Photoshop® CS4 Bible

11.5. Summary

In this chapter you learned about the geometric roots of the vector path (sometimes called Bézier curves) and the path's basic parts: line segments, anchor points, direction lines, and direction points. You also learned how these parts related to one another when creating vector paths.

You should also feel more familiar with the primary vector path tools and tool options, such as the ability to combine path components in different ways to create a new path area that would be difficult or time-consuming to create with only one shape. The most useful shortcuts for accessing important path tools should also be familiar to you, including: the Pen tool (P); the Path Selection and Direct Selection tools (A); and pressing the Crtl/ key to access the Direct Selection tool from other tools.

You also saw examples of how to create basic and more complex paths, as well as different means for editing paths using the Convert Point tool and the Direct Selection tools in tandem. Finally, you learned about the path stroke and fill capabilities, as well as the important ability to use paths as selections, vector masks, and indirectly, alpha channels.