I guess you figured out what it was that I got. :) Going from 5.02 to 7.0 is quite a difference. Now I have to learn a lot of brand new things. I've only used it for about 1/2 hour, just to try some of the goodies. I think the file browser is great, and the healing brush and patch tool are something to behold! I did have a problem at first trying to browse in the file browser. When I would click on the + sign next to Desktop, I received the message that Photoshop could not complete the request due to a program error. I'm not even sure why I did this, but I switched users on XP, tried again, and everything was fine. I still can't browse the files under my account. Weird!! Just thought I'd let you know in case you have the same problem.

Ed

I had a chance to spend some more time with Photoshop 7. OMG!! I will never learn this. There is so much to learn coming from version 4, I'm beside myself. I can't even figure out how to get the history brush to work. (The directions seem simple enough, but when I try it, it doesn't work.)

I really like the healing brush, but I don't always get the results I expect (have to read up on that). Same is true for the patch tool.

Auto Color balance is ok. I think I was expecting something a bit more powerful - it can be tweaked, so I will read up on that too.

I don't know what else is relevant to me as a restorer. Actually, I would be interested in a thread about that.

I thought the training video was a big help, for me anyway. I may check out the rest in the series - since I know nothing.....

For the time being, I know I will revert back to 4.

Vikki,

You mentioned that the auto color balance can be tweaked, and that you'll have to read up on that. On my training CD, it shows how to make the changes on auto color balance (which I haven't even tried yet). Did you miss that part, or do you need more control than that?

Ed

Vikki, you'll learn it, but you are facing a lot of changes all at once. I work with V5.5 and have opted to now upgrade to V6 instead of V7, and will face some of the stresses in getting used to the new interface. But I'm THINKING that the new interface will be helpful to me, reducing the clutter of so many palettes on my 15 inch monitor. Time will tell.

I can't honestly remember now what V4 was like, but I believe that one of the things I liked about upgrading to 5.5 was multiple undos - being able to go back in the history palette to an earlier procedure. Especially using the snapshot feature to see results of various techniques. I'm going to bet that there will be some features in V7 that will make you happy you went thru the strain of having to relearn so much.

Let us know how it goes -- I know it's frustrating to be wondering how some function works on a program that you've been using for years.

CJ you mention "all those pallets" in the way... I found this little jewel out there somewhere... and just like it says you get used to it fast...

http://www.interfaceimprovement.com/photoshop.html

It makes all of the open pallets slide just out of site (you can see the edge so can tell where you left them).

you can download it as a demo... fully funtional .. forever I guess... but each day the nag screen stays on a bit longer... think it's just 17.00 anyhow...

If you try it give it a little time... and whenever it seems to be annoying you wherever you are working... remember to just hit the "tab" button as usual..

RonDon

Photoshop.. I was fortunate enough to get the beta test version from a sister who received it.. but doesn't do photos... I like it just fine...

I like the "browse" feature .. always kept "paintshop" on the pc just so that I could find things ... move them around etc..

Hey cool! I never saw that before. That looks like a feature Photoshop should have by default. Especially if the user has a smaller size monitor.
DJ

I just keep one finger on the tab key. Clears everything up real quick :)

RonDon -- thank you VERY much!! I like it -- it works like Doug's menu here on the site. Don't know how it'll work with my new version 6, but I'll try it out until then.

Doug, you're right, of course, but even though I've learned a number of shortcuts for my most used tools, I still want to check the options palette and see my history palette. It's probably just a combination of habit and lack of experience, but it seems cumbersome to tab back and forth. I do use the tab when I'm looking at a draft image. This new program allows me quicker access to any palette I want, and for me it's more intuitive to just move my cursor to the palette rather than use the tab key.

Thought you might like to see a great link with PS7 Tutorial. They have a great tutorial on Channel damage and repair.

Lisa:)

http://www.planetphotoshop.com/peteback.html

Well I was afraid to ask cj if she still liked the interface improvement device (i haven't been thrown out of better places)... so I'll leave that alone and thank Lisa for just what I needed to see.. ..
For some reason... reading the manual never worked for me... looks like some usefull stuff there at your link.
RonDon

"I was afraid to ask cj if she still liked the interface improvement device (i haven't been thrown out of better places)... "

RonDon, there aren't any bouncers here, :tongue: and I definitely want you to stay -- you are a good addition to the site.

