Define custom shape question from Illustrator to PS

[chris_burden]

In episode 22 of layers TV the guys show copying from Illustrator to PS. However when I try this I get the path in PS when I right-click and Define Custom Shape it is always a black solid filled box....why? Help

[Lukas Engqvist]

Could be your settings in Illustrator clipboard. Look in illustrator preferences File Handling and Clipboard.

This is a setting many tutorials forget to include and for differnt methods the settings need to be different, so you will have to understand the differences. I think they are logical, but best way to learn is to experiment.
1397

[The Repro Kid]

Actually you can set both. !

It's counter intuitive, but you can have both PDF and AICB checked at the same time.

That's how I keep mine, and it seems to know when to use each one correctly without my having to fuss. It just uses a little a bit more system memory.

[chris_burden]

Thanks for the tips, however it still does not work.

I checked my file handling settings and they were set as shown. I even re-booted my pc just in case these settings were defined and locked to the registry.

I prefer pictures so here (if you can be bothered is the process that is causing me "issues"

I have the right settings in illustrator.

Here is the drawing in illustrator:
http://www.pencilhut.com/forum/goldenshpe1.gif


Then in photoshop here is the paste dialog and settings I use:
http://www.pencilhut.com/forum/golden_paste.gif

With the line selected and the right-click menu opened, I then selected Define Custom Shape:
http://www.pencilhut.com/forum/godlen_select.gif

BUT alas this is what I get - the same old BLACK filled shape
http://www.pencilhut.com/forum/golden_shape.gif


Any other clues would be nice and helpful. Failing that I will give up for this year and just use a vector smart object every time I want to test my picture composition.

Help?

TIA
Chris

[GarySped]

This is intriguing. I can get part way there. Meaning I have a defined shape with the path (I did a spiral) but that is partially filled in. Not blacked out like your example. I even wondered if the winding rule were an issue but no. Closed paths needed?

Worth solving you guys. Please help if you have an answer.

I carried the spiral path over and pasted onto a new layer. Turn off the background and the save as define shape option is available. But: see this.

[Scott Weichert]

Try pasting as a Shape Layer.

Because your path contains a complete outside rectangle, that's seen as the bounding area for the entire path, therefore you get a solid rectangle. If you paste as a shape layer, you will see what the paste results in. Then you can use the Direct Selection Tool (White Arrow) to remove some paths or alter how paths interact with each other.

[Lukas Engqvist]

Gary this is just the way as it would in Illustrator with an odd even fill, so you should have been able to forsee it.1406

[The Repro Kid]

I'm not so sure that's the best way to describe what's happening.

Whenever you give a fill to a path that is not closed, Illustrator fills the path as if the shape were closed with a single line that represents the shortest distance between the two end points (the shortest distance between two points is a straight line).

See in the example below, how the shortest distance between the two open points behaves as if it closes the path, but does it does not have the stroke.

Although you may be able to change that behavior in the attributes panel, this is what's really happening in Gary's golden spiral.

[chris_burden]

Hi Folks,

Thanks for the tips. I have solved my problem. I went back to the Layers TV episode 22 to really looked hard at what Corey did - he left out a step!

Here is what I did to get it to work.

Create my shape in illustrator and then select all of the paths:
http://www.pencilhut.com/forum/path_before.gif

(THIS IS THE BIT MISSED)
I then selected the menu option Object > Path > Outline Stroke

This is now what the illustrator path looks like:
http://www.pencilhut.com/forum/path_stroked.gif

Then after copying and pasting into Photoshop as a path, this is what you get:
http://www.pencilhut.com/forum/path_inps.gif

Then repeating the process of Path Selection Tool (A)(filled black arrow next to text T icon) and then right-clicking on the selected paths to select Define Custom Shape, this is what you get:
http://www.pencilhut.com/forum/path_shape.gif

This shape can then be loaded as a custom shape and all my compositions will now look perfect - of course that is a whole other problem.

Thanks again for the help.


Chris

[GarySped]

Chris - very nice. Thanks for working that through. Works a charm.

Gary.