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@CristinaToo bad that the trip is postponed but it is positive that you now have more time for the Workshop. That parrot is great. With so many segments, it meant a lot of practice for you. Maybe your program got a hiccup when it misbehaved. @MoniqueN.You don't need a full scrapbook page to display your assignment nicely. You did great. @AprilDawnYou are starting very well with those leaves. They look great. @JacquesGreat leaves! Don't you find that cutting out holes is easier in Affinity? @EukaGreat way to catch up with all those shapes. @RaymondGood start. You should catch up quickly. @Corrie KinkelYou are managing very well despite your hand issues. Isn't it nice to have the option to undo if something is not working correctly? @gwen jewittVery nice looking cup. That design is very appropriate! @Sharon MurrayGreat design. I agree that nodes are easy to handle in Affinity. @Gerry Landreth That is a cute dinosaur. Will you find a way to use it? You will have fun with text tomorrow! Stay tuned.

PSP is bad for memory hogs. Sometimes, you need to save your work, close PSP and restart it.

I received messages to report issues with Lesson 4. It is fixed, and you should now be able to watch the Affinity video.

I am not sure where my comment went, when I posted it last night. I am glad that it was still "cached" and I didn't have to re-write it! @Linda Rexford Oh, I like how you are playing with those shapes. Playing means practice and practice means learning. @Carolyn RyeI agree with you that some shapes are fun and easier to create in Affinity but managing them (preset shapes vs assets, categories and subcategories) are not straightforward. That is one thing I really dislike about Affinity: asset management is very limited. @Jeni Simpsonso many fun shapes. Those stars are lovely. @AprilDawnI love to see how you used the spiral shape. That is one shape I have not played with yet.

@Linda RexfordThose are fun shapes. You really played around with the colors too! @Susan Ewart Do you want the 90-day trial version (or did you already use it?)? I don't know if they will have another sale in the summer like last year. I wish I knew! @Carolyn RyeDid lesson 2 answer your question? There is also a blog post about saving assets. @Cristina Great shapes (and colors)! That is odd that the shape displays a different corner than the reality. Very weird! @JacquesDid you make all those little dragons? That is a lot of work! @Sue ThomasI knew you would have fun with those shapes. Some tasks are easier in Affinity than in PSP, when it comes to those corners, for example. @gwen jewittGreat shapes. Having fun adding nodes now that you can master them! @MoniqueN.You are correct. The corner tools are only on rectangular shapes and only if they are not converted. @Corrie KinkelGreat tags! Yes, I think you will be making more and more! @Sharon MurrayI also find it interesting that one can "pull" the edge without having the adjust the nodes individually. That is definitely a plus. @RaymondGreat start! The more you play, the more fun it will be! @Gerry Landreth Nice shapes. Do you think you will reuse them? Keep them coming!

@Carolyn RyeSeparating the nodes when you cut is a real annoyance. I agree with you 100%. But you did it very well. @Jeni SimpsonThose are fun and with practice, you will get even more comfortable. @Jannette NieuwboerIt is great to have fun. Why not? As the artist, you can do whatever you want! and I am glad you managed all the lessons! Way to go! @Harmony BirchGreat work. You caught up nicely. Keep them coming! And if we do have some lurkers (because there were many more registrants than posters), come and show us ONE lesson!

Let's flood this thread with photos of flowers you are attending to (or maybe wild ones) or your front yard. This might be a good time of year to take those pictures. Share them!

Do you want to draw different shapes for different colors? If so, yes, you can do that and if they individual shapes are grouped together, you can then export them together too. Does that address your question?

I am happy to see you all in this workshop. This is the first time it will be presented and with all the elements involved, if you notice anything not working, I am sure you will let me know, right? @DianeM Great start for your first lesson. It is very basic and you will have fun with the next ones. @Sue ThomasSo many fun shapes. I can envision you taking pleasure in creating new shapes. @MoniqueN. The assignments do NOT require a whole project to be created. You can if you want and if you have the time/inspiration, but this is not a scrapbooking workshop so just doing the assignments as listed is enough. @gwen jewitt You are having fun with those shapes! @Corrie KinkelGreat projects. I hope you have time to make one every day but if you run out of time, we would understand! That is quite a challenge you are setting for yourself. @Gerry LandrethGood start. Looking forward to your future assignments. @Jeni SimpsonAlthough the gradients were not part of the assignment, they are really fun when you use them. @AprilDawnThat is a simple yet very effective way to display your assignment. Hopefully, those who just finished the other Vector Workshop (for PSP), won't get bored with the same assignments! At the same time, it will give you a good way to compare the tools/settings for both programs.

It should be a .psptube file, correct? Then you put it in the Picture tubes folder.

