How do shapes work?

[mikecox]

I've tried to draw several lines on an image. I have been able to draw the lines, which were created as smart objects, but while the line is visible, adding another causes the first one to promptly disappear. Hitting Enter also makes them disappear as well.


I thought maybe I needed to rasterize them but that made them disappear also. I created several lines, each on its own layer but the layers don't seem to contain lines, and when I hit the move tool and they disappeared again.


I feel like I'm in a bad dream that contains no more logic than this effort to explain what is happening.

How do I add several lines to my image that behave like normal layers that I can position?

 

[Eggy]

Can you please post an example of the lines and wich tool did you use to draw them?

 

[IamSam]

I've tried to draw several lines on an image.

I'm assuming your referring to the Line Tool, but can you please tell us in your descriptions what the exact tool is?

I have been able to draw the lines, which were created as smart objects,

This is a common mistake. Any function of a tool in the shape family only creates shapes.
You would have to turn the layer into a smart object yourself.

Shape layers have a different symbols than than smart object. Here is a shape layer, note the symbol:


This is the same shape layer that I converted to a smart object, note the symbol:


A shape layer is directly editable, but now that I have converted the rectangle into a smart object, I can do many things with it in the original document, but I would have to double click the smart object and edit it in its psb document in order to edit the original rectangle.

but while the line is visible, adding another causes the first one to promptly disappear. Hitting Enter also makes them disappear as well.
I thought maybe I needed to rasterize them but that made them disappear also. I created several lines, each on its own layer but the layers don't seem to contain lines, and when I hit the move tool and they disappeared again.
I feel like I'm in a bad dream that contains no more logic than this effort to explain what is happening.

This will depend on what tool your using and what it's settings are....is your tool set to shape or path? Rather than trying to explain, a good screenshot is worth a thousand words.

How do I add several lines to my image that behave like normal layers that I can position?

Again it depends on what your using the lines for? You can use the Line Tool, You can use the Pen Tool and a stroke...............we just need a little more information about what your trying to do.

 

[mikecox]

Thanks for this response.

I have since rebooted my computer and the line tool is behaving more like I expected it to when I was using it yesterday.

Here is a screenshot of my layers, with the lines I was able to create today. Saving them is the problem now.

 

[IamSam]

Thanks Mike for the update.

Can you explain what you mean by, "Saving them is the problem now".

If your just creating a table, there are many ways to do that, are you using guides?

 

[mikecox]

What I'm trying to do is clean up this form, I was filled out by someone with very messy, indecipherable, handwriting. Once cleaned up I plan to use Text to fill it in.

At this point, I can't seem to merge the lines that I have redrawn with the layer below, where I erased the handwritten notes because everything I try makes the lines I've added to the layer disappear!

I just want to create a form that I can use to add the text. I erased the handwritten text but I also erased some of the lines in the form, I'm trying to replace those lines before I fill in the form.

 

[IamSam]

At this point, I can't seem to merge the lines that I have redrawn with the layer below, where I erased the handwritten notes because everything I try makes the lines I've added to the layer disappear!

Thanks again for the reply Mike. Can you please describe the exact workflow your using to merge the shape layer (line or lines you've re-drawn) with the form layer (layer below).

Are all the shapes on the same layer or separate layers? What process or commands are you using to merge the layers? Are you highlighting the layers to be merged?

Can you take a screenshot of your entire screen while you have the line tool selected?

 

[Tony Bowman]

I could be on the wrong wavelength completely here, but the screenshot on your post #4 looks like you're using the 'paths' option of the shape tool to draw your lines, and the lines in your screenshot are the paths, not actually filled lines (which is why they disappear - they're not what you think they are so you're not using them properly...). If you go to the paths panel, you'll probably see your lines on the paths layer. If this is correct, make sure you have a blank layer, set your foreground colour to black, right click the paths layer in the paths panel and select - stroke. In the dialogue box, choose 'pencil tool' to make your stroke and click OK. All the lines will now be stroked on the blank layer.

If you use 'shape layers' option to draw your lines, each line will be drawn as a separate shape layer and can be moved adjusted independently. If you use the 'fill pixels' option, each line you draw will be filled on your layer.

 

[mikecox]

Ok, I've sorted this out.

Each line object I added got covered by each new line object layer I created. In order to see the previous line I had to turn the layer on and have it selected!

What I discovered was that I could draw all my lines, which created about ten layers. But the lines did not display until I select ALL the layers.

I then Flattened the layers and voila all my lines showed up!

Thanks for trying to understand what I was trying to do