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 Downloading and Using Tubes in PSP7, 8 or 9

This tutorial has lots of information as well as instructions to follow.  To help you find the instructions, they will be marked as bullet points (they will have a large dot in front of them).  Please take time to read through all the additional information as well as following the instructions.

This is a long web page... so if you have taken a break and need to find a section, here are some links to jump further down this page:

Downloading Tubes

Unzipping Tubes

Using Tubes

What Are Tubes?

Tubes are a special type of PSP file which contain graphics on a single transparent layer.  They can contain a single image, or several images on a grid layout, which can be placed at random or in sequence.  If you open a tube file in PSP they would look like one of the examples on the right.

Images used in sequence are used to paint lengths of chain, garlands, rope and anything that has a repetitive pattern.  Images to be placed at random could be things like water drops, sparkles, stars, nuts, assorted flowers - anything you might get different types or sizes of.

Because tubes are on a transparent background, you can use them on top of a background image or another tube.

Here are some examples of how the different types of tubes can be used.


single image tube


images that would be placed at random


images that would be used in continuous sequence

Here the Blue Bow is used around a teddy bear's neck. Here the water drops have been used by clicking in various places  to make rain falling on the flowers. The variation in size gives a more natural look than if they were all identical. Here the garland tube has been used in continuous lines (by dragging with the mouse) to make Christmas tinsel garlands.
Paint Shop Pro comes with some tubes but you can get lots more from many web sites. Many of the sites offering tubes allow you to use them freely for any non-commercial purpose, but others have terms of use which require you to give a link back to their site whenever you display something made using their tubes.  Its best to avoid tubes from sites requiring link back when making signature tags as its not practical to give a link every time tags are used.  You should always read the Terms of Use on sites offering tubes or tutorials.
Getting Tubes From Web Sites (Downloading Tubes)

Most web sites offering tubes have them in PSP Tube format, but "Zipped" into compressed files to save space.  These files will need to be "Unzipped" once you have downloaded them.  But, once they are unzipped into an appropriate folder they are ready to use straight away with the tube tool. They will have a .tub or .PspTube file extension.  

Some sites offer their tubes in PSP Image format - when unzipped these files have .psp or .PspImage file extension.  These files cannot be used straight away in PSP with the tube tool.

Some sites will have files which do not need to be unzipped.  Read the information on pages about the format of the files and look at the extension of the file you download.   If the extension is .zip then you will need to "unzip" the file.  If it's .tub, .PspTube, .psp or .PspImage then you don't need to unzip them.

It is best to store tubes downloaded from web sites in a separate folder to those that come with PSP and you may want to set up different folders for different categories e.g. Christmas, Flowers, Animals.  NB.  In PSP 7 you can only have 3 folders, including the one the Jasc supplied tubes are in.   In PSP 8 or higher you can have as many folders as you want.  Don't panic if you've already added tubes to the PSP Tubes folder - I'm only making suggestions to make organizing your tube collection easier as it grows.

For the purpose of this tutorial, we will set up one new folder for tubes.   You can move tubes into additional folders at a later time when you have so many that it gets hard to find what you want.

If you are not confident navigating and creating folders then you can get more help at http://www.jegsworks.com/Lessons/win/filesandfolders/index.html

If you have Windows 98, ME or 2000 you will also need WinZip which you can get HERE (it is shareware) or you can try this freeware alternative product HERE.  Windows XP has a built in compressed file extraction.

  • Create a folder under My Documents called Downloads.   This will be where we store zipped files temporarily.

If you have PSP 8 or higher, you will have a Paint Shop Pro folder under My Documents.  This already has a folder called My Tubes, but you might want to keep that for creating tubes from things you draw (you will be learning how).  If you have PSP 7, then you can create a Paint Shop Pro folder in My Documents, to store all your PSP bits and pieces.  

It doesn't have to be under My Documents\Paint Shop Pro, but somewhere you need to create a "Downloaded Tubes" folder.  Make sure you know where you create it.  

Now... go to these web pages and download some tubes, saving them in the Downloads folder which you have just created.....don't spend too many hours downloading all the tubes now - you can always make a return visit to the sites.  Normally you click on the example of a tube, and get a window asking if you want to open or save it.   You should click on Save and navigate to your Downloads folder to save.  Do not change the filename of tubes.   Do NOT right click the example and save - that will only save a copy of the example and not the tube file itself.

http://dixielady.com/tubes/tubes.html

http://CcdsTubeHeaven.com

http://majesticartistry.com/tubesmenu.html

http://www.rosepetaldesign.com/tubes.htm

 

UnZipping Tubes

  • In Windows Explorer, go to your Downloads folder (where you saved your tubes).   Now we need to unzip (extract) each of the files in turn.  

