Picture tubes for Paint Shop Pro (R) Manual

Picture tubes manual (for Corel 速 Paint Shop Pro 速) Introduction This is a manual / document explaining the use of the Paint Shop Pro picture tubes (psp tubes, psp picture tubes, tube brushes), how to install them and much more. Corel and Paint Shop Pro are registered trademarks of Corel Corporation Andrew

Installation Of picture tubes Installation The tubes may be delivered by different means: CD or zip file.

Download: please extract from the zip file (use supplied serial reference if required) and place the tubes in the required installation folder. You may require a tool to expand the files such as PKUnzip or Stuffit Expander CD: Please select all the tube files on the CD and place on your hard disk in the required installation tubes folder You may not wish to add all the tubes to PSP in one go, but use as required. If so, please place the tubes files in a folder such as c:\picture tubes and then copy to the tubes folder as required. Likewise with the brushes, you might prefer to keep them in a separate folder and only load them as required.

Installation folder for Picture tubes PSP 7: Please place the tubes files in the c:\program files\...\Paint Shop Pro 7\tubes folder. If the tubes are marked as a PSP file they will not work in PSP 7, they need to be set to .TUB file type (manually). Depending on the set, the tubes files may already be "TUB" format and not psptube. Not included in all the sets from graphicxtras.com PSP 8: Please place the tubes in c:\my documents and settings\...\my documents\my psp8 files\picture tubes OR in the Picture tubes folder of Paint Shop Pro 速 8

PSP 9: Please place the tubes in the c:\program files\....\paint shop pro 9\picture tubes folder

PSP X: Please place the tubes in the PSP X picture tubes folder. This is generally located in the documents and settings / user / my documents / my psp files 'picture tubes' folder PSP Photo X1: This is generally located in the documents and settings / user / my documents / my psp files 'picture tubes' folder (for XP) For Vista, the picture tubes (*.TUB files) need to be placed in the user account documents my psp files 'picture tubes' folder.

You can always edit the preferences to place the TUB files in a totally different folder.

The tubes can also be placed in a sub folder of Paint Shop Pro Photo X1: corel_10 PSP Photo X2 : As above with X1. Put the picture tubes into corel_10 folder

Alternative installation location for the tubes via file preferences A better approach to the above, please place the tube files (pspTube or TUB) into the folder indicated in PSP via the file > preferences > file locations. You can even set your own location for the tubes.

Accessing the picture tubes Once you have re-started PSP, click the tubes tool icon and PSP will build the tubes cache file. Once the cache build has finished, you can then select the tubes from the tubes browser palette

Known issues One known issue is that sometimes the cell information of the picture tubes files is corrupted during a download (not sure why), but if it does happen, you will be asked for the cell structure of the PSP tubes. I would suggest, re-download the tubes.

The cell structure of the tubes are all 1 x 1

Splat! plug-in from Alien Skin ™ The tubes can be placed in any folder. You just need to point splat! to the required tubes folder and access the tubes.

Note: the tubes marked with file type PSP tubes cannot be used in splat! unless the file type is changed to .tub. Simply rename the file to TUB.

The splat plugin set has a number of sub plugins that use the tubes: 'Border stamp' and 'Fill stamp' To find out more about the splat! plugin, please check out the Alien Skin web site (we are not connected in any way but I am mentioning this product as a possible use for the tubes) One additional useful feature of the plugin set, you can open picture tube (TUB format only) files in Photoshop and applications with the plugin. The TUB file can then be used in Photoshop etc. Sadly, there is no export / save feature.

Ulead Ž PhotoImpact ™ The TUB files can also be accessed in PhotoImpact. Access them via the import picture tube feature in the stamp brush palette

Serial reference number Please store the reference number/serial number for future reference (say for updates or replacement CDs). You will find the serial number in a folder marked 'Serial Number - please store' or 'keep for reference'. The serial number is not the number sent via shareit.com for the order.

Please make a backup of this as well as a backup of the tubes (and brushes or other additional material)

Royalty-free The picture tubes and brushes were created by Andrew Buckle (for Abneil Software Ltd UK). All the brushes and picture tubes are royalty-free. Please check the enclosed legal documentation for the license and use (you can use them in many different commercial or hobby projects such as packaging, on records, CDs, books, in painting, scrap booking and more). Please check the license documentation

Installation issues If you have problems installing or using the picture tubes, please e-mail our tech support at support@graphicxtras.com

Comments If you have any suggestions to how we can improve our products or manual, or if there is something that is hard to understand or badly stated, please contact us and we will try to correct any errors or misunderstandings in the next release of the manual.

