Photoshop :: How To Automate Global Vector Shape / Mask And Path Transfers To Illustrator
Sep 19, 2013
Using: WIN7, Adobe CS5, PS, AI
When I need to move a project from Photoshop to Illustrator, I need an automated way to prep shape and vector mask items for export--preferably preserving the structure and layout that already exists as layer names and order, character and paragraph settings, and of course global registration. My scripting is limited to recording actions, so I need to find an existing script or get coached on this. Any recommendations?
I have googled and waded through numerous forum posts trying to research this on my own, so I know about the ability to export my path collection, but that's usually inapplicable in reality. It only deals with vectors from the Paths palette. In Photoshop, I use the Paths pallet to store master and WIP paths, but all the working paths are either shapes or vector masks--or active type layers. Often enough that it's become an issue, I'll need to move the whole project to Illustrator. Obviously, the process has issues; I'm not expecting the rastor layers or Photoshop styles to carry over, but I see no reason why I can't capture text, shape and vector mask elements.
They all have a vector component, but simply opening a PSD in Illustrator flattens (badly) the layers. I select the "Convert Layers as Objects" but have yet to see it extract editable text. I'm not sure if it even attempts to do anything with vector shapes or masks. I've got a process for moving a project one element at a time, using registration marks--but this requires turning text into shapes most of the time, especially if I am trying to preserve kerning and leading crucial to the layout. Maybe I just have not found the right info, and there is a way to transfer editable text without losing character and paragraph settings.
For now, I'd be happy to stop wasting time doing a ton of conversions and renaming by hand, just so I can preserve the work I've already invested.
One suggestion, posted under a multiple path export question, was to use scripting... but no one explored or explained how to go about it. I'm not asking for the impossible, however. I simply working out my own solution: if there is no application method for transferring the elements, try to script a method to prep those elements for export. Before I even attempt to reinvent someone's wheel, I am putting the question out there:
I kept at it and managed to open my current project PSD in AI with text and shape/mask vectors successfully--not as cleanly as I'd hoped but the relative positioning of things was acceptable. I am still interested in hearing people's suggestions on better ways to transfer work from one tool to the other, though. I know this is going to come up for me again and again.
I want to make a vector shape from a path. Is there a way to bypass having to define a new custom shape? I just want to quickly add the vector shape to a new layer, but I don't need it defined as it'll just be used once.
I created the path, but for some reason it's 'reversed' or 'inverted' from what I want - is there any way to change it so the spinach is cropped properly?
When you use the Photoshop CS6 new function stroke on the path of a vector shape, how can you convert the result in a vector shape ? Merging multiple vector shapes doesn't work. The strokes outlines are not vectorized in the new vector shape.
It's possible to convert in pixel and keep the stroke drawing, but no way to convert in vector. Illustrator has a similar function in order to vectorize the stroke.
While creating various circular masks with a radial gradient from white to black, whenever I change the blending mode of the mask path Ai will throw me out of mask mode into layer editing mode. Since this is on a large document of ~2Gb file with multiple artbords for large poster & UI refresh speed is slow, this has become quite frustrating. Is this normal Ai behaviour?
I am trying to automate the average path command to apply the action to a field of discrete objects. In the end, I want each object to be avereaged into separate paths and not the entire group averaged as a single path. I have a very large set of objects and it doesn't make sense to select each object on an individual basis.
I used to save art for printers by using Adobe PDF. Worked great. Now, for some reason all of the art I save under "Adobe PDF" automatically opens in Photoshop. I don't know why or how to fix that. This causes rasterization of my images and it appears the PDF is saved in Photoshop, not Adobe Illustrator. How do I fix this? I don't remember changing anything.
I'm on this project that i need to digitize an old artwork. It requires vector (AI) & shading (PS).
I have all line art done in AI. There's like 50 layers on it. The original artwork has "shading" and "highlight" on it used by Air brush.
I just want to import all the layers in photoshop at once. It will be time consuming if i do it one by one SO is there any way that I can transfer all the vector path from AI to PS?
I tried Meshtool and its hard to control. Unlike in Brush tool in PS, I got the freedom to adjust the opacity, softness, etc.
I created this logo in Illustrator. I made my basic shapes with a pen tool, put a vector grunge texture over the top of the shapes and then used "make opacity mask" to get my grunge effect. As you can see in the screenshot of my illy it is all very clean and looking like it should. When you open my other picture you can see that once I transferred (cmd+copy cmd+paste) the logo into PS you can now see faint lines of where the shapes used to be *highlighted in red*. I also tried placeing the .ai file in ps but got the same effect. I am using all pantone colors on the logo, both documents are set to 300 dpi....err I cant think of anything else. PS is in RGB, Illustrator is in CMYK (but using Pantone)
How do I get my logo to look as good in PS as it does in Ilustrator?
I work on a grafic. It uses text, which already is converted to paths. The counters of my caracters were kicked out of their original positions, due to a spurious action. Now I’m trying to bring them back into the already existing mask/path.
Selecting the counters’ paths is no problem here. It’s more about, how to get and merge those vectors into the mask-layer.I tried the direct-selection-tool, copy/pasting, dragging, cmd J – none of those methods brought any satisfaction.
Im making a logo for a client and am having a nightmare of a time trying to properly use the clipping masks in illustrator CS5. I copied and pasted the logo I made behind itself with a different color just for a drop shadow-like effect. And now I'm trying to apply this diagonal line pattern I created over top the "shadow" I made to give it some texture.
Here's an example of what I'm going for, only imagine the line pattern on the text instead of banner.
