Pencil

I have tried all suggestions I can find but can not get the pencil to work right. Last night I was able to work the pencil with just a little problem it wouldn't fill some of the boxes. After I got a can't save scratch disk is full, I cleaned it out but now I can't get my brush to work properly. It won't go to square or fill out the boxes. Can someone help? Thanks.

You can try a reset the pencil by left-clicking on its' icon in the Options bar. It should throw it to defaults.
Alternatively you can reset Photoshop's Preferences.
Press and hold Control - Shift - Alt immediately upon cold-starting Photoshop. If you get the keys down quickly enough - and you have to be VERY quick - it will prompt you to confirm deletion of your established preferences, which will lead to them all being set to defaults.:

Similar Messages

Programming a Pencil Tool on Paint?

Here's my code for Scribble(a pencil tool) and its superclass Shape. Basically, my program remembers where the mouse has been and draws a line from the previous point to the current point. However, the scribble doesn't show up (occasionally you will see a small line at the very end) I think the problem is that each Scribble object only has one previous and one current. Therefore, there is only 1 line left at the end. How can I correct this?
Thanks in advance!
Note: this doesn't run since there are about 5 other classes needed. I guess can post them if you want? xD
import java.awt.*;
public class Scribble extends Shape{
     protected Point startpt, endpt;
     protected Point previous, current;
     int count = 0;
    public Scribble(Point start, DrawingCanvas dcanvas){
     super();
     System.out.println("SCRIBBLE CREATED!!!!!!!\n\n");
     startpt = start;
     current = start;
     endpt = start;
     canvas = dcanvas;
     bounds = new Rectangle(start);
    public void resize(Point anchor, Point end){
     super.resize(anchor, end);
     previous = current;
     startpt = anchor;
     current = end;
     endpt = end;
    public void translate(int dx, int dy){
     super.translate(dx, dy);
     previous.translate(dx, dy);
     current.translate(dx, dy);
     startpt.translate(dx, dy);
     endpt.translate(dx, dy);
    public void draw(Graphics g, Rectangle regionToDraw){
          count++;
          System.out.println(count);
     if (!bounds.intersects(regionToDraw)){
         return;
     g.setColor(super.getColor());
     g.drawLine((int)previous.getX(), (int)previous.getY(), (int)current.getX(), (int)current.getY());
     if (isSelected) { // if selected, draw the resizing knobs
                       // along the 4 corners
         Rectangle[] knobs = getKnobRects();
         for (int i = 0; i < knobs.length; i++)
          g.fillRect(knobs.x, knobs[i].y,
               knobs[i].width, knobs[i].height);
protected Rectangle[] getKnobRects(){
     Rectangle[] knobs = new Rectangle[2];
     knobs[0] = new Rectangle((int)startpt.getX() - KNOB_SIZE/2,
                    (int)startpt.getY() - KNOB_SIZE/2, KNOB_SIZE, KNOB_SIZE);
     knobs[1] = new Rectangle((int)endpt.getX() - KNOB_SIZE/2,
                    (int)endpt.getY()- KNOB_SIZE/2, KNOB_SIZE, KNOB_SIZE);
     return knobs;
protected int getKnobContainingPoint(Point pt){
     if (!isSelected) return NONE;
     Rectangle[] knobs = getKnobRects();
     for (int i = 0; i < knobs.length; i++)
     if (knobs[i].contains(pt))
          return i;
     return NONE;
}import java.awt.*;
import java.util.*;
import java.io.*;
public abstract class Shape implements Serializable, Cloneable{
     private Color color;
protected Rectangle bounds;
protected boolean isSelected;
public DrawingCanvas canvas;
protected static final int KNOB_SIZE = 6;
protected static final int NONE = -1;
protected static final int NW = 0;
protected static final int SW = 1;
protected static final int SE = 2;
protected static final int NE = 3;
     Shape(){
          color = Color.darkGray;
     public Color getColor(){
     return color;
     public Object clone(){
          try{
          Shape copy = (Shape)super.clone();
          copy.setBounds(bounds);
          return copy;
          catch(CloneNotSupportedException c){
               return null;
     public void setColor(Color newColor){
     color = newColor;
     canvas.repaint();
     /** The "primitive" for all resizing/moving/creating operations that
     * affect the rect bounding box. The current implementation just resets
     * the bounds variable and triggers a re-draw of the union of the old &
     * new rectangles. This will redraw the shape in new size and place and
     * also "erase" if bounds are now smaller than before.
     protected void setBounds(Rectangle newBounds){
          Rectangle oldBounds = bounds;
          bounds = newBounds;
          updateCanvas(oldBounds.union(bounds));
     /** The resize operation is called when first creating a rect, as well as
     * when later resizing by dragging one of its knobs. The two parameters
     * are the points that define the new bounding box. The anchor point
     * is the location of the mouse-down event during a creation operation
     * or the opposite corner of the knob being dragged during a resize
     * operation. The end is the current location of the mouse.
     public void resize(Point anchor, Point end){
          Rectangle newRect = new Rectangle(anchor);
          // creates smallest rectange which
          // includes both anchor & end
          newRect.add(end);
          // reset bounds & redraw affected areas
          setBounds(newRect);
          canvas.repaint();
     /** The translate operation is called when moving a shape by dragging in
     * the canvas. The two parameters are the delta-x and delta-y to move
     * by. Note that either or both can be negative. Create a new rectangle
     * from our bounds and translate and then go through the setBounds()
     * primitive to change it.
     public void translate(int dx, int dy){
