Add or Subtract from area

[basslion]

Hi there people. Hoping someone can help me here. Basically when using Photoshop, i make say a Rectangle, then after i select the oval tool and then click subtract from shape area and then make the oval shape over the rectangle and it subtracts the shape from the previous rectangle shape. Sometimes this works , but most times if i apply any changes to the original rectangle before choosing another shape, the add or subtract from area buttons do not function anymore.

Sometimes if i make a shape and then switch to another layer to work on something and go back to the original shape and try and use the add/subtract from area, it doesnt work either.

Does anyone have this same issue?

Matt

[Excruciating]

It's because you've deselected the rectangle.
Just simply select your rectangle again by either ctrl + clicking the layer the ractangle is on or select it with the magic wand or whater ever you want.
Now you can use the subtract option again (the shortcut for subtract is holding down alt I believe).

I hope this helps

[basslion]

Hi there, thanks for helping me out. I cant get it to work though. I click on the layer which highlights the layer in blue, then i check up top where the add/subtract from area is and all the options are grey and i cant choose any of them. Its seems as though if i draw a rectangle and do things to it via blending options or i resize it or dont come back to it soon enough, the options for this add/subtract become unavailable.

Any ideas?

Matt

[Excruciating]

Erm..
Your almost there.
You can't just highlight the layer in blue you have to ctrl + left click the little squared box in the layer to make a selection of the contents in this layer (Marching ants around the rectangle).
Then the subtract options should be available.

[basslion]

ok i see what you are saying and i was hoping it was going to work. I ctrl left clicked the layer box and the marching ants did come up. but still the add subtract options are all grey and i cant use them. Its like when i first make a shape, as long as there is no effects applied to the shape, it will allow me to add or subtract from it, but once i do stuff to it, it wont let me.

this is really getting to me

Like try and make a rectangle, apply a bevel or emboss to it, then create another shape somewhere else. The try and go back to the first shape with effects and try and add/subtract from it.

[Excruciating]

okay, I took a look at it in photoshop, but it's working, your obviously doing something wrong along the way.
Follow this:

Create a new file (ctrn + n), in your layers palette you will not see a layer named layer 1 or "background layer", but just leave it.
Add a new layer ctrl + shift + n name it "square".
Create a rectangle with the rectangle marque tool and fill it with white ("d""x""Alt+backspace"). now add some simple effect to it with blending options like stroke or emboss.
Now create a new layer (this is actually optional), ctrl + click the "square" layer to make a selection of the rectangle, take out the eleptical marque tool, hold down alt and draw and elipse over the area you want to remove.
If you hold down shift instead of alt, you'll add more area to the selection.
If you followed theese steps closely and I didn't make any mistakes, this should work

[basslion]

OK i think i see what you are saying . So use the marquee tool instead of the shape tool to add and subtract from a shape? I was hoping to use the rounded rectangle to subtract from a rectangle leaving a rounded corner. If i make a rectangle and then apply no effects to it and then grab the rounded rectangle and click subtract, and draw over the rectangle it will leave a rounded corner. There is no rounded rectangle marque.

I know of the "Modify" "Smooth" option but it never makes a good rounded corner if you choose a high corner radius.

[bripriuk]

Matt
When you get your corners, select the background layer, hold down Control and click on the name of your shape layer in the Layers Pallette. This should give you a selection of just the corners.
Nice effect

Brian

[basslion]

How do you mean when i get my corners? Are you talking about making rounded corners? your reply was a little light on the info for a person like me that gets confused quite easily

What i did was made a purple rectangle over my background layer. I then selected the background layer, then press Ctrl, held it down and then clicked the rectangle layer. All it did was highlight the rectangle and also the top left quadrant of the background layer.

Matt

[bripriuk]

Matt
It's a bit early in the morning for me to have rational thoughts!
Try this:
Draw your rectangle shape
Draw the rounded corner shape in Subtract Mode
Click on the background layer in the Layer Pallette
Hold down Control and click on the name 'Shape 1' in the layers pallette
Delete the 'Shape 1' layer.
You should be left with just the corners selected - Edit>Fill with whatever colour you want.
HTH
Brian