How can I take a shape with a gradient like in the attached image, and make it so other shapes like the series of rectangles mask the gradient so the gradient only shows through the rectangles?
I have a question about the layers I created in photoshop and I would like to open as a vector in illustrator.
The layers in photoshop as a smart object are done in pen tool.
The question is a little confusing, but what I'd really like is to take an art that I created in photoshop pro after effects, as a vector. Only when I open the AE, rasterize all layers and can not work by increasing the elements.
Hence I wonder if I can bring all these elements created in Photoshop vector shape in Illustrator pro.Without me having to "redo" everything in illustrator.
As you can see by the screenshots, this logo is vector and shows up perfectly in PHotoshop. (it was created in Photoshop and is a layered Vector PDF). I bring it into AI, though and the top portion of the talking heads disappear. Though their shape oultines remain. A grey box shows up when I click a lot. I am really a photoshop gal, so all this Illustrator stuff is foreign to me. I'm thinking the grey box is containing my art and only showing what falls within it? How to expand it or remove it so that all my logo will show up in AI?
is there a way to mask text with a shape (ie text inside a square that gets clipped off if it goes off the square's boundry) without rasterization? All illustrator seems to want to do is to make a clipping mask the opposite way with the square being put inside the text. When I try to do it the other way it claims that is too complicated and will mess things up.
Can Adobe Illustrator match or simulate inner bevel effects of inDesign and Photoshop? If it is possible, how to get a soft inner bevel on type or vector shape in Adobe Illustrator CS4 that can be set up to be identical (or, at least, very close) to the layer styles of PS and the type/fill/stroke/object effects of ID. So far, I have not been able to achieve the same look with 3D extrude and bevel in AI. I want a solid red object with a soft 16 point white-tint highlight and a soft 16 point black tint shadow. If it is not something that is possible with 3D extrude and bevel settings, this something that must or could be done manually with the gradient mesh tool?
why in CS6 some vector files have this odd outline around shapes. It's visible when editing the file, exporting the file & placing it within Photoshop as a smart object.
Trying to mask type with a vector pattern (place a vector pattern in a type clipping path), but nothing seems to be working. Never had issue before. Tried path in front, pattern in front, converting type path to compound path, converting vector to compound path. A couple of times it looked like it worked, but the pattern was invisible within the path. Illustrator CS6, on a Mac.
I have cutout an object (Duck) from a photo in Photoshop and now i want to use it for a wall decal. So now i need a vector file with path around contours of the object (Duck), but how can i do that exactly because the shape is very complex?
down under step #4 it says to Copy (& Paste) the circle that's inside a Clipping Mask and to the drag it out of the mask in order to duplicate it twice.
I've pulled it out of the mask or even, actually, how to go about pulling it out of the mask
thus far I've Copied and Pasted in In Front ... does copying and pasting it in front bring it outta the mask?
do i need to create a new layer after I've Copied it and then Paste it on the new layer?
Here I have a vector image. The pink stroke is a cut path that the software I use at work recognises and cuts. (Used for vinyl decals/stickers etc). All the lines highlighted in pink is useless to me, as it would cut out each individual line.
All I need is the outer edge of the entire graphic.
Note my crudely drawn red lines that border the image, that is exactly what I need. As you can see, the paths run through the image. BUT...When I try to erase the paths using add anchor point then cut path at selected anchor points so I can remove that particular segment, the colour essentially "leaks" as it isn't a closed area anymore. Rasterizing the image destroys the quality and I would like to be able to perform this task without loss of quality.
I have a pretty simple design. Some text and shapes all expanded and turned into outlines. I have one shape that was created by using a clipping mask. I am putting a vector distress pattern over the whole design (like I usually do and it works fine) well I merge them together and everything is completely fine except the shape created with the clipping mask it disappears..
more info: i actually released the clipping mask and I am still having the same problem with this object, it disappears when merged with the vector distress pattern.
In Photoshop CS6, when you have a shape layer with a layer mask, and the two are not linked together, and the layer mask is selected, you should be able to scale the layer mask independently of the shape. What actually happens is the shape gets scaled and the layer mask stays untouched. In fact, even if you option-click on the layer mask to show the mask by itself, and then try to scale it, you still end up scaling the shape instead of the mask. Even if you go as far as to make a pixel selection of the layer mask and attempt to scale the pixels, the shape still gets scaled and the layer mask still stays put! Unbelievable!
This works correctly in CS4, but not in CS6 (don't know about CS5).
I have to make an illustration with a 2D text that rolls on a 3D cilindric path. I don't know if is it possible on AI. Maybe I have to do this on a 3d software?
I have created a compound path in illustrator and when I try to make a clipping mask, rather than revealing the image behind the path, the shape is filled with solid white. I am able to successfully make the mask using one shape or the other, but once I create the compound path, I just get this white fill.
I am in CS5 on Mac OS X (Snow Leopard). See screenshots below.
Any way to do this using strokes, but everything I've tried so far has been unsuccessful. I'm starting to realize that this may actually be impossible, but maybe there's a trick I'm unaware of. Pic should explain what I'm trying to do.
Cs6 here.... I am trying to cut out a simple shape to allow the area under the shape to be trasnparent or Alpha. Like a Mask. Except when I use the Mask it does at it should do and mask the area where the shape is and MASKING or removing the areas not under the mask. I tried Compound path but I am not getting any result from it. My shape stays right on top of my work and does not "cut it out" to allow the Background to shine through as an alpha channel. See pics for clarity. I want to reverse this where the circle is cut out and the rest stays visible...