          Rectangle newRect = new Rectangle(bounds);
          newRect.translate(dx, dy);
          setBounds(newRect);
          canvas.repaint();
     /** Used to change the selected state of the shape which will require
     * updating the affected area of the canvas to add/remove knobs.
     public void setSelected(boolean newState){
          isSelected = newState;
          // need to erase/add knobs
          // including extent of extended bounds
          updateCanvas(bounds, true);
          canvas.repaint();
     /** The updateCanvas() methods are used when the state has changed
     * in such a way that it needs to be refreshed in the canvas to properly
     * reflect the new settings. The shape should take responsibility for
     * messaging the canvas to properly update itself. The appropriate AWT/JFC
     * way to re-draw a component is to send it the repaint() method with the
     * rectangle that needs refreshing. This will cause an update() event to
     * be sent to the component which in turn will call paint(), where the
     * real drawing implementation goes. See the paint() method in
     * DrawingCanvas to see how it is implemented.
     protected void updateCanvas(Rectangle areaOfChange, boolean enlargeForKnobs){
               System.out.println("canvas2 updated");
          Rectangle toRedraw = new Rectangle(areaOfChange);
          if (enlargeForKnobs)
          toRedraw.grow(KNOB_SIZE/2, KNOB_SIZE/2);
          canvas.repaint(toRedraw);
     protected void updateCanvas(Rectangle areaOfChange){
               System.out.println("canvas updated");
          updateCanvas(areaOfChange, isSelected);
          public Rectangle getBounds(){
               return bounds;
     /** When the DrawingCanvas needs to determine which shape is under
     * the mouse, it asks the shape to determine if a point is "inside".
     * This method should returns true if the given point is inside the
     * region for this shape. For a rectangle, any point within the
     * bounding box is inside the shape.
     public boolean inside(Point pt){
          return bounds.contains(pt);
     /** When needed, we create the array of knob rectangles on demand. This
     * does mean we create and discard the array and rectangles repeatedly.
     * These are small objects, so perhaps it is not a big deal, but
     * a valid alternative would be to store the array of knobs as an
     * instance variable of the Shape and and update the knobs as the bounds
     * change. This means a little more memory overhead for each Shape
     * (since it is always storing the knobs, even when not being used) and
     * having that redundant data opens up the possibility of bugs from
     * getting out of synch (bounds move but knobs didn't, etc.) but you may
     * find that a more appealing way to go. Either way is fine with us.
     * Note this method provides a nice unified place for one override from
     * a shape subclass to substitute fewer or different knobs.
     protected Rectangle[] getKnobRects(){
               System.out.println("knobs gotten");
          Rectangle[] knobs = new Rectangle[4];
          knobs[NW] = new Rectangle(bounds.x - KNOB_SIZE/2,
                         bounds.y - KNOB_SIZE/2, KNOB_SIZE, KNOB_SIZE);
          knobs[SW] = new Rectangle(bounds.x - KNOB_SIZE/2,
                         bounds.y + bounds.height - KNOB_SIZE/2,
                         KNOB_SIZE, KNOB_SIZE);
          knobs[SE] = new Rectangle(bounds.x + bounds.width - KNOB_SIZE/2,
                         bounds.y + bounds.height - KNOB_SIZE/2,
                         KNOB_SIZE, KNOB_SIZE);
          knobs[NE] = new Rectangle(bounds.x + bounds.width - KNOB_SIZE/2,
                         bounds.y - KNOB_SIZE/2,
                         KNOB_SIZE, KNOB_SIZE);
          return knobs;
     /** Helper method to determine if a point is within one of the resize
     * corner knobs. If not selected, we have no resize knobs, so it can't
     * have been a click on one. Otherwise, we calculate the knob rects and
     * then check whether the point falls in one of them. The return value
     * is one of NW, NE, SW, SE constants depending on which knob is found,
     * or NONE if the click doesn't fall within any knob.
     protected int getKnobContainingPoint(Point pt){
               System.out.println("resize knobs");
          // if we aren't selected, the knobs
          // aren't showing and thus there are no knobs to check
          if (!isSelected) return NONE;
          Rectangle[] knobs = getKnobRects();
          for (int i = 0; i < knobs.length; i++)
          if (knobs[i].contains(pt))
               return i;
          return NONE;
     /** Method used by DrawingCanvas to determine if a mouse click is starting
     * a resize event. In order for it to be a resize, the click must have
     * been within one of the knob rects (checked by the helper method
     * getKnobContainingPoint) and if so, we return the "anchor" ie the knob
     * opposite this corner that will remain fixed as the user drags the
     * resizing knob of the other corner around. During the drag actions of a
     * resize, that fixed anchor point and the current mouse point will be
     * passed to the resize method, which will reset the bounds in response
     * to the movement. If the mouseLocation wasn't a click in a knob and
     * thus not the beginning of a resize event, null is returned.
public Point getAnchorForResize(Point mouseLocation){
          System.out.println("is it a resize?");
int whichKnob = getKnobContainingPoint(mouseLocation);
if (whichKnob == NONE) // no resize knob is at this location
return null;
Rectangle[] knobs = getKnobRects();
whichKnob = Math.abs(whichKnob - (int)(knobs.length / 2));
return (new Point(knobs[whichKnob].x + knobs[whichKnob].width /2,
knobs[whichKnob].y + knobs[whichKnob].height/2));
public abstract void draw(Graphics g, Rectangle regionToDraw);

