2013 - Happy Holidays

PS 14 - Moving the layer content from one document to another

Duplicating layer or layer group is useful when you want to place any content in the same exact place in another document. You can place the content any of the opened document inside photoshop - psd, jpg, png and so on.

This tutorial will explains everything you need to know about Duplicating the layer or the layer group from one document to another opened document or sending it to a new document.




Duplicate layer window can be reached in three places (fig 1.0)

- 'Right-click' on the layer name and select Duplicate layer
- Select the layer and go to the 'layer palette menu' and select Duplicate layer
- Select Duplicate layer in the 'Layer menu'

If you select a layer you will see 'Duplicate layer', if you select a layer group it will show you 'Duplicate group'

(fig 1.0)

Duplicate Layer window (fig 2.0)

Duplicate As: current layer name. You can enter a new name here, if you wish to change
Destination Document: Document Name
Destination Name: Rename Document

(fig 2.0)

There is an another 'Duplicate' window is available in the Image menu (fig 3.0 - 2)

The duplicate from the image menu will duplicate the full photoshop file into a new file. Everything in the layer will be duplicated. The only change you can able to do is to rename the file.

(fig 3.0)

If the layer is not selected, the 'Duplicate layer' will be disabled (fig 4.0 - 1). But the duplicate from the Image menu can be accessible (fig 4.0 - 2)

(fig 4.0)

Lets duplicate the layer content and see how it creates.

Below i have six circles inside a box. Each one is colored in differently for visual appearance. The document size is 476 x 261.
I'll select the first circle in the second row (fig 5.0 - 2) and right click on the layer 'row2 - 01' and select 'Duplicate Layer...'

(fig 5.0)

In the Duplicate layer window (fig 5.0 - 3) i'll leave the layer name as it is 'row2 - 01', and for the destination i'll select New from the drop-down list and i'll also rename the document to 'isolated pink'

When i click OK in the Duplicate Layer window, it creates a new document with same dimensions as the original and placed the pink circle in the same location (fig 5.1). Also notice there is no default 'Background' (locked layer) in the layers palette.

(fig 5.1)

You can also duplicate multiple layers. Because of the multiple layer selection, you cannot able to rename the layer name. Notice (fig 6.0 - 2), the 'Duplicate as' is disabled

I'll send all these random selected circles to the same photoshop file 'isolated pink' by selecting it from the destination document.

(fig 6.0)

It doesn't overlap any of the circles, instead it places exactly in the same location (fig 6.0 - 3)

we know we can able to create the duplicate and send to a new document which has the same exact size as the original. But what happen if we send these circles to a smaller size document.

(fig 7.0)

(fig 7.0 - 1) i have new document 'Untitled-1' with a dimension of 281 x 154. Instead of layer, i'll select the full circle group in the layers palette (fig 7.0 - 2), notice the Duplicate window name is change from 'Duplicate layer' to 'Duplicate Group' and i'll select the 'Untitled-1' as the destination.

All the contents are placed in the exact same location regardless of the document size (fig 7.1).

(fig 7.1)

You can also drag and drop the layer contents in any opened document.

Since we have duplicated all the circles, i'll drag and drop the box (fig 8.0). When you drag and drop any layer content from one document to another, use the Shift key. This will place the content exactly in the same location, just like duplicating the layer/group through Duplicate window.

(fig 8.0)

you can also drag and drop layers, groups, hidden layers, locked layers and smart objects.

Making Beautiful Things > The Vein / Magma

'Magma' is the very first Dvein's music video for The Vein's new single.
Info: dvein.com/projects/view/31
The Vein: thevein.xxx

Making of The vein 'Magma'

PS 13 - How to Move the Layers or Groups with Keyboard

You can see the tutorial for
'selecting the layers or groups with keyboard' here >> Selecting the Layer or Group

(fig 1.0)

Moving layers or groups is similar to selection. Alt key is for Selection and Ctrl key is for Movement.
Ctrl + [ = Move down in steps and Ctrl + ] = Move up in steps

You can also able to move the layers which are hidden or locked.

Move layers/groups in steps

(fig 2.0)

If you have a layer and if you have any closed group folder in the stack (fig 2.0 - 01), moving the layer will skip the group. But, the layer will pass through if the group is opened (fig 2.0 - 02).

(fig 3.0)

If you have a two layers selected, and one is outside the group and another is inside the group; moving in either direction will bring the selected layers together (fig 3.0).

(fig 4.0)

Moving the group will pass through any opened group even if the other group is hidden and locked. You can see it in (fig 4.0)

Moving the layer or group to the bottom or top of the stack

(fig 5.0)

Use the Shift key along with Ctrl.

