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Scrooge Famous Grouse
Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 6966 | TRs | Pics Location: wishful thinking |
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Scrooge
Famous Grouse
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Tue Mar 27, 2012 5:05 pm
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I used to have one, ten years ago or more. All you had to do was draw a line around an object, push a button, and, presto, it was a cutout. You could slide it out of its 'hole' and move it somewhere else on the background, or you could move it to a separate file, till you wanted to use it somewhere else.
Now, I look at Photoshop and Gimp and it's like a major project (complete with video tutorials) to do it once, much less do a lot of it.
A.2 Conconully C.2 Omak copy C test
The objects could be anything (cars, flowers, whatever), but for my purpose I want to take TOPO profiles and turn them into 'stand alone' images ..... which I'll then try to recombine with Google Sketch-up, to make some rather specialized relief maps.
It's all part of my 'Coulee Country' studies. I want to be able to model the movements of the ice. I can do the rest of it, but I need the cutouts.
Any suggestions?
Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you....... Go and find it. Go!
Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you....... Go and find it. Go!
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mike Member
Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 6398 | TRs | Pics Location: SJIsl |
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mike
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Tue Mar 27, 2012 5:53 pm
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Scrooge I use Faststone Capture v5.2. It's a free screen grab program. Might do what you want. Versions newer than 5.2 are shareware. Not sure what you mean by 'cutout'.
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Scrooge Famous Grouse
Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 6966 | TRs | Pics Location: wishful thinking |
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Scrooge
Famous Grouse
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Tue Mar 27, 2012 9:51 pm
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Thanks, Mike. I downloaded the current version, 7.0, but it is shareware, and requires a tutorial, too, so I probably won't keep it. Gimp was free and I already paid for Photoshop, so I might as well take one of their tutorials.
As for what a cutout is, think of a paperdoll, it's a self-contained image with no background. You can move it into different backgrounds, or do just what a little girl would do and play 'dress up', by putting one cutout (clothes) on top of the other (the doll).
I want to do something a little like that with 'cutouts' of TOPO profiles.
Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you....... Go and find it. Go!
Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you....... Go and find it. Go!
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Slugman It’s a Slugfest!
Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 16874 | TRs | Pics
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Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!
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Sat Mar 31, 2012 10:48 am
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I've found Microsoft's Picture it! software to be good (and easy) for this kind of "craft" project. The program makes it easy to layer various designs and cut-outs onto backgrounds or transparencies. It keeps all the layers separate off to the side in a "stack", and you can drag and drop from the stack onto and off of the main image. It's meant more for things like making custom greeting cards or calendars, at least that's what their examples show, but it sounds like it would be good for your project as well. You can save the project as a project, and open it later and change it, and also save it as a finished picture file, which then is what it is, or both.
It has a function called the freehand tool, you simply trace your line, with a left mouse click every time you change direction, and soon you have your outline, which you save to the stack, the drag and drop it anywhere you want, spin it around, whatever. This would be perfect for tracing your topo profiles. I believe I have the disc for the program, I know I put it on my home computer and my work computer, so I must have it. It's yours if you want it. My version is Picture It! Premium 10. I know it used to be a free download as well. Hmm, Microsoft says Picture It! is no longer being made, and is not compatible with Windows 7. Well, I'm running it on two Windows 7 computers with no issues.
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Scrooge Famous Grouse
Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 6966 | TRs | Pics Location: wishful thinking |
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Scrooge
Famous Grouse
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Sun Apr 01, 2012 1:07 am
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Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you....... Go and find it. Go!
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Slugman It’s a Slugfest!
Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 16874 | TRs | Pics
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Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!
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Sun Apr 01, 2012 1:51 am
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Cool. I found the disc no problem. I don't recall if it just worked after install, or if I had to choose some kind of compatibility mode, but I use it at work and at home with no problems.
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