line left at the end. How can I correct this?java.awt.Polygon (or Polygon2D)
Here are a few of my thoughts
#1 There is a Shape interface in core java already, as well as plenty of very useful shapes (Rectangle, Ellipse2D, Area). Shape has some really nice features like contains(...) and intersects(...). By creating a separate class for your Shape objects, you ensure that the two will be incompatible.
#2 As tempting as it is, it is a bad idea to include a Color with a shape. What if you want it to have more than one Color? What if you want the insides of the shape to be filled by an Image? I just created and posted a class on the java forums called Renderable, which combines a java.awt.Shape with a java.awt.Paint.
#3 Below is my PaintArea class. It "scribbles" on an Image. Maybe this will give you some ideas. To compile it, you will either have to find my MathUtils class (which I've posted here before) or reimplement the distance and angle methods. There is also a reference to WIndowUtilities... find that or remove it and put the PaintArea in a Frame and do setVisible(true)
You are welcome to use and modify this code, but please don't change the package and please make sure that you add attribution if you submit this in an academic setting.
* Created on Jun 15, 2005 by @author Tom Jacobs
package tjacobs.ui.ex;
import java.awt.image.BufferedImage;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.beans.PropertyChangeEvent;
import java.beans.PropertyChangeListener;
import javax.swing.ImageIcon;
import javax.swing.JComboBox;
import javax.swing.JComponent;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JToolBar;
import tjacobs.MathUtils;
import tjacobs.ui.util.WindowUtilities;
* PaintArea is a component that you can draw in similar to but
* much simpler than the windows paint program.
public class PaintArea extends JComponent {
     private static final long serialVersionUID = 0;
     BufferedImage mImg; //= new BufferedImage();
     int mBrushSize = 1;
     private boolean mSizeChanged = false;
     private Color mColor1, mColor2;
     static class PaintIcon extends ImageIcon {
          public static final long serialVersionUID = 0;
          int mSize;
          public PaintIcon(Image im, int size) {
               super(im);
               mSize = size;
     public PaintArea() {
          super();
          setCursor(Cursor.getPredefinedCursor(Cursor.CROSSHAIR_CURSOR));
          addComponentListener(new CListener());
          MListener ml = new MListener();
          addMouseListener(ml);
          addMouseMotionListener(ml);
          setBackground(Color.WHITE);
          setForeground(Color.BLACK);
     public void paintComponent(Graphics g) {
          if (mSizeChanged) {
               handleResize();
          //g.drawImage(mImg, mImg.getWidth(), mImg.getHeight(), null);
          g.drawImage(mImg, 0, 0, null);
          //super.paintComponent(g);
          //System.out.println("Image = " + mImg);
          //System.out.println("Size: " + mImg.getWidth() + "," + mImg.getHeight());
     public void setBackground(Color c) {
          super.setBackground(c);
          if (mImg != null) {
               Graphics g = mImg.getGraphics();
               g.setColor(c);
               g.fillRect(0, 0, mImg.getWidth(), mImg.getHeight());
               g.dispose();
     public void setColor1(Color c) {
          mColor1 = c;
     public void setColor2(Color c) {
          mColor2 = c;
     public Color getColor1() {
          return mColor1;
     public Color getColor2() {
          return mColor2;
     class ToolBar extends JToolBar {
          private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
          ToolBar() {
               final ColorButton fore = new ColorButton();
               fore.setToolTipText("Foreground Color");
               final ColorButton back = new ColorButton();
               back.setToolTipText("Background Color");
               JComboBox brushSize = new JComboBox();
               //super.createImage(1, 1).;
               FontMetrics fm = new FontMetrics(getFont()) {
                    private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;};
               //int ht = fm.getHeight();
               int useheight = fm.getHeight() % 2 == 0 ? fm.getHeight() + 1 : fm.getHeight();
               final BufferedImage im1 = new BufferedImage(useheight, useheight, BufferedImage.TYPE_INT_RGB);