@Carolyn Rye It is quite ok to just do the basics in the practice assignments because that is the goal. When you feel more comfortable, that is when you can be more adventurous and do more complicated things. By the way, make sure that you post the Affinity projects in the Affinity thread (and the workshop starts only tomorrow! ;)) I cannot move it myself. @gwen jewitt For the frog shape, if you want your tubes to be evenly spaced, set the Placement mode to Continuous instead of Random. But maybe you want them randomly spaced too. @Sue ThomasIf you want, you can always adjust the settings of the picture tubes before you run the VectorTube script, by changing the step value. @Jannette NieuwboerWhen you create a shape with vectors, make sure the Anti-alias is checked. I see your shapes have pixellated edges so I suspect it is unchecked. The good thing is that you can change that setting in the Vector Properties dialogue window so you don't have to redo anything. @Mary Solaas That is the start. The basics are where you begin and then you will learn with practice. @Donna Sillia Great work with those picture tubes. Aren't they versatile? @Gerry LandrethGrabbing the correct node when you cut is challenging. Thankfully, you can always use Undo if you grab the wrong one! @Susan EwartYes, when you have intersecting paths is a challenge for the picture tubes. And your analysis of the solution is spot on! Good work. @Jacques That is a creative way to go to use different "ropes"! @Sharon Murray Cutting a vector is not something we often do so it is new to many users! Good work. Continue to post your PaintShop Pro projects in this thread.

I tried to identify each video per program with the color line and the icon beside each of them.

Once they are converted into a preset shape, they are no longer using the font. That kind of message comes when you still have some text on your project that uses a font you don't have loaded. It often happens if you have a hidden vector copy of the text, while you worked on a duplicate to add various effects. The hidden copy is usually what triggers that message. Of course, if you didn't work on a duplicate, then you would have to fetch that font to make it identical once your project opens.

It is in the first sentence of the Practice.

@Jeni SimpsonYour mug is well done. It is too bad it was giving you a hard time, but the result is great. Did you create the denim from scratch? The result is fantastic! @Jannette Nieuwboer How did you cheat if you made all those leaves? I am also curious to know why they are blurred. Did you apply some effects? @Harmony BirchI am glad you fixed your workspace problem. And your work is lovely. Practice always helps make those processes easier over time. @Sue ThomasConverting the text to character shapes allows you to have different tubes applied to individual letters. Otherwise, everything would be using the same tube all over. As usual, your work is stunning. @JacquesGreat work for Brian. You will have quite a collection of projects to share with your family (if you haven't yet)! @Susan EwartResizing your project after it is in jpg format might lose some quality but it could also prevent any issue with wrapped text. Those can be a headache if you resize a layered file. Those tubes on the edges are so much fun. I can just try to imagine the feeling of the first PSP users to use that VectorTube script. They must have been ecstatic! @Donna SilliaYou are definitely having fun with those tubes! @Gerry LandrethWell, it is good that you TRY to do the steps by memory. If it works fine, then you know you got it. If not, then you revert to the directions. Isn't that how we typically work and learn? @gwen jewittThat peacock was a perfect element to add a path along its back! Good work. @Sharon MurrayThat fairy is great. I probably would have mirrored the image so that the text would start at her hand and end in the sky. But that is just me. I love those Christmas lights. @Cindy SheetsThat is a lot to learn in one week! and you still have all those Vector lessons to come too! Good start on your shapes! Watch out for tomorrow's lesson. If you liked the lesson 6, you will LOVE lesson 7 as it will open up even more possibilities.

I don't have Windows 11 so I cannot check, but there was a discussion in the user-to-user forum here: https://psp-vs-forums.freeforums.net/thread/321/program-show-psp-images

The idea of one photo a week was quite popular in 2024, and it encouraged participants to take photos and showcase them without having to create a whole layout for them. In 2025, I will offer you a little twist on this. Again, the idea is only to showcase a single photo at a time. You can showcase them as a flashcard, emphasizing the letter (you can use these free cards as a basis to create your own). Of course, if you want a different format, you can use a polaroid frame, a slide, or a playing card (like Susan was doing in 2024). Choose the format you want, and keep it throughout the year. But just make sure to emphasize the first letter! Every 2 weeks, you will be asked to take a picture of something, at home (or around your home) that starts with a specific letter of the alphabet. The goal is just to be on the lookout for ANYTHING that can be photographed. You can stage the object however you want, or just take a picture of it in its natural environment. For example, you can showcase your favorite Mug, or your Pillow, or your Fireplace. You can practice your photography skills if you want, but you can just capture things as they are. Let's just encourage each other. This is a no-pressure thread. And if you skip a letter or two, you can always come back. You know your alphabet, so you can easily catch up whenever you need to. Let's continue with the letter K. It could be your Kitchen scale, a colorful Kettle, the set of Keys by the door, or your go-to Knitting basket! What will you showcase?

Freebies are great resources that you can find in many places to build a library of elements, graphics, and tools. Since they are free, they are available to all. For May, how about using a netting background? You can resize it, cut it in pieces, warp it, color it, thread elements through the holes, etc. There are so many creative ways to use this netting. It is available on this blog post.

