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Posted on 08/04/15 09:26:00 AM |
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tooquilos
Wizard of Oz Posts: 2902 Reply  |
Converting Brush to a Shape
Im sure I have done it in the past, but I need to convert a brush into a shape. When I go to the menu in PS its greyed out. What am I doing wrong here? Thanks in advance Anna   _________________ Dorothy: Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore |
Posted on 08/04/15 10:47:46 AM |
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DavidMac
Director of Photoshop Posts: 5771 Reply  |
Re: Converting Brush to a Shape
Never done this, so don't know. But, as an educated guess, could it be because your layer is a smart object and not directly editable? Have you tried rasterising it first? _________________ The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it ....... |
Posted on 08/04/15 10:59:49 AM |
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tooquilos
Wizard of Oz Posts: 2902 Reply |
Re: Converting Brush to a Shape
Thanks David..still no good 
_________________ Wicked Witch of the West: I'm melting! I'm melting! |
Posted on 08/04/15 6:05:12 PM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 4033 Reply  |
Re: Converting Brush to a Shape
Hi Anna, Not sure if this will work with an image that has soft edges but: Select your shape then convert it to a path and then go to 'define custom shape' - it should no longer be greyed out. Gordon _________________ If at first you don't succeed then skydiving is not for you. |
Posted on 08/04/15 7:28:03 PM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 4033 Reply |
Re: Converting Brush to a Shape
Just checked this out and ... If you have a soft edge it will give a hard-edged path along the 50% median of the feathering. So if you want a feather on your shape you will have to save it as a brush preset _________________ Time flies like an arrow but fruit flies like a banana. |
Posted on 08/04/15 8:59:23 PM |
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DavidMac
Director of Photoshop Posts: 5771 Reply |
Re: Converting Brush to a Shape
Gordon is right ..... er ........ I think. I'm in unknown territory here so I have been following this myself to learn. I discovered empirically exactly the same technique as Gordon to make a shape form a brush. As he points out it will produce a median on soft edges. I suspect that's as good as it gets. Shapes are vector objects and, as such, I think are always hard edged. There are apps that produce hybrid soft edged vector shapes that can be re-shaped like any path ... but I don't think PhotoShop is one of them. My unreliable two cents worth ......  _________________ The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it ....... |
Posted on 09/04/15 07:35:45 AM |
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tooquilos
Wizard of Oz Posts: 2902 Reply |
Re: Converting Brush to a Shape
Gordon, David - thank you so very much!! I understand now that a soft edge wont really work. So Ive used a straight edged brush design and successfully converted it to a shape however its not a great representation of the original. Now you are probably asking why dont I just use the brush?? The reason I need a vector is because my daughter and her friend are using some of the brush designs as a basis for body art and tattoos..so they need to be scaleable up or down without losing clarity in order to create a crisp stencil to work with.  _________________ Dorothy: "there's no place like home!" |
Posted on 09/04/15 07:40:46 AM |
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tooquilos
Wizard of Oz Posts: 2902 Reply |
Re: Converting Brush to a Shape
These are a some of the designs she has done freehand. They take a lot of time and effort to create. She will still do these but to make the venture viable they need quick designs.  _________________ Wicked Witch of the West: I'm melting! I'm melting! |
Posted on 09/04/15 08:00:09 AM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 7047 Reply  |
Re: Converting Brush to a Shape
Shapes are vector objects, based on paths. You can't make a Shape from a bitmap. The only solution I can think of would be to take an image created with the brush into Illustrator, auto trace it, expand the auto trace, copy the paths, go back into Photoshop and paste the paths, then make a shape from them. |
Posted on 09/04/15 08:35:53 AM |
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tooquilos
Wizard of Oz Posts: 2902 Reply |
Re: Converting Brush to a Shape
Steve you are a bloody genius!! This is exactly the result I was after. It took a bit a searching for in Illustrator but now that I know its there, the possibilities are endless!! David and Gordon thank you so much for all your help too!!!  _________________ Dorothy: "there's no place like home!" |
Posted on 09/04/15 10:44:51 AM |
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DavidMac
Director of Photoshop Posts: 5771 Reply |
Re: Converting Brush to a Shape
Alternatively could you not scan these at super hi res so the only scaling ever needed would be down so as to at least minimise quality loss? Looking at the detail in her fabulous drawings I wouldn't like to try and convert them to vector. I think there is also a real risk that the delicacy of the shading could get lost. Please give her my compliments. She is very talented. _________________ The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it ....... |
Posted on 12/04/15 03:10:15 AM |
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tooquilos
Wizard of Oz Posts: 2902 Reply |
Re: Converting Brush to a Shape
David, thank you so much. She was thrilled to hear this!! Yes, you are right, scanning is the only way to go for the complex drawings. Quite often people just want a simple, cheap tattoo so this is where the vectors come in handy. Anna _________________ Wicked Witch of the West: I'm melting! I'm melting! |