               Graphics g = im1.getGraphics();
               g.setColor(Color.WHITE);
               g.fillRect(0, 0, useheight, useheight);
               g.setColor(Color.BLACK);
               g.fillOval(useheight / 2, useheight / 2, 1, 1);
               g.dispose();
               //im1.setRGB(useheight / 2 + 1, useheight / 2 + 1, 0xFFFFFF);
               final BufferedImage im2 = new BufferedImage(useheight, useheight, BufferedImage.TYPE_INT_RGB);
               g = im2.getGraphics();
               g.setColor(Color.WHITE);
               g.fillRect(0, 0, useheight, useheight);
               g.setColor(Color.BLACK);
               g.fillOval(useheight / 2 - 1, useheight / 2 - 1, 3, 3);
               g.dispose();
//               im2.setRGB(useheight / 2 - 1, useheight / 2 - 1, 3, 3, new int[] {     0, 0xFFFFFF, 0,
//                                                            0xFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFF,
//                                                            0, 0xFFFFFF, 0}, 0, 1);
               final BufferedImage im3 = new BufferedImage(useheight, useheight, BufferedImage.TYPE_INT_RGB);
               g = im3.getGraphics();
               g.setColor(Color.WHITE);
               g.fillRect(0, 0, useheight, useheight);
               g.setColor(Color.BLACK);
               g.fillOval(useheight / 2 - 2, useheight / 2 - 2, 5, 5);
               g.dispose();
//               im3.setRGB(useheight / 2 - 2, useheight / 2 - 2, 5, 5, new int[] {     0, 0, 0xFFFFFF, 0, 0,
//                                                            0, 0xFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFF, 0,
//                                                            0xFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFF,
//                                                            0, 0xFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFF, 0,
//                                                            0, 0, 0xFFFFFF, 0, 0}, 0, 1);
               //JLabel l1 = new JLabel("1 pt", new ImageIcon(im1), JLabel.LEFT);
               //JLabel l2 = new JLabel("3 pt", new ImageIcon(im2), JLabel.LEFT);
               //JLabel l3 = new JLabel("5 pt", new ImageIcon(im3), JLabel.LEFT);
               brushSize.addItem(new PaintIcon(im1, 1));
               brushSize.addItem(new PaintIcon(im2, 3));
               brushSize.addItem(new PaintIcon(im3, 5));
               //brushSize.addItem("Other");
               add(fore);
               add(back);
               add(brushSize);
               PropertyChangeListener pl = new PropertyChangeListener() {
                    public void propertyChange(PropertyChangeEvent ev) {
                         Object src = ev.getSource();
                         if (src != fore && src != back) {
                              return;
                         Color c = (Color) ev.getNewValue();
                         if (ev.getSource() == fore) {
                              mColor1 = c;
                         else {
                              mColor2 = c;
               fore.addPropertyChangeListener("Color", pl);
               back.addPropertyChangeListener("Color", pl);
               fore.changeColor(Color.BLACK);
               back.changeColor(Color.WHITE);
               brushSize.addItemListener(new ItemListener() {
                    public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent ev) {
                         System.out.println("ItemEvent");
                         if (ev.getID() == ItemEvent.DESELECTED) {
                              return;
                         System.out.println("Selected");
                         Object o = ev.getItem();
                         mBrushSize = ((PaintIcon) o).mSize;
               //Graphics g = im1.getGraphics();
               //g.fillOval(0, 0, 1, 1);
               //BufferedImage im1 = new BufferedImage();
               //BufferedImage im1 = new BufferedImage();
     protected class MListener extends MouseAdapter implements MouseMotionListener {
          Point mLastPoint;
          public void mouseDragged(MouseEvent me) {
               Graphics g = mImg.getGraphics();
               if ((me.getModifiers() & InputEvent.BUTTON1_MASK) != 0) {
                    g.setColor(mColor1);