Windows XP - 

  • Double click on a file - A new explorer window opens.  
     

  • In the pane on the left hand side, click on "Extract All Files".  The "Compressed (zipped) Folders Extraction Wizard" will open.
     

  • Click on Next
     

  • Click the Browse button and then navigate to your "Downloaded Tubes" folder and click OK
     

  • Click on Next
     

  • Untick "Show Extracted Files"
     

  • Click on Finish.

Other Windows versions (not Windows XP) .....

If you are using Winzip:

  • Double Click on a file.
     
  • When the Winzip Wizard starts,  click the button for Winzip Classic, then click on the Extract button.
     
  • Use the folder tree to browse to your "Downloaded Tubes" folder.  Make sure the "Use Folders" box is not ticked.
     
  • Click on the Extract button
     
  • Close the Winzip window.

If you are using CAM UnZip:

  • Double Click on a file.
     
  • Click the box with ... at the end of the "Extract To:" box, and browse to your "Downloaded Tubes" folder.
     
  • When you've set the folder to extract to, click the "Extract" button.
     
  • If necessary close the CAM UnZip window.
Tell PSP where to find your downloaded tubes:
  • Open PSP.

We need to tell PSP which folder/s we are storing tube files in.

  • Click the File menu, Preferences, File Locations
PSP 8/9/x/XI:
  • In the Left pane, click on Picture Tubes.  
     
  • Click the Add button, then Browse. (PSP XI you don't have to click browse)
     
  • Locate your Downloaded Tubes folder and click OK.  
     
  • Click the OK button at the bottom of the File Locations window.
PSP 7:
  • Click on the Tubes tab.
     
  • Click on the second Browse button down.
     
  • Locate your Downloaded Tubes folder and click OK.
     
  • Click the OK button at the bottom of the File Locations window.
Your tubes should now be ready to use.  You only need to create new file locations when you set up new tube folders that are not a sub-folder of your Downloaded Tubes folder. You don't need to create a new file location every time you download and unzip tubes.  
Using Tubes In Paint Shop Pro

Try this exercise to see how it all works....

  • Create a new image 300 x 300 pixels with a White background.

Its best to put each tube on its own layer.....

  • Layers menu, New Raster Layer
      
  • Click on the Tube Tool  (PSP Photo XI) (PSP 8/9)    
      (PSP 7)

On the tool options pallet you should be able to see a pull down list.

PSP 8/9/X/XI Tool Options Pallet

PSP 7 Tool Options Pallet

You should be able to see the tubes you have downloaded if you scroll to the bottom of the list.
  • Click on one of the tubes you've downloaded (In the examples below I've used a floral tube from Moedog's web site - the last link on the list of tube sites given above but you don't have to use the same tube)
     
  • Click in the center of your canvas.  If the tube is too big to fit, click the Undo button on the tool bar, reduce the scale and try clicking again.
       
  • Click on the Deformation Tool   if you are using PSP 7, 8 or 9.
  • If you are using PSP X or PSP Photo XI click on the Pick tool .  The Pick tool shares its space on tool pallet with the Move tool. The Move tool does not allow you to rotate or adjust the size of a tube so make sure you have the Pick tool.
You should see a box around your tube like the one shown.  The small squares on the corners and edges are called handles.

You can use the spot at the center of the box to drag your tube into a new position.

You can use the handle sticking out to the right of the center to rotate the tube - drag the handle around.

You can use the handles on the corners and edges to adjust the size of the tube a little.   But, if you want the tube more than slightly larger, you should use the tube tool with the scale set to a larger size.

If you need to you can erase everything on a layer by pressing the Del key on the keyboard or using Edit menu, Clear.

  • Move your tube into the top left corner.
     
  • Add a new raster layer (Layers menu, New Raster Layer)
     
  • Click on the Tube tool again and reduce the scale setting by 20
     
  • Click in the center of your image to place the tube.  
     
  • Click on the deformation tool.  (Pick tool in PSP Photo XI) Rotate the tube and then move it into the bottom right corner of the canvas.
     
  • Add another raster layer (Layers menu, New Raster Layer)
     
  • Click on the Tube Tool.
     
  • Find the rope tube.  This is a tube that is used like a brush in a continuous line - by dragging with the mouse.
     
  • Use the tube to draw some lengths of rope in the  bottom left and top right corners of your canvas.
     
  • When you have finished save your image in .jpg format. You will get a warning message about limitations of the  file format - click YES to continue and save your work.
 

 

© AnotherJo