It is always great to hear your feedback. The manual is (c) 2009 Andrew Buckle

System requirements Applications supported - Corel ® Paint Shop ™ Pro ® Photo X2 X1 X 9 8 (and 7 if TUB) Windows 98, ME, XP, 2000, NT Vista Windows 7 pspTubes format files are for version 8 and 9 and X and XI only (unless you rename them back to *.tub format)

Other applications TUB files for Photo-Impact ™ 7+ Photoshop ® 7 /CS / CS2 (via Splat! import) CS3 CS4. This requires the Splat plugin to be installed. It does mean you can use the tubes on the mac as there is (was?) a plugin for the MAC as well.

Minimum requirements At least 128MB of memory, though some operations might require a lot more.

Trademarks The tubes were designed by Andrew Buckle, and copyright 1999-2009 Andrew Buckle and Abneil Software ltd (Varies from set to set) All products mentioned in this manual are trademarked or probably trademarked by their respective owners. Illustrator and Photoshop and Adobe and After Effects are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

Corel is registered trademark of Corel Corporation and Painter is registered trademark or trademark of Corel Corporation.

Paint Shop Pro is registered trademark of Corel Corporation. Photo-Impact is trademark or registered trademark of Ulead.

Splat! Plugin is from Alien Skin software.

We have no connection whatsoever with Corel or Ulead or any other mentioned organization Any screen prints displayed are with kind permission of Corel Corporation / Adobe Systems Incorporated

Company contact details Telephone: (+44) 1622 688 375. UK Number (the company is based in the United Kingdom) http://www.graphicxtras.com support@graphicxtras.com

Related items We also stock a number of items that work well with PSP, such as textures and plugins and patterns. Please check out http://www.graphicxtras.com

Picture tubes and patterns The tubes can be used as a pattern. Simply place the tube files into the patterns folder (or setup an additional folder) and access the patterns tab via the materials palette and select the tube file from the pattern palette display

Manipulate the angle and scaling of the pattern (of the tube) via the material palette. Apply the pattern as usual using tools such as the flood fill tool

Apply pattern as required.

Re-apply patterns, change settings such as different scale or different opacity or angle or blending mode and re-apply.

Picture tubes / textures The tube file can also be used as a texture. Add the TUB file to the PSP textures folder. Access the texture via the materials palette, changing the texture scaling and angle etc and apply via the flood fill tool etc

Use the textures in brush strokes (via tools such as the air brush tool)

The texture effect (found in the 'effects' menu) appears to have problems with the tubes files. I would recommend checking the effect before any serious work.

Picture tubes / swatches The texture / pattern can be added to the swatches via the material palette 'add to swatches' command. The pattern / texture swatch can then be used at a later time.

Access the swatches via the swatches palette

Picture tubes bump maps / environment / surface 'balls and bubbles' 'Balls and bubbles' in the effects menu uses bump maps. Picture tube files can be used as bump maps via the 'maps' tab.

The 'surface' tab also uses materials for the ball surface and that can be a material, made from a picture tube.

The environment can also be set up as a picture tube.

Picture tubes / frames Simply select a tube and apply via the picture tube tool. Either apply using the same tube or different tubes, mix different scaling etc

Picture tubes / picture frame Create a new document and a new layer, then apply the picture tube to that layer. Go to the layer palette and delete the background and export the picture frame.

Apply the frame via the image > picture frame command

Re-color / apply effects to tubes The tubes can be modified. You might prefer to create a totally new tube or overwrite the existing. Simply open the picture tube as a normal file and then use the export as picture tube command.

All the tubes unless stated are single cell tubes 1 x 1 For example, open a picture tube and change the color via the hue command

Or apply effects to the tube file and then export the new tube.

Multi-cell from picture tube Create a new document. Set a grid to aid the construction of the multi-cell tube (if you want a 3 cell tube and you have a 300 x 300 tube, create a 900 x 300 document and set the grid up to be 300 x 300). Once created, create a new layer, and apply the picture tubes to the cells as required. Delete the background layer and export the picture tube, setting the cell structure as required.

The multi cell tube can be as straight forward or as complicated as you require, such as creating a multi-cell of different blur states for a tube or different colors or different angles or different pop art dots.

Creating an abstract / fragment tube from single picture tube Take any tube, open the tube file. Use the export command but instead of using 1 x 1 for the cell structure, use 15 x 15 or 20 x 20 etc or 15 x 1. Apply different colors or different effects as possible variants and export the tube and then apply the 'fragments' as required

Layers / tubes and transform Open a tube files and copy the tube. Add the tube to an open document by pasting on a new layer (use control L) Add multiple layers to the document.