               } else {
                    g.setColor(mColor2);
               Point p = me.getPoint();
               if (mLastPoint == null) {
                    g.fillOval(p.x - mBrushSize / 2, p.y - mBrushSize / 2, mBrushSize, mBrushSize);
                    //g.drawLine(p.x, p.y, p.x, p.y);
               else {
                    g.drawLine(mLastPoint.x, mLastPoint.y, p.x, p.y);
                    //g.fillOval(p.x - mBrushSize / 2, p.y - mBrushSize / 2, mBrushSize, mBrushSize);
                    double angle = MathUtils.angle(mLastPoint, p);
                    if (angle < 0) {
                         angle += 2 * Math.PI;
                    @SuppressWarnings("unused")
                    double distance = MathUtils.distance(mLastPoint, p) * 1.5;
                    if (angle < Math.PI / 4 || angle > 7 * Math.PI / 4 || Math.abs(Math.PI - angle) < Math.PI / 4) {
                         for (int i = 0; i < mBrushSize / 2; i ++) {
                              g.drawLine(mLastPoint.x, mLastPoint.y + i, p.x, p.y + i);
                              g.drawLine(mLastPoint.x, mLastPoint.y - i, p.x, p.y - i);
//                              System.out.println("y");
//                              System.out.println("angle = " + angle / Math.PI * 180);
                    else {
                         for (int i = 0; i < mBrushSize / 2; i ++) {
                              g.drawLine(mLastPoint.x + i, mLastPoint.y, p.x + i, p.y);
                              g.drawLine(mLastPoint.x - i, mLastPoint.y, p.x - i, p.y);
//                              System.out.println("x");
//                    System.out.println("new = " + PaintUtils.printPoint(p));
//                    System.out.println("last = " + PaintUtils.printPoint(mLastPoint));
                    //System.out.println("distance = " + distance);
                    //Graphics2D g2 = (Graphics2D) g;
                    //g2.translate(mLastPoint.x + mBrushSize / 2, mLastPoint.y);
                    //g2.rotate(angle);
                    //g2.fillRect(0, 0, (int) Math.ceil(distance), mBrushSize);
                    //g2.rotate(-angle);
                    //g2.translate(-mLastPoint.x + mBrushSize / 2, -mLastPoint.y);
//                    g.setColor(Color.RED);
//                    g.drawRect(p.x, p.y, 1, 1);
               mLastPoint = p;
               g.dispose();
               repaint();
          public void mouseMoved(MouseEvent me) {}
          public void mouseReleased(MouseEvent me) {
               mLastPoint = null;
     private void handleResize() {
          Dimension size = getSize();
          mSizeChanged = false;
          if (mImg == null) {
               mImg = new BufferedImage(size.width, size.height, BufferedImage.TYPE_INT_RGB);
               Graphics g = mImg.getGraphics();
               g.setColor(getBackground());
               g.fillRect(0, 0, mImg.getWidth(), mImg.getHeight());
               g.dispose();
          else {
               int newWidth = Math.max(mImg.getWidth(),getWidth());
               int newHeight = Math.max(mImg.getHeight(),getHeight());
               if (newHeight == mImg.getHeight() && newWidth == mImg.getWidth()) {
                    return;
               BufferedImage bi2 = new BufferedImage(newWidth, newHeight, BufferedImage.TYPE_INT_RGB);
               Graphics g = bi2.getGraphics();
               g.setColor(getBackground());
               g.fillRect(0, 0, bi2.getWidth(), bi2.getHeight());
               g.drawImage(mImg, mImg.getWidth(), mImg.getHeight(), null);
               g.dispose();
               mImg = bi2;
     public JToolBar getToolBar() {
          if (mToolBar == null) {
               mToolBar = new ToolBar();
          return mToolBar;
     private ToolBar mToolBar;
     public static void main (String args[]) {
          PaintArea pa = new PaintArea();
          JPanel parent = new JPanel();
          parent.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
          parent.add(pa, BorderLayout.CENTER);
          pa.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(150, 150));
          parent.add(pa.getToolBar(), BorderLayout.NORTH);
          WindowUtilities.visualize(parent);
     protected class CListener extends ComponentAdapter {
          public void componentResized(ComponentEvent ce) {
               mSizeChanged = true;
}