As for the interface improvement program, it worked very well with my PShop 5.5, although I had some computer crashes after I loaded it AND one other program -- not sure which had some incompatibilities with my setup. Since my new PShop version 6 arrived, I was going to compare PS6's palette well and the interface improver - but I couldn't figure out how to make the palette well work. I read the manual, the Help file, some websites, but finally searched the newsgroups via Google (why didn't I do that earlier -- I know they usually have answers) and found what I was doing wrong. Now that I can use the palette well, I don't think I'll need the interface improver anymore -- but it really helped my PS5.5. Thanks, RonDon for the recommendation.

Now, be good or I'll get the boot out :devil:

OK ;)

Lisa,

Thanks very much for the link. It looks like they have a lot to offer. We'll probably be seeing a lot of new tutorials popping up all over the place. Thanks again.

Ed

Originally posted by Ed_L
I guess you figured out what it was that I got. :) Going from 5.02 to 7.0 is quite a difference. Now I have to learn a lot of brand new things. I've only used it for about 1/2 hour, just to try some of the goodies. I think the file browser is great, and the healing brush and patch tool are something to behold! I did have a problem at first trying to browse in the file browser. When I would click on the + sign next to Desktop, I received the message that Photoshop could not complete the request due to a program error. I'm not even sure why I did this, but I switched users on XP, tried again, and everything was fine. I still can't browse the files under my account. Weird!! Just thought I'd let you know in case you have the same problem.

Ed
Paint Shop Pro has had all the photo tools and scratch tool and auto this and that for 3 yrs in PSP7. Although I love Photoshop, Painter, I still use Paint Shop Pro for most work, not for it's brushes.

Originally posted by rondon
CJ you mention "all those pallets" in the way... I found this little jewel out there somewhere... and just like it says you get used to it fast...

http://www.interfaceimprovement.com/photoshop.html

It makes all of the open pallets slide just out of site (you can see the edge so can tell where you left them).

you can download it as a demo... fully funtional .. forever I guess... but each day the nag screen stays on a bit longer... think it's just 17.00 anyhow...

If you try it give it a little time... and whenever it seems to be annoying you wherever you are working... remember to just hit the "tab" button as usual..

RonDon

Got it, thanks for the tip, just what I needed. Greg

Photoshop.. I was fortunate enough to get the beta test version from a sister who received it.. but doesn't do photos... I like it just fine...

I like the "browse" feature .. always kept "paintshop" on the pc just so that I could find things ... move them around etc..

Originally posted by Doug Nelson
I just keep one finger on the tab key. Clears everything up real quick :)

And SHIFT/TAB gets rid of everything but the tools palette, in case you prefer that method.

Or...see attached.
:wavey:

Does it bug anyone that you can't toggle brush sizes by the <> keys for the healing brush but you can for every other brush? It drives me nuts!

The hardest thing I found switching from 5.5 to 6.0 was the text tool changes. As a web designer, I use text quite often, and this took a lot of getting used to.

Originally posted by chiquitita
Does it bug anyone that you can't toggle brush sizes by the <> keys for the healing brush but you can for every other brush? It drives me nuts!


Try the "[" and "]" keys. They work! Sanity restored!
:wavey:

Still using v6.02.. I decided to upgrade on even numbers on Photoshop and odd numbers on Illustrator :-)

Healing brush sounds very useful to me..Think I'll download a demo someday soon to see it in action..

As for the file browser/palette discussion..
I added a cheap secondhand 19" screen next to my 21" screen.
The 21" shows only the menu bar and status bar, all palets are on the 19"screen. This uses about half the screen size, so in the other half I ususlly keep windows explorer/mac finder open.

Cheaper than an upgrade, but alas no healing brush... is it really worth it?

Well that just makes me crazy! What is Adobe doing switching stuff around? Now I have to think!

I don't know how many people use illustrator for anything, but what drives me nuts there is that you can't type and sample of text and toggle through the fonts. You can do it Photoshop but not in Illustrator. Adobe needs to be consistant!


Thank you for pointing that out, though, because I thought I was loosing it. Sometimes the <> keys would work on everything but the healing brush and sometimes they wouldn't. In 6.0 they always worked on the brushes. Grrrr.