The layers can then be transformed, re-sized, blended, distorted using the mesh warp tool and more. For some purposes, the layer approach is easier than using the picture tubes tool.

Tubes and layers The tubes can be painted on the background layer but you can also paint the tubes on a new layer (or multiple new layers).

Paint a tube on a new layer and the tube / layer can have a drop shadow etc added.

Or the tube can be re-colored on different layers, so apply a tube or two to raster layer 1 and then apply a tube to raster layer tube 2 and then apply the hue command to re-color the tubes on layer 2 (or apply effects etc)

Or apply the layer and apply the tube using different blending such as luminance or darken (or opacity)

Image arithmetic command Open a document, fill with a picture tube. Open another document. Use the 'image arithmetic' command (uses both documents to create a new image in a variety of ways).

Browse tubes / browser Use the PSP browser to browse the tube files

Other browsers include xnView

Other browsers exist as well as tools / plug-ins to open tube / PSP files. I would suggest checking out 'Plugin commander' from thepluginsite.com

Create brush from picture tube Open a document less than 500 x 500. Apply picture tubes as required, apply effects as required, and then file > export > custom brush. Give the brush an unique name and set steps / variance / author

Select a brush tool such as airbrush and select the brush from the brush browser and then apply

Use in Animation Shop ™ Use animation shop to add movement to your picture tube. Animation shop can open picture tube files. Once opened, add frames, add transitions, move the picture tube, modify in different ways, and create an 'animated' tube.

Even more useful, the animation can be saved as a picture tube and then used as a multi-cell picture tube in PSP. Simply create the frames as required, apply effects as required, and use the export to picture tube format

This can result in a large TUB file but can be used for some interesting tube designs (especially if you have applied blurs etc in the animation)

Overlay / watermark and picture tubes Use the picture tube as a watermark or overlay. Open an image, create a new layer and set the layer opacity to 30 or less, and apply the tube to the image (depends on the size of the tube and image, you might wish to set to the maximum tube size)

Scripts and picture tubes Tubes can be incorporated into scripts, so you can create powerful texture generators or tube / effect scripts or apply a script to a particular region, and much more. The scripts are editable as well, so they can be tweaked in 100s of different ways.

I would suggest consulting some of the Python documentation associated with PSP for additional ideas how to extend tube scripting such as the one below which creates a cascade of tubes. Python is packed with 100s of features and the possibilities are near endless for tube effects (mixing with standard effects etc)

Picture tubes / palette steps The number of steps modifies the tube output, from a single flowing paint brush to a splatter of tube strokes. The steps can be modified from the picture tubes options

Scale / picture tubes The tube can be scaled from 10% of the original size to 250%. One way around this limitation is to open the tube, re-size, and then save the tube in a bigger or smaller format.

Picture tubes / selection and placement The placement can modify whether the tube is applied step to step or whether the distance between the steps is randomized to the size of the step. The selection is not an issue with single cells but if you create a multiple cell tube, you can control the selection of the tube by velocity etc

Patterns Use the effects > reflection effects > pattern command to create a pattern from picture tubes. Apply the picture tubes and then apply the pattern command (or use the pattern to an actual picture tube). Set the rotation / offset / columns etc as required

Or use the Kaleidoscope command

Tubes and effects The tubes can be applied as is, but more interesting designs can be created by using a combination of picture tubes and mix of effects (such as a blur or texture effect). Apply some tubes, apply an effect, apply some more tubes and so on (or apply varying color etc)

Channels / picture tubes The image can be split into different color channels, such as red green and blur (or CMYK) and the tubes can be added to the individual channels [image > split channels]. The channels can be re-combined using the combine command.

Export tubes from Paint Shop Pro Tubes can be exported to other formats. Open the tube file and then save as TIFF etc and open in Photoshop 速

Masks and Paint Shop Pro 速 picture tubes Layers > Load/save mask. Open the tube file as a mask and apply as a normal mask.

Paint Shop Pro ® Designs The tubes can be used as a paint brush but they can also be used as single design or combined picture tube design

PhotoImpact ™ PhotoImpact can import picture tube TUB files. To access the tube files, click the stamp tool and then access via the brush panel The brush panel has a number of features such as hue modification, transparency, blend modes and more PhotoImpact is from Ulead (Corel?? now)

Photoshop ® Import If you have splat!, splat! comes with a Photoshop import plugin for TUB files. The tubes files can be imported into Photoshop and used for many different purposes in Photoshop ® (such as a layer)

Splat! plug-in / picture tubes TUB files The plugin (from Alien Skin) can be used to create a border as well as background / texture (as well as many other uses) If you have the plugin, access the plugin and open a TUB file, change the size and density as required