Edit Audio with pencil tool not working LP8

I am using Logic Pro 8.0.2. I am trying to edit an audio track in the "sample editor" window to remove a couple of clicks.
-I am highlighting an audio track, and then opening the sample editor
-When I get to the spot that I want to edit - I am dragging the pointer tool over that area to select it
- I am selecting the pencil tool in the sample editor window. When I go over the area that I want to work on and click the mouse, the magnifier turns on instead
Thanks in advance for any input and a response...

Hi there Jim,
Cant see where to start a new post so....
I'm running Logic8 on my 3.02 imac xtreme with Waves Mercury plugins with 4gig ram 10.5.5 and I'm trying to node a mac mini 10.4.11.
I'm getting the sync pending dull green on node enable tracks but NO actual node precessing at all
I've tried every conceivable comdination of plugins on trax Waves Non waves a mixture but still NO offload at all
Any ideas??
Many thanks
JUlian

Excise invoice utilization pencil icon is showing non display mode

Hi Expert
when i create export invoice and when i create excise invoice with an go for utilization that pencil icon is showing in non display mode because if i want to change this bond,no bond, deemed export,Lou then it is not happening. I maintain configuration for that in default excise group and series group i maintained Export Under bond to specific sales area and excise group,series group and shipping point also.
but i cannot change to bond.no bond.Lou.and deemed export as per the requirement. if any solution please answer me asap

We cannot change this field from display to change. Once the excise invoice is captured the excise invoice number is freezed.
It is SAP Standard & to break this you would need the access key from SAP.
If the change in excise invoice number is by user mistake, please cancel the excise invocie and capture the new one.
Thanks & regards
Hameed Parvez

How can I add to an existing path using the pencil tool?

This probably seems like a rather elementary question, but
whenever I draw a path using the pencil tool, reselect it,
hover over the endpoint, and the click and drag to extend
the line off into a different direction, Illustrator will often
(but not always) erase the existing path and leave only the
new one that I drew.
To wit:
In step 1 above, I draw a line with the Pencil tool.
In step 2 above, I reselect the line from step 1, hover over the endpoint, and then continue to draw further.
However, as can be seen in step 3, the line from step 1 disappears after I draw the new path.
I am aware of the pencil setting, "Edit selected paths", and I have checked it to edit selected paths
within 12 pixels for the above example. What I am doing in the above example, and what I
want to do, is to be able to add more paths onto an existing one using the pencil tool,
rather than have a completely new path being drawn every time I lift up my pen to finish
drawing the previous path.
I also realize that I can do this with the pen tool; but the pen tool is a more
precise tool (and somewhat more cumbersome), and I prefer to have more
of the rough-handed look from time to time.
Finally, I also know that I can use the direct selection tool to select endpoints
from two different paths and then join them using the join command;
but this seems to be more trouble than it's worth in many cases, especially
if I want to do it frequently for a more long and complicated line.
Am I expecting too much out of Illustrator?
Is my idea of how to use the existing tools wrong in this case?
Is there some piece of knowledge I'm missing?
I'm on Illustrator CS5, Mac OS X 10.6.8, using a Wacom Intuos4 tablet.
However, I have confirmed the above on Illustrator CS4 for Mac as well.
Any help or comments would be much appreciated.
Jeff

