PS help with CP button placement

[MovingTarget]

I'm totally new to PS CS so please help this noob out!

I've used the Visio templates to layout exactly where I want my controls to go on the cp but I'm really not comfortable my boxes and labels in my PS file are going to be even close.

I know that I need to ultimately rely on the artwork's placement before I cut any holes but I can't figure out how to make a cicle the exact diameter of a Happ button or trackball, and I can't seem to figure out how to make sure the left and bottom portions of the art that goes around the buttons is even close to where I want it.

I've got the ruler showing on top and I can see where the mouse is on that ruler.  Isn't there a better way to do this though?  I just feel like at best I'm eyeballing this and I really want everything to at least be on the same axis for a row of buttons. 

Also how the heck do I get a dot in the middle of the button so I know exactly where the center is when I go to drill my cp?

Thanks for any help.

[MovingTarget]

PLEASE could someone help.   There must be some secret I'm missing.  Just a push in the right direction would be appreciated.

[namedos]

Select the View menu, on the drop down, select show, turn on grid.  That will give you lines every 1/4" or so which will make lining things up a lot easier.  Next, I wold select view menu, select snap to and select grid.  this will make sure that your items are exactly on those lines.

For the buttons I use the elipse marquee tool, hold down the shift key which generates a circle.  You can make this whatever size you want, I've been making mine 1 and 1/8".  Once they are drawn and you have the grid on it is easy to line the circle up to have a grid mark exactly in the center.  I then add another layer and draw two straight lines that cross in the center.

Make sense?  If not, send me some more questions and I'll try to help.

Another tool that can be very helpful is the guide lines.  You can create these wherever you want.  For example draw a vertical guide line in the middle of your CP and then move whatever item you need centered to that line.  Makes lining things up much easier.

[walls83]

also did you put your art layer on top of your visto layer?  If so make the Art layer like 50% transparent so you can see the visto drawing.

[MovingTarget]

Thanks for the help!

I did not think I could put the Visio in my Photoshop pic.  I'll try that out as that would obviously make it very easy to line it all up.

I'm also going to turn on the grid and the snap to grid options.

[Felsir]

For exact alignment use the visio tools "shape"->"Align shapes". You can put a small circle (for placement of the drill) in the center of another circle. Also easy for lining up a row of buttons.
Make use of the "group" tools and "Distribute shapes" tools.

[MovingTarget]

Yes thanks, I got the Visio part down as I've been using that program for years at work doing various flowcharting and system designs.  The Photoshop stuff is a different story.  I'm still all thumbs but thanks to you all I was able to get the Visio into the PS file and that helped tremendously!

I still am trying to come up with a CP design background that has something to do with being a UFO.  Right now I've got a screenshot I took from Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind as the background with elipses where the buttons go, but it's not as cool as it could be if I knew how to draw something. 

I guess I have to live with my limited talent and stress over this until I get some great easy idea or maybe I'll just go with the mothership from Close Encounters