Photoshop most stupidly overly complicated program ever ?

[Nacimroc]

Trying to edit an image I have but as always it takes absolutely forever to do the smallest of things!  Is it just me or is photoshop designed completely arseways? I use CAD programs regularly so I'm sure after spending so much time using it and viewing tutorials I should have figured it out but I can't even do the easiest of things!! You almost need a degree to draw a bloody circle!  aarrggghhhh!!!!!!

Anyone recommend alternative software that wasn't designed by monkeys ? 

[Xiaou2]

Photoshop isnt so much a drawing program, but an image editor.
(though, you can draw with it)

 As such, its complex due to the complex operations it needs to do its job.
If you think PS is complex & unituitive, try the freeware equivalent 'The Gimp'.

 Photoshop is incredible however.  It only take a few video tutorials to start getting things down.  Long ago I bought some from VTC (virtual training company).  Theres like 14hrs of videos on a set of DVDs..  but really, it only took maybe an hours worth to get me rolling.

 Long ago, I used to use Paint Shop Pro. & Painter 5. Painter using more natural brushes, producing oil-painting like effects. PSP more traditional of an MS paint style program, but much more advanced.

 For mere line work, you could also use a vector based program... like Illustrator.

 The biggest hurdle in Photoshop initially for me, was realizing that you cant do most things on the starting background layer.  Its locked down.  Create a new layer, and start your work on that.. leaving the background layer alone.  Then all kinds of options will reveal themselves.   But as said, a video introduction will help miles to get you going.

[Nacimroc]

I'm getting illustrator as we speak. I can see how photoshop has a huge amount of options to cover and for photo editing etc, it is great. But as soon as I try to draw Halos to size or adjust without distorting etc, it all goes pear shape. I can do it but it is just so fiddly I find.  The layers I have no problem with as I use these in CAD based programs, I think its just the fact I'm trying to do everything to match dimensions is the main problem.

[Ginsu Victim]

Though I have Photoshop, I still use Paint Shop Pro 6 for just about everything.

[Xiaou2]

If your talking about the selection tool, hold down shift while you drag, and it will retain its symmetry.

 A lot of the functions are activated like this.  Either holding down ctrl, alt, or shift to alter the way they do things, or to activate a special functionality.

 Also, holding the mouse pressed down over a tool gives more tools to select from.

 Then theres options on the top bar.  I usually have to turn off anti-alising so that theres no transparent auto blending.  This works on most things, however there are some cases with selections which do not work with turning it off.  Not sure if these were fixed in later versions, as Im using 7.0

[Nacimroc]

Thanks for that! Will tinker a little tomorrow to see can I master it! Will also give Paint Shop Pro a try!

[fallacy]

Photoshop is for photo/graphic editing and it is awesome! The pen tools are more for different options on cutting out graphics not so much on designing your own. If you want to design your own graphics use illustrator.  


Example: Made this marque




using nothing except these 3 images:Cutting them out changing background tone, blending together.

[Ginsu Victim]

For some reason fallacy's avatar always look like Ghostface from Scream, even though it plainly isn't.

[nox771]

For vector graphics I would also recommend Inkscape.  If you are into portable apps like I am, there is also a portable version of it - Inkscape Portable.  It's free, and for whatever reason I seem to get better results with it than with the Adobe tools.

[SNAAKE]

eZ

[Blanka]

If you want to draw vectors, download Freehand 10. You said you were trying Illustrator? Photoshop is a good program, very easy to use if you use it what it is made for: editing photos. Illustrator on the other hand is Adobe's most crappy product, that only is popular because you got it free with Photoshop and InDesign year after year, and that millions of DTP artists had such a bad time mastering it, that they won't tell you it sucks now! Freehand is the only vector tool that works like clockwork since its first great version 3.1 in 1991. Even FH 3.1 beats Illustrator CS5 in many area's of basic editing!
And forget Inkscape too. Inkscape is to fool the BSA that you run legal software, where you do actual production on commercial software.
When it comes to drawing sideart, marquees or CPO's, just one feature is worth trying Freehand alone: Paste-Inside. This is the most usefull command that Illustrator lacks. And above all, Freehand hides outlines from paste-inside elements when selecting, where Illustrator shows all masked items (horrible inconvenient alternative to paste inside) when selecting like Autocad selects from right to left (Illustrator does not have a left to right kind of selecting: AAAARRRGHHH!).

[drventure]

+1 for inkscape

[Corbo]

Photoshop and Illustrator are great, I love them both. 

I'm not such a big fan of how they have overhauled the UI in recent versions.  If it ain't broke and all that.

[SammyWI]

+1 for inkscape

+2,  but I just use it as an tinkering amateur.  I'm sure the more powerful programs make sense for more advanced users.

[Ginsu Victim]

I'm not such a big fan of how they have overhauled the UI in recent versions.  If it ain't broke and all that.

Sounds like my opinion of the new Netflix webshite.