Content of the layer is not directly editable 1

[bilboobaggins]

What's going on? I'm new to Photoshop and just trying to play around with a few basic drawing tools.

The trouble is I'm getting stuck at the first hurdle.

I select the elipse tool. I create a circle. I choose the gradient tool. I move over the circle and the mouse icon changes to a circle with a line through it. I click (to fill with a gradient) and it tells me "Could not use the gradient tool because the content of the layer is not directly editable"

I have no idea why the software needs to be so confusing. Perhaps there is a good reason for not being able to use the software intuitively?

Please can someone point me in the right direction?

 

[jimoblak]

Perhaps there is a good reason for not being able to use the software intuitively?

With no offense, the program is not intended for amateurs. It has become very complex and often requires training. The manual is a good place to start.

You may have used the shape tool instead of the elipse marquee. Try the other 'elipse' tool.

- - picklefish - -
Why is everyone in this forum responding to me as picklefish?

 

[bilboobaggins]

More complex than iPhoto? Just kidding! I think part of my problem is that I'm used to the object oriented approach of programs like Illustrator (which I was able to start using for basics just through intuition). It seems everything is done completely differently in Photoshop, which no doubt makes it more versatile.

I'm using the trial version at the moment, so I don't have a manual. I have tried using the Adobe Help Centre but it hasn't really been that helpful so far.

I think I need to just grasp some of the basic concepts in Photoshop and then hopefully I'll start making some decent progress.

Already I've discovered that I can apply a gradient to the circle by applying it to the layer rather than the circle itself directly. Presumably I'll learn more about this in time.

I like a challenge!

 

[kiddpete]

Photoshop is not intended to be a drawing tool. Maybe you should try bringing in a photo to work with?

 

[bilboobaggins]

From what I've discovered so far it seems that Photoshop is an extremely powerful drawing tool. I've found lots of tutorials for creating web buttons with a 3D rounded appearance etc.

I am interested in photography, and in time I do plan to use Photoshop for that. However at the moment I'm really interested in learning to create stuff from scratch. That may be why I'm not finding it easy, as it seems this considered to be 'advanced'?

 

[mscallisto]

Create a new pallet
Pick the ellipse tool and draw a circle

While the circle is still selected still has the marching ants on the perimeter, select the gradient fill and apply to the circle by click and dragging the mouse. On mouse release the foreground color should gradient fill.

This won't work on a vector layer, like a type layer.

 

[MarcusStringer]

This Link is what you after...

even though you want to create stuff from scratch, you still need basic idea of what everything does.

http://www.thewebmachine.com/

Click on the Photoshop link

Hope this helps

Marcus

http://www.midlandtypesetters.com.au

 

[mscallisto]

Yes Marcus... I've referred others there...good post star man!

 

[MarcusStringer]

Thanks mscallisto,
I love that site, really easy for my dumb brain to understand.

Marcus

http://www.midlandtypesetters.com.au

 

[mscallisto]

yeah mine 2

sam

 

[bilboobaggins]

Thanks for the replies.

The link to the webmachine is really useful, but unfortunately I just keep on having problems. Either the description doesn't make sense, or the options/menus if refers to don't exist, or there is some other problem.

For example, at the moment I'm working on the Reflective Chrome type tip.

Problems I've come across so far 1) there is no Layer>Group with Previous 2) the example has a black background. I have a white background even though my background colour is set to black. 3) when I select the text layer and go to channels the 'Save selection as channel' button is greyed out (after it while this started to work, but then the alpha channel was just a plain white screen).

Maybe I really am very dim. Could someone put me out of my misery. Are things slightly different on the Mac (I assume the tutorials are for PC as they refer to control-click).

I have ordered the Photoshop CS2 classroom in a book, hopefully I'll be able to follow that without problems!

 

[mscallisto]

I'm not a MAC head but may your preferences are out of whack.

Ctrl + Alt + Shift (on a PC) when administered at PShop startup will allow you to reset the "preferences" to their original settings. see my post in thread229-1069674

 

[MarcusStringer]

Yes, as you see from the screen grabs.
These examples have been setup using a PC.

They still work for Macs, however, by simply substituting where is says Control+G for group layers is actually Comand+G (the Control button on a PC is the Comand [Apple] button on a Mac).

Start the Tutorial again, only using the shortcut keys, because there isn't a Layer>Group with previous, it says Create clipping mask

Marcus

http://www.midlandtypesetters.com.au