@Susan EwartThis is a proof that there is always something new to discover in PSP! I was not aware that drawing in "reverse" would do the same as reversing the path. Thanks to Jacques, it is one more thing that I learned. I wonder if left-handed people tend to draw in a different direction than right-handed people. Your teapot shape is great!! I am really surprised by that text missing the final "s" when you resize it. Out of curiosity, have you tried editing the text and changing the text size by 1 less to see if it changes something? It is very odd. I have never seen that before. @Jannette Nieuwboer If you have shapes that are made of more than one shape, they have to be grouped, and the name of the group will become the name of the shape. Otherwise, individual objects will be saved, and it won't look like the shape you want at all. And worse, it MIGHT overwrite shapes of the same name. Just review the instructions in exporting the shapes. @Jeni SimpsonIt is great that figured out the little detail that was missing. Hopefully, you won't forget from now on! @Carolyn RyeYou should have time to catch up despite your busy schedule since the lessons will stay available for another week. @JacquesThat is a fun project with that bridge. @Sue Thomas As you said, vectors allow for very nice curves. I also use vectors whenever I need some crisp edges on shapes. @Donna SilliaIt is fun to add text along a path especially when it can perfectly match the image. It is so versatile! With the handouts, you will be able to refer back to the step whenever you need them. @Gerry LandrethI am glad that the "directions" were useful when followed. Your cup is LOVELY! Great work. Were you trying to do the work without following the directions?? @Harmony BirchAs I sent you an email to troubleshoot, I am not sure why that tool is greyed out but it is not the Pen tool. It is the Marker tool from the Art Media tools. I wonder if your Pen tool disappeared or was moved somewhere else. @Hank SobahGreat lesson with the text on a path. Are you able to do the "text in both directions" easily now ? @Cindy SheetsAny ah-ah moment is a new skill that you won't forget anymore. Keep going. There might be more in this workshop. @Peggy DorganIf you click and automatically get a new node, you are likely not in the Edit mode (I make that mistake often!). Can you check that? As some of you have mentioned, some participants are repeat registrants. Although I have been asked, a few times, if I could make more advanced lessons (which I MIGHT), there are still benefits in redoing the exact same lessons, even though the assignments might change a little. With each run of the workshop, you get more creative and ambitious and that repetition ends up "sticking" more and more.

One thing I notice is that the greyed out tool is NOT the Pen tool but it is an Art Media tool.

Check your emails. We might need to troubleshoot something.

Are you in the Edit mode. If not, any click will add nodes. As for the workspace that is different, what options are you missing? Can you share a screenshot?

Is it possible that you have more than one Layer active in the Layers palette? In that case, many tools are greyed out. Or do you have a floating selection? What does the Layer palette look like?

@gwen jewitt Oh, I guess the cataracts can definitely affect the vision. I am glad that you feel it is easier with a shape to copy. That cup would look great on a greeting card! @Jannette Nieuwboer What mistake do you want to remove? The naming of the shapes or something on the shapes themselves. @Sue ThomasVectors are getting easier and you can always curve the bottom of the mug later! @Donna SilliaThe cup is fine. I think it is just the bevel that gives it an odd look since that is not how the shading would normally go on a cup. But the exercise was to draw it, and that is correct. @Jacques Drawing a shape in the other direction does exactly what the R should do, which is to reverse the path. Since we typically draw clockwise and the preset shapes also are drawn clockwise, in that case you would need to manually reverse the path. But if you purposefully draw in the other direction, you can save that one step. I am not sure exactly why the path has to be reversed to make it into a whole. It must be a way that paths are interpreted internally. @Gerry Landreth That is a great way to use vectors. It can create some nice edges once you use the Selection from Vector. @Louyse ToupinIt is a lot to learn but once you get comfortable, it will become easier and easier. @Sharon MurrayThe shapes will appear in the drop-down list based on the name of the shapes in the Layers palette, but when you enter the name during the export, it will be the name of the FILE, so what you see is what is expected. If you wanted the shapes to have Shazza, you would have to rename them in the vector layer before exporting them. You are doing great with all those shapes.

@Jannette Nieuwboer Hopefully you are ok to continue now. For those who might wonder, we did some troubleshooting through email so as not to overload this thread. @Jacques That is great. I think you are a little ahead with the holes in the shape, but that is a great exercise. Was the first try with white fill or just showing the outline only? Don't worry if you have just the outline when you save it, when you use it, you can always use any fill you want. @Sue ThomasI see so many great tags that you are creating. You will never run out of ideas for tags at this rate! @gwen jewittWhat version of PSP are you using? Starting with version 2018, there is a way to get larger nodes. Check this article. @Gerry LandrethYou should be able to catch up even if you have to slow down for storms. The lessons are short so it should be easy. You are starting well with those shapes. @Susan EwartYes, those shapes with multiple components can look odd when they show an outline. That is one thing that PSP does not do: merge shapes into a single one (something Affinity does much better). That maple leaf is really great! And it looks like you had fun with other shapes too! @Donna SilliaYou did what you had to do. Creating a preset is a skill in itself. Handling those nodes need practice. After that, it is up to you how you will use it, and since they are vector, you can always tweak them too. @Mary Solaas Take good care of yourself. That heart shape can also become a frame for other bleeding heart photos! Now, calling for all the silent registrants. Don't be shy! And if you are stuck, don't hesitate to ask questions. We are all here to help you.