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Prestidigitation with Transformation
When you want to transform a layer or selection, use the commands on the Edit>Transform menu, as shown in Figure 18-2.
Figure 18-2: Use the commands on the Edit>Transform menu to transform layers and selections.
A brave young boy from the audience has volunteered to demonstrate the Edit>Transform menu commands. This lad is shown in Figure 18-3.
Figure 18-3: This brave lad is ready to be transformed.
To get you started, I give full directions for scaling an image. After that, I tell you how to perform the other transformations by using a quick list.To scale an image, use the following steps:
Use the Layers palette to select a layer or use any of the selection tools to select an area to be transformed.
Choose Edit>Transform>Scale.A bounding box with small square handles appears around the layer or selection, as shown in Figure 18-4.
Figure 18-4: The brave lad is enclosed within a bounding box.
Position the mouse pointer over one of the square handles, click the mouse button, and drag.Drag a corner handle to change both the horizontal and vertical scale. Drag the handle on the left or right side of the bounding box to change the vertical scale. Drag a top or bottom handle to change the horizontal scale. Figure 18-5 shows our brave volunteer being scaled horizontally.
Figure 18-5: Drag a handle or part of the bounding box to scale the layer or selection.
| Time-Saver | If you need to quickly scale a layer or selection proportionally, just hold down the Shift key while dragging a corner handle. |
When you’re finished scaling, release the mouse and press Enter/Return to accept the change or press Esc to cancel the scaling.You can also click the Commit check mark button on the Options bar to accept changes or click the Cancel button on the Options bar.
| Tip | You can’t transform the Background layer. If you want to transform part or all of the Background layer, you have to convert the Background to a regular layer first. To do this, select the Background in the Layers palette and then choose Layer>New>Layer from Background. |
None of the commands on the Edit>Transform menu are available to you if the layer that you’re trying to transform is locked. If the transformation commands are grayed out after you select a layer, check to see whether a tiny padlock appears to the right of the layer’s name in the Layers palette. Chances are that the Lock: Position button or the Lock: All button at the top of the Layers palette is selected.
For the rest of the Edit>Transform commands, I list them by command and then tell you how to move the bounding box handles to perform the transformation. Use the earlier directions on scaling an image and substitute each of the following bullet points for Steps 2 and 3:
To rotate a layer or selection, choose Edit> Transform>Rotate. The bounding box with square handles appears. (Refer to Figure 18-4.) Position the mouse over one of the handles and drag clockwise or counterclockwise.
To skew a layer or selection, choose Edit> Transform>Skew. Slide the left or right sides of the bounding box to skew vertically, as shown in Figure 18-6. Slide the top or bottom sides of the bounding box to skew horizontally. Hold down Alt/Option and drag to skew around the center point (located on the boy’s nose).
Figure 18-6: Slide the bounding box right or left to skew the layer or selection vertically.
To distort a layer or selection, choose Edit>Transform>Distort. Drag a handle or bounding line in any direction to simultaneously skew, scale, and add perspective to the layer or selection. (See Figure 18-7.)
Figure 18-7: Drag in any direction to distort the layer or selection.
To add perspective to a layer or selection, choose Edit>Transform>Perspective. Drag any handle or bounding line in any direction.
| Tip | You can move the center point (located on the boy’s nose in Figure 18-6) to change the fixed point that the transformation moves around. Moving the center point is like anchoring a corner or side to a door hinge and letting the image swing around that hinge. |
If you want to transform two or more layers at the same time, you need to link them by using the Layers palette. Here’s how: In the Layers palette, select one of the layers that you want to link. Click the column to the left of another layer that you want to link to the selected layer. A tiny chain link appears in the column (shown in the following figure), showing that the layers are linked. Continue clicking in the column to the left of each layer that you want to link.
