how to create circular movement pattern for "flies"

[Seth Meranda]

Have you tried a radial blur?

--
Seth Meranda
smeranda<AT>unlnotes<DOT>unl<DOT>edu

[Don McCahill]

Sometimes you actually have to do some work, instead of letting the computer do it all. Why not choose each note individually, and linear blur it at the angle you want.

[JasonSmith]

How about trying a motion blur, then apply some liquify to that blur?

[dvdwmth]

Don, your suggestion is obvious and the first thing i tried. Why dont you can the attitude. Anyway, i wasn't all that convinced by the effect since it suggested several objects moving in strait lines as opposed to circling one object.

Thanks for the other suggestions, Ill try them out.

[Don McCahill]

Sorry if you read an attitude in my response, which was intended to help you. I wasn't able to determine that you had already tried this, based on your message.

I still think this will work, if the angles are set correctly (and too long a blur is not used). But you have tried it, and I have not, so I will have to go along.

I can see with a longer blur where you might need some curve to the blur. Some of the others have mentioned ways that might work.

I hope you are successful with the project.

[Phosphor]

Stroke a path with a blur, having adjusted fade paramters properly.

[luk a]

Another thought to add to Ken's comments - if you have Illustrator 10.0 available, you might consider making some notes symbols. It might offer you some design flexibility.

[E. Segen]

BTW, I think the reason that Don responded the way he did is because a forum such as this isn’t really the appropriate place to ask for questions on complex techniques. This kind of stuff can be lengthy to explain and near impossible to understand without illustrations. With this in mind, what would you assume someone is looking for when they post nothing about their level of experience or history with the program and the only information they give on methods tried is the use of a single filter to accomplish it?

This may not have been your intent but it is the intent of a lot of people that come in here posting similarly fashioned questions.

[dvdwmth]

if my response was inappropriate I apologize to anyone who takes offense. I have put a great deal of "work" into this image and since the effect i need is something quite specific it seemed that a forum of users with considerable experience was a good place to look. And sure enough, the responses here are very helpful. Thanks to all.

[dave milbut]

I dissagree e. segan. I've gotten loads of complex help here. You're underestimating the pro's ability to explain themselves.

[E. Segen]

My point was that for things that can be illustrated better than explained (which is just about anything that requires more than a list of specific repeatable steps what I would consider ‘technique” – such as what would be required for this kind of thing) this isn’t the best way to go. That’s why most of the how to books out there that aren’t just a dictionary of Photoshop functions give more space to illustrations than text and when most people come in here with less than descript questions such as this it often seems like they are looking for actionable solutions – you know – go here, click on this button, go to this menu and enter these numbers and then go to this menu and do this and then...

Certainly it can be done here (where there is a will there is a way) but just because you can siphon a river through a straw it doesn’t make it the best way to do things. Maybe that is why people often direct others to tutorials (or searches for tutorials) for explanations.

I’m not trying to be a jerk, just to point out what to me seems like the obvious…

BTW dvdwmth, I don’t think anyone has taken offense to anything in this thread except possibly you and it looks like that was a simple misunderstanding that’s been cleared up. :)

[dave milbut]

My point was that for things that can be illustrated better than explained




point taken. no problemo. just wanted to state that that's not always the case, as a lot of people take pains to actually make and link images and diagrams to illustrate a point. like i've said before, i've gotten more out of this forum in a year than i had in the past 5 using ps alone w/nothing but the manual and a couple of books.

pax, dave