(fig 6.0)

In the example above, if i press Ctrl + Shift + [ ; the layer 04 is send to the bottom of the shelf (You cannot pass through the default background layer in the layers palette)

But if i press Ctrl + Shift + ] it moved to the top without going through the opened group.

(fig 7.0)

If you have a layer inside a multiple group (fig 7.0, 1st image), and by pressing Ctrl + Shift + [ will move the layer to the bottom of the group stack. Pressing the same key will send the layer to the outside group stack then to the outer most layer palette.

Once the layer is out of the group and reached the bottom of the layer palette, pressing Ctrl + Shift + ] will send the layer directly to the top of the layer palette. It does not go through any of the groups.

(fig 8.0)

If you have a group inside another group, and moving that group will send all the way to the bottom. Notice the image above (fig 8.0). Group 2 is inside the Group 1, by pressing Ctrl + Shift + [ will send the 'Group 2' to the bottom of the layer palette and skipped Group 1.

Only layers inside a group will move in Group stacks. Groups will send directly to the bottom or top.

Unlike selection once you reach the bottom or top of the layer palette, it does not cycle through. Also, even if the group is hidden or locked you can still move.

Keyboard Shortcuts for Selecting and Moving
Alt + Left square bracket ( Alt + [ )	Select Up
Alt + Right square bracket ( Alt + ] )	Select Down
Ctrl + Left square bracket ( Ctrl + [ )	Move Up
Ctrl + Right square bracket ( Ctrl + ] )	Move Down
Ctrl + Shift + Left square bracket ( Ctrl + [ )	Send to the top of the stack
Ctrl + Shift + Right square bracket ( Ctrl + ] )	Send to the bottom of the stack

PS 12 - How to Select the Layers or Groups with Keyboard

You can also select the layers or groups with keyboard keys. If you have 'layer edges' turned ON, then it is easy to see the content.

(fig 1.0)

Here i have five layers in my layer palette (fig 1.0) and named them in alphabets for easy explanation.
(For the sake of this tutorial, pretend the 'Background' layer does not exist)

(fig 1.1)

To select the layer on top of the current selection, Press Alt + ] (alt + right square bracket). If you want to select the bottom layer then press Alt + [ (alt + left square bracket).

If you keep pressing the keyboard key, the selection keeps moving in cycles

(fig 2.0)

Easy way to remember the action is -
Right square bracket: Forward (top)
Left square bracket: Backward (bottom)

(fig 3.0)

Once you reach the end of the layer and if you press the same key, it will cycle through. In the top image (fig 3.0) i have the layer 'A-head' is selected and if i press the alt + ] key, the bottom layer 'E-tail' will select.

Hidden layer cannot be selected. But you can select locked layers.

(fig 4.0)

If you have a set of layers inside a group and if the group is closed, you can only able to select only the group. Moving the selection will not open the group.

Select multiple layers

(fig 5.0)

You can also make Multiple selections by using alt + Shift + ] and alt + Shift + [

(fig 6.0)

Once you have selected two or three layers above the current selection; pressing Alt + Shift + [ will continue the selection in reverse.

Notice the 2nd image (fig 6.0), once i pressed alt + Shift + [ it doesn't deselect the top layers, instead it is started selecting the bottom ones.

(fig 6.1)

Like a normal selection, you cannot select if the layer is hidden.

Portable Cassette Recorder - 3rd iPhone and iPod touch App

Just shifted my house and no internet connection for 2 weeks. We have some couple of things pending which we are working on right now, we will be releasing the app next week. The app will be available on the app store for both free and paid version.

Book 48 - World War II In Photographs

'World War II in Photographs '
David Boyle
600 Pages

World War II was the most intensively photographed conflict in history. Military and press photographers, propagandists, camera-wielding soldiers and civilians - all took the opportunity to record the tumultuous events of 1939-45.

The scenes they captured of mass suffering and individual heroism, of atrocious cruelty and humanitarianism against the odds, of hate and comraderie, misery and hope, remain undiminished in their intensity and constitute a vital record of an extraordinary period.

World War II in Photographs features 900 clearly captioned images selected from a wide variety of sources. Every major theatre of conflict is covered, from icy seas of the Arctic Circle to the jungles of the South Pacific, from the deserts of North Africa to the steppes of Russia. Throughout, proper historical grounding is given by an informative, indexed commentary summarizing the many complex events of the period.

With its wealth of memorable images, this book provides an unrivalled overview of a time when three-quarter of the globe went to war. - Amazon

Beekeepers Photostream Flickr

(56 sample pages)

Please note, these pages are for reference purpose only