Add symbols

[Stocky]

Occasionally I want to point out a feature that is mentioned in the caption using an arrow. I can do this in Power Point and import the complete setup, (picture, caption and arrow). However, this method does not allow for future modification like re-positioning the caption and arrow. I have also tried generating and arrow in say Word and then capturing the arrow using FSCapture. However, this method also captures the background so the arrow in inside a rectangular box. Are there other ways of putting an arrow on a slide. I do not have Photoshop only Essentials 10.

[Ken Cox]

see

http://www.techsmith.com/

snagit will allow putting arrows on picts

techsmith products supposedly the top of line

ken

[davegee]

Create the arrow or any other object on a blank layer in Photoshop (or ELEMENTS 10) and use "Save for the Web" to create a PNG file which you can then use in your PTE project.

DG

[jkb]

The easiest way is to add a Text object using one of the Fonts that generates symbols.

Windings3 & Webdings are examples. Windings3 'a' gives a right hand arrow.

Just set the font & try the different letters & numbers in both upper & lower case until you get the one you want.

This means you can easily change the size & colour of the symbols as required.

Much quicker & easier than creating a separate png file.

Jill

[goddi]

Occasionally I want to point out a feature that is mentioned in the caption using an arrow. I can do this in Power Point and import the complete setup, (picture, caption and arrow). However, this method does not allow for future modification like re-positioning the caption and arrow. I have also tried generating and arrow in say Word and then capturing the arrow using FSCapture. However, this method also captures the background so the arrow in inside a rectangular box. Are there other ways of putting an arrow on a slide. I do not have Photoshop only Essentials 10.

=============================

Greetings,

I agree. Sure there are many ways to go search and create arrows and other shapes outside PTE. I, sometimes, like to add an arrow or a comment shape and have to go to the Internet to find something. It would be so nice, and convenient, to have a pallet of shapes (such as in Paint, but with more flexibility) right in PTE.

This is something I have also wanted for a long time.

Gary

[westonphoto]

←↑↓↕↨▲▼►◄☼◊♪●₠± ⅔⅜ - just a very few of the shapes available without even changing from Arial font. Have a look in 'Character Map' (Windows standard feature) and all the accented letters you could wish for, loads of shapes and symbols, certain fractions, superscripts, foreign language alphabets (certainly Greek & some Arabic & Cyrillic) and a selection of diphthongs are already on your machine. Similarly, as Jill says, Webdings, Wingdings, Symbols founts are probably already installed and ready for use. All you have to do is look at what you already have in a lot of cases.

The simpler ones such as áéóú€°©® are simple ALT+xxxx (numbers) keying without even going into Character Map at all.

[Lin Evans]

Hi Walker,

As Jill and Phil have already said, there is absolutely no reason to leave PTE. On all Windows installations there are Wingdings, Webdings, etc., which have multiple types of arrows and other useful symbols which are treated just like any other font. The easiest way to see what they are is to select them as a font then simply go through the uppercase and lowercase alphabet as "text" in PTE. Once you find the symbol you want to use simply size it, change color, position, etc., dynamically with PTE just as you would normal text.

Best regards,

Lin

[Stocky]

The easiest way is to add a Text object using one of the Fonts that generates symbols.

Windings3 & Webdings are examples. Windings3 'a' gives a right hand arrow.

Just set the font & try the different letters & numbers in both upper & lower case until you get the one you want.

This means you can easily change the size & colour of the symbols as required.

Much quicker & easier than creating a separate png file.

Jill

Thanks for the suggestion. However, the arrow is of fixed proportion, head to tail. I wanted to be able to extend the arrow from the caption to the object. I am now trying another suggestion using Snagit 11.

Don

[Stocky]

see

http://www.techsmith.com/

snagit will allow putting arrows on picts

techsmith products supposedly the top of line

ken

Thanks for the suggestion. I am now starting a 30 day trial with Snagit 11. It does seem to offer many of the things I would like to do.

[Ken Cox]

IF YOU SEARCH THE WEB HARD -- there used to be older versions of techsmith products free for the taking c/w reg #'s

this product is used by some current members of the forum --

ken

[davegee]

Hi Phil,

Nice to see you out and about again.

It must be wonderful living in your world.

I can't seem to find the key strokes for the webdingythingy in the example below - any ideas?

Phils Arrow.zip

[jkb]

Thanks for the suggestion. However, the arrow is of fixed proportion, head to tail. I wanted to be able to extend the arrow from the caption to the object. I am now trying another suggestion using Snagit 11.

Don

Easy! Just press shift & drag the tail of the arrow to be the length you want it.

Ok it means it also lengthens the head but is still a lot quicker than making a separate file for each size you need.

And is easy to amend if you move the caption.

You can also easily add drop shadows etc

Jill

[Stocky]

Thanks for the lesson on how to modify arrows. I will certainly give it a try as you suggestion uses only things that are already on the computer.

[westonphoto]

It must be wonderful living in your world.

I can't seem to find the key strokes for the webdingythingy in the example below - any ideas?

Hi Dave

Naturally, this is dependant on the founts* installed on each individual machine. Your example is from the "ddoniol iawn" fount by Eric ap Gill although I can no longer locate my source. The roots of the design seem to predate Johannes Gutenberg and may have their origins in the Korean Goryeo Dynasty. Extant sleeve notes suggest that it was contemporary acknowledgement of the participation of Welsh bowmen at Crécy and is the precursor to the universal gesture when protagonists retire from their meetings. While first noted during the Hellenic wars, the symbolic farewell is generally attributed to more recent Welsh assemblies indicating retention of right index and second fingers. I usually access it by simultaneously holding ALT+CTRL+SHIFT+F13 and keying 0248726«Ɣ. Unfortunately, this may not help those who don't have this fount installed.

Yes, it's 'wonderful' living in my world - would I be correct to assume that your use of the unfamiliar Welsh (?) word 'wonderful' is synonymous with what we in Yorkshire would refer to as 'absolutely drenched, yet again' (toujours la politesse, etc).

*In view of the historical nature of the typeface in question, I use the original spelling of the word as found before the Colonial Language Vandals became predominant.

Here endeth the Michael extraction

To all other readers (if any): The preceding is intended to be a humourous response, friend to friend, and bears absolutely no resemblance to reality (TV or otherwise). Just so that some of those sensitive souls who frequent this Forum don't feel offended.

[davegee]

So speaketh the Font of all knowledge.

It's nice here today - we are not used to these scorching temperatures (14.5 not Fahrenheit - the other one).

DG

[westonphoto]

Well, it's alright for some folks - teeming it down all day here. Again. That ½° Celsi-grade is so important at the moment - I'm seriously debating putting the heating back on. In July.

Tried to PM you - not accepting messages. Must be the Border Agency dispute blocking things.