Thanks @rcraighead - the Live Paint process seems a bit overkill for simply adding
a new path onto an existing pencil path, but I did try the first idea you suggested,
which was tracing a bit over the last part of the existing path and then continuing
on to extend the path. It's a bit imprecise because the existing path gets slightly
modified, but it seems to work pretty well all in all. Nice idea indeed - thanks a million.
I also found that in AI CS5, I can use the selection tool to select all of the paths
in this case and then join them using the join command. I thought I needed to
select individual anchor points for this to work, but it actually works really
well, better than I thought. I seem to recall that previous versions of Illustrator
were a lot more picky with the Join command, but then again this might just
have been my lack of understanding.
I'm curious to know what other solutions to the above problem that other users
might have, so I will leave this question unanswered for a bit...
but I will use your initial technique described - it seems to work
pretty well, in absence of other options Many thanks again for your timely help.
Jeff

How can you fix transparency less than 100% when drawing multiple shapes with the pencil tool?

I draw a (fill only) shape at 50% with the pencil tool and when I go to draw another, the transparency jumps back to 100%. I would like it to stay at 50% for every mark I make, anyone know how? I wish to build up multiple semi-translucent vector shapes like in the attached image.
Many Thanks.
Mark

In the bottom of the Appearance Palette, toggle the (deep breath) New Art Maintains Appearance / New Art Has Basic Appearance button (pant pant).
I leave it to you to do three things:
1. Figure out which state of that stupidly-designed single button means which setting.
2. Figure out if the stupidly-designed tooltip that appears when you hover over that stupid button means:
A. ...that what the tooltip reads is the current setting, or...
B. ...that what the tooltip reads is the setting you will get if you click the stupidly-designed single button.
3. Remember what you figured out the next time you need to visit that stupidly-designed button.
Adobe doesn't understand this is a simple yes/no decision, and that a far more intuitive simple labeled checkbox will do.
JET

Panel corner - pencil stroked with red line ?

What does this mean. In the corner of my own swatch/graphic styles panel is a pencil with a red line through it?

I think it means you cannot add a graphic style to that style library.

How can I change a brush stroke to a pencil stroke after I've drawn it?

How can I change a brush stroke to a pencil stroke after I've drawn it? Is this possible?

h,
As I (mis)understand it, (in effect) just by clicking the Reduce to Basic Appearance button in the Appearance palette (and setting the desired Stroke Weight, if different from 1pt).
The Pencil Tool creates a uniform width path like the Pen Tool, producing Anchor Points like the Artbrush Tool. So when you reduce to basic appearance you will get a path corresponding/identical to the one you would create with the Pencil Tool.

How do I change the pencil tool to smooth or ink in CC?

In most other versions of flash that I'm aware of, you could change the settings on the pencil tool to smooth or ink, rather than straighten, which straightens out all of your lines and puts in fun corners and makes shapes into rectangles for you.
In CC though, I couldn't find where to change this?
Can you even do this, and if so, how?

These options are available in Flash CC as well. If you can't see them at the bottom of your tools panel, they might be getting cut due to a smaller screen size. Try expanding the tools panel to double column or just undock it and check again.
Let me know if you still can't find them.
-Nipun

Error loading plugins brs pencil tool | cc | Illustrator 2014

Hello there,
I use Illustrator cc 2014, and recently when I open the application, there will be a pop up with "error loading plugins brs pencil tool". I click continue, and the pencil tool is completely missing from my tool bar. I wanted to know what would be the best way to fix this? I have tried updating the software and it says "failed to update, error u44m1p7". I don't want to mess around with any of the plugins manually as I know there has to be a certain way they are placed and installed, and I'm not sure what the right way is. If someone has had to remove and add a plugin before and knows how that info would be helpful.
Thanks for any help,
-Laura

Laura,
You may consider a reinstallation using the full three step way (otherwise strange things may linger):
Uninstall (ticking the box to delete the preferences), run the Cleaner Tool, and reinstall.
http://www.adobe.com/support/contact/cscleanertool.html

Photoshop cc layer appears to be locked when opened in photoshop elements. pencil with line crossing it out in layers panel... help please.

