't have in regular graphics programs?

I guess the positive feedback means a pen tool guide is needed and welcome at a-m-v.org. I'm swamped with other work right now, but my schedule will be clearing up towards the end of the month, so look for a tutorial around early October. It's pretty much already written, I just need to set up the documents and get the graphics together. I'll probably need a few beta testers to run through a text-only version and make sure it all makes sense, though. Watch for a thread on that in a few weeks. Thanks everybody!

Warpwind · Post by **Warpwind** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 8:44 pm

I for one am rather attached to the pen tool in photoshop. I had always assumed it just wasn't available in premiere... but to hear it is present in after effects is interesting. I shall have to investigate further. To be honest I was a little afraid of AE I just assumed it was difficult to learn and something I didn't want to beat my head against the desk with. I might get hold of a trial version and... try it out.

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 8:15 pm

Photoshop's pen tool and AE's are probably alike, no? They're both Adobe programs for image editing (after all, video is just a sequence of images). I wouldn't be surprised if they just ctrl+c'd and ctrl+v'd the command lines when writing the softwares.

Zarxrax · Post by **Zarxrax** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 8:59 am

After Effects is the same, except is has an additional "rotobezier" mode where it defines the curves automatically.