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Export to Clipboard


S

Sark

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Hi all.

I want to get my CorelDraw paths into Photoshop as Paths but, although CorelDraw exports to .ai, these don't open in PS as paths.

I need to get the paths onto the Clipboard as .ai paths to import into PS as paths.

I know there are standalone tools for file conversion, just wondered if anyone knows if there is such a thing as a file conversion tool or app that can export to the Clipboard.

Many thanks

Sark
 
mmm... well, i'm not familiar with CD, but generally AI files will open into PS and present the user with a few options as to how they want the file to be opened in PS. One of the options is a a Path. So i would think that if PS can open CD's .ai files at all, PS should be giving you the list of options.

Anyone here know more about CD that may offer more specific help? :B
 
theKeeper, Hi.

You would think so but, unfortunately no options are given, the paths are just rasterized.

Suprisingly, from a reply to a post on this forum, it appears you can't do this even from Illustrator. Paths are imported by drag & dropping or via the clipboard. You can't even retain Illustrators layers. Which I personally find a suprising ommission.

Oh well, will have to consider an early version of Illustrator to use just for getting the files to that clipboard.

Thanks for posting

Sark
 
Unfortunately, this is true.
One way or another, Illustrator paths and Photoshop paths can be interchanged, but .ai from Xara and CorelDRAW are simply rasterized.
I don't have Illustrator, and the DRAW9 I have isn't installed, but if I'm not mistake, DRAW allows for an export as pdf. Now Photoshop can open pdf, so you may want to try whether this opens ai as a path...
You can do it wit(h Freehand though if you use CopySpecial, and copy as .ai, but take care because when you purge the clipboard from inside PS, you may get a very silly "not enough ram" message. I regularly get this message when there is more that 1 GB of ram available...

DRAW and Photopaint work nicely together...
 
Erik here is an Adobe registry file (only for windows, of course!) to cure this problem:
it turns on and off the swith to block images greater than 4mb to the clipboard
you can get it here too: http://www.adobeforums.com/cgi-bin/webx?50@187.r3TWb8cGacM.485246@.1de5a5e1

EDIT : I deleted the attachment as I realised it could maybe be a breach of copyright. [confused]

The link is more than sufficient to get the registry file.
 
I was just going to suggest that on Macs, for memory and clipboard issues there is an optional plugin called 'Unlimited Clipboard Size' which is available on the install disc. It does the following...(from the ReadMe on PS7 install disc)

Some applications, including the Finder, become very crash prone in the presence of large clipboards. Hence, Adobe? Photoshop? software imposes a 4 megabyte limit on the size of any clipboard PICT it exports.

Installing "Unlimited Clipboard Size" removes this limit thereby allowing the user to export larger PICT clipboards but also increasing the chances that other applications will crash because of the amount of data on the clipboard.
Click to expand...

It's found on the CD at...
"/Volumes/Adobe(R) Photoshop(R) 7.0/Goodies/Optional Plug-Ins/Photoshop Only/Optional Extensions/Unlimited Clipboard Size"

Maybe that will help?
 
Thanks! I didn't even know these existed...

Must say I rarely take this road as I prefer Xara for vectors andinside PS I prefer masks for making selections.

But I "should" install a demo of Illustrator one day... (but not cs)
 
I don't have Illustrator, and the DRAW9 I have isn't installed, but if I'm not mistake, DRAW allows for an export as pdf. Now Photoshop can open pdf, so you may want to try whether this opens ai as a path...
Click to expand...

Erik...Yes, version 9 can do this but PS's Import PDF Image option rasterizes, in PS6 at least. Just opening the PDF has the same effect.

Interestingly, whilst I don't own Freehand which functions pretty much like Illustrator. I do have Flash MX, but that doesn't function like Freehand, so I can't even use this to import. \:]

Maybe I'll just have to struggle to learn Adobes path tools. [confused]

Sark
 
Well, Corel bought Xara to get its ease of use and its incredible transparancy options, resold it later, and I, well, I personally don't like Photoshop's vector tools at all. In fact: I would LOVE it if Photoshop had the Macromedia MX interface for Windows, but then I'm a real heretic and will soon be burnt at the stake.

I also know that an older version of Freehand has been given away for free with a magazine, but I cannot remember which one (I think it was Computer Arts).

Anyways: I keep on searching for a solution to this problem. Who knows what can come out of the box.

What exactly are you planning to do with the path tools?
 
Well, Corel bought Xara to get its ease of use and its incredible transparancy options, resold it later, and I, well, I personally don't like Photoshop's vector tools at all. In fact: I would LOVE it if Photoshop had the Macromedia MX interface for Windows, but then I'm a real heretic and will soon be burnt at the stake.
I confess that I dare to prefer Fireworks to ImageReady.

I also know that an older version of Freehand has been given away for free with a magazine, but I cannot remember which one (I think it was Computer Arts).

Anyways: I keep on searching for a solution to this problem. Who knows what can come out of the box.

What exactly are you planning to do with the path tools?
 
I tried Xara X and liked it, but it wasn't sufficiently different enought from CorelDraw to encourage me to change. The gaussian blur would be a nice feature though, something Corel still haven't implimented even in version 12 apparently.

What exactly are you planning to do with the path tools
Click to expand...

Mostly, for creating elements in Draw for filling/manipulating in PS was my intention. The path to selection to alpha channel and back to selection offers a lot of versatility.

Also, it can be useful for selecting bitmaps. Outlining in Draw, converting to an alpha channel in PS to smooth the selection prior to extracting. I know there are other ways of doing this, but it can be useful for some situations especially when you're familar with the tools in Draw.

Sark
 
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