I sent a psd created in photoshop cc to a customer to edit. They only have photoshop elements and cant edit the layer.. the image shows a pencil with line across.
any ideas please???

You sent them a layer group and photoshop elements can't open or work with layer groups without some kind of add on like actions or scripts.
You should send them the document with the layers not in a layer group.

Brush/pencil not working in Photoshop

My brush/pencil tool isn't working in Photoshop CS5...when I try and use it it just makes a dot and doesn't allow me to draw a continuous line...

I got called away, so excuse me for not getting back sooner.
I did not know you were using a tablet. If you disconnect the tablet does the mousepad or trackpad give the same results?
If so, you may try resetting prefs. I do not know if you are using a Mac or PC
http://www.macprovideo.com/hub/photoshop/quick-tip-reset-photoshops-preferences (Windows and Mac)
If not then you may have to troubleshoot your tablet and check your tablet's maker for the latest drivers.

Brush and Pencil tool not working in Photoshop CS5 trial

I dowloaded the Photoshop CS5 trial yesterday 2 days ago. Everything worked perfectly yesterday. Unfortunately, today...the brush and pencil tool doesn't work. Anyone have any idea why?

We need a few more details like what doesn't work
with the brush or pencil tools.
Provide a screenshot if you feel that would help illustrate the problem.
MTSTUNER

The pencil tool is not working correctly

I've been making my drawing with the pencil tool obviously. After I make a stroke, I continue it with the last anchor point. But sometimes when I do that, the previous stroke disappears completley. Why is that?

That's because Illustrator has got a pretty lame understanding about what should happen when you continue a path in certain angles while the Modify selected paths option is turned on inside the Pencil Tool options.
You can disable that option but I can imagine that this is not what you're really looking for.

Does the Bone tool work with strokes created using the pencil or line tools?

I have a working bone rig in a document(CS4) that I created using a SINGLE pencil stroke, and applying the armature to it. Object drawing was off and it was a single piece with no part being a symbol. This was accomplished TWICE for two stick figure arms.
However, when I tried the same thing in a new document, I couldn't apply bone to the pencil stroke or the line stroke. After going back into the earlier document(where it was still functional) I tried creating a new armature using the exact same technique. But this time Flash wouldn't allow it.
Having failed every additional attempt, I'm wondering if Flash may have glitched somehow the first time, allowing this to work when, typically, it doesn't. Or could I have possibly missed a step somewhere that caused it to fail each attempt at a recreation.

I agree, it is sometimes difficult to click the sweet spot. Here are 3 suggestions:
Pay close attention to the cursor icon. It will change when you're over an anchor or direction point.
Try turning on "Smart Guides". They can be a nuisance, but sometimes they're helpful.
Use the "Convert Buttons" on the Options bar. They may take a bit longer but they're full-proof, plus, you can convert or delete multiple selected points simultaneously using this method.

How can I erase pencil/pen marks on a pdf using Acrobat 11?

I have googled this question with no success. I know that you can erase pencil marks made with the pencil tool in Acrobat, but I need to erase physical pencil marks from a scanned document.
I know that I can use Photoshop to erase, but I have seen an eraser tool in far inferior pdf programs! Can anyone tell me if this is even possible to do with Acrobat 11?
Thank you for your time!

@Test - My bad on the workflow, I rechecked the definition in relation to Adobe products.
I scan my college books. Sometimes there are pencil marks in them. Photoshop and Acrobat 11 are roughly $400?
So why not save the consumer some $$$ and just include an eraser?
As far as the shoe-horn comment - most Adobe software does everything except bake cookies. Pshop is a perfect example of this.
It is pretty, no extremely comprehensive with what it can do. It's simply amazing! There is a ton of stuff shoe-horned in there, and most other Adobe products.
If there wasn't a background eraser tool in Pshop and other inferior photo editing programs had background eraser tools, this would be a major issue.
ABBYY Fine Reader is junk imo, but it has an eraser. Acrobat is greatness and I use it exclusively for everything pdf related.
I just simply find it appalling that there is no eraser. Your turn Test...

Pencil

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