cs2 and pspx users - SBB Digital Scrapbooking Forums | Scrapbook-Bytes

heart33 · #1 (**permalink**) 05-13-2006

Does anyone use both pspx and cs2? I can fly my way around pspx but have recently started using cs2 also. I have found some things I can do in cs2 that I can't do in pspx. I was just curious if I should invest the time into cs2 in order to make a full jump, or if I would eventually use both for different thigns?

My other question is, I have all my plug ins, brushes, etc stored outside of psp for quicker loading etc. Can I do this with cs2? Is there a way to share the same folders between the 2 programs? For example, can I use my psp plug in folder and somehow direct cs2 to pick up the plug ins from there also?

Thanks so much,

Brenda

laurieg · #2 (**permalink**) 05-13-2006

LOL- I bet Tracey will pop in and help you on this one!

Tracey R (Haley64) · #3 (**permalink**) 05-13-2006

LOL it has been months now since I used PSCS2 and I didn't use it long enough to get too understanding plug-ins, brushes and how they can be stored and still be located for PSCS.
But if you have your plugins outside of PSP and PSCS can do a folder location it should be able to!!

I was the same way, I can fly around in PSPX in a heartbeat, I kept going back to it because of that and how much time it saved me. I am not saying that I wouldn't have gotten good at it and I really do like PSC2. Then I was asked to write tut's for the Ezine and went back to PSPX exclusively. I love programs and love learning them and I am sure someday in time I will end up using both, I can NEVER image for the life of me ever letting PSP far from my side.
I was lucky when I got my PSCS2 from a girlfriend and the price was right, she had never installed it or registered it. If I had to pay full price I would never bought it and sorry to say, I just don't think there is that much of difference to warrent the cost difference.
The real question and answer is:
1)Are you making money as a professional graphics designer?
2)If you are, are you making enough money to justify the cost of Photoshop ($400-$600)?
3)If you can answer yes to both of those, then get Photoshop. If not stick with PSP!!

I know that some people say they use both for different things, I don't know why or what they do differently in the programs, my guess would be the text and style layers are possible the biggest. But then I just found out the PSCS does not have the ability to add Bold to the text unless the font comes with it. PSCS has something called faux bold, and in PSP we have the line width so if you choose a line color the same as your font color you can increase the BOLD look of a font! But PSP has other Text issues which I hope Corel will see to fixing all the way!!

I think this is really a personal choice and what you like and what you are comfortable with. I quite honestly do not see $300-$400 of a difference between the two, I will say maybe a $50.00 difference! (Now either PSP is terribly underpriced or PSCS2 is over priced!!)
My experience is that most people who dog PSP never got it or used it fully (granted I have not used PSCS2 fully yet either, but I do know, I can do almost 100% of the same stuff in PSP!) If you have ever seen the contest/challenges ran between the top programs, PSP, PSCS and now they included PSE in the mix, it is almost impossible to see tell the differences when the real pro start playing in their programs. I hope they have another challenge soon they are fun to watch!
Just my two cents!!

heart33 · #4 (**permalink**) 05-13-2006

Okay, here's what sparked my big question of the two. I downloaded the free version of pscs2 and practiced with an embroidery tutorial. I made these awesome brushes that I can create embroidery on a path, etc, etc. The look turned out amazing!! So since, I'm in love with PSP, I figured I've got to figure out how to get the same fabulous look and style with making an embroidery brush. So far, I haven't been able to do it. So then I wondered, is it because PSP does not have the same brush capabilites or am I just not having the right info and knowledge to make it work. If you've figured out embroidery in psp, I'd love to know how so I could try it and compare the two results.

So I'm making this sweet kit and I got to pscs2 to make all embroidered elements, then I jump as quickly as I can to PSP to get all the rest done.

I can't zoom in and out with my mouse in pscs2 and it just drives me batty! I was wondering if there's an option to do that and I just don't know about it. That's my favorite feature in psp. Designing requires constant close up to see the detail and then backing off to see it from a far.

Brenda

Tracey R (Haley64) · #5 (**permalink**) 05-13-2006

Oh let me see, there is a tut somewhere on doing embroidery and counted cross stitching, even beading I believe for PSP.
Do you mean embroidery like as in Decorative Stitches? WE can easily do stitches in PSP and make them into brushes and or tubes to follow a path.
Somewhere I know I have even ran across a plug-in for PSP that will create a embroidered and also one that makes amazing material textures!!
Hang on and I will try find them for you!!

http://scrapbook-bytes.com/cgi-scrip...icle_236.shtml
http://www.scrapbookingwithflipalbum.com/Fiber.htm another one...with free samples also!
http://www.fortunecity.com/westwood/...ing/index.html
Ok here is one to create just a simple "V" stitch http://www.mobi-sys.com/PixelExpress...p-tutorial.htm of course how this turns out will all depend on your aritistic ability and how much detail that you add. You can see what I mean if you visit my site and my logo with emboridery stitching, those are tubes I made for myself because I love realism in digital scrapbooking! They are the dk green stitches on the right side and the blue ones towards the left side. I also created french knots to use and have other various embrodiery items. Then you can either place them one at a time or download a script :
VectorPaint - Paints the edges of vector objects with the Paint Brush of your choice.
VectorTube - Paints the edges of vector objects with the Picture Tube of your choice.
Which you can find at Pixelnook.com
Is this what you are looking for?
I hear you on the mouse thing, that drove me crazy also, I always just zoom in and out on a image that I am doing fine detailing on!!
Oh yeah please show me the tut for PSCS on this I would love to see it!

DeeDoo · #6 (**permalink**) 05-13-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by heart33

I can't zoom in and out with my mouse in pscs2 and it just drives me batty! I was wondering if there's an option to do that and I just don't know about it.
Brenda

If you have a scroll mouse, you just have to turn that option on in edit/preferences/general

HTH,

heart33 · #7 (**permalink**) 05-14-2006

I like your website. The candlewicking is cool.

I posted a sample in the gallery of one type of embroidery I made. Notice how the stitches vary in color and size, etc. I just love it. It's not the best picture as I had to enlarge and decrease ppi but you can get the general idea

http://www.scrapbook-bytes.com/galle...0&ppuser=46557

Go here for the 2nd picture of embroidery that I made. I stitched the word sweet. I loved the look on my final layout. The threads are much more detailed at 300 ppi, but you get the idea here also.

http://www.scrapbook-bytes.com/galle...0&ppuser=46557

So can psp do that? I couldn't figure it out. I'm not sure psp has enough brush variations to do it. I explored all the options of the brush using F11, but some functions just didn't even exist in psp (or at least that I coudl find).

Thanks Janet for the tip on scrolling in and out with the mouse, it was the one feature that seriously had made me consider not using pscs2 at all. I knew there had to be a way to do it.

Brenda

Tracey R (Haley64) · #8 (**permalink**) 05-15-2006

Hi Brenda, I am assuming that you mean can PSP turn a brush to the correct angle going around a bend? We can!!!

Here is my example, now my image went the other way, it is a little distorted too big so my stitches are a little fuzzy!! I did not make a special thread/yarn looking 3-d brush tip for this, I just used line brushes I already had...but with some noise, texture and bevels added they would look just like the ones you did in CS!