Lesson #1
Tubes from PSP Preset Shapes
This page is graphics intensive so please be patient while it loads.
Paint Shop Pro has a neat little tool called PRESET SHAPES that can help you create some tubes that you can call your own. In this tutorial we will take the Heart Shape in PSP7 and create 2 different tubes with limitless variations. Ready? Let's begin.
Open a new blank graphic 400 x 400 with a TRANSPARENT background.
Click on the PRESET SHAPES button on the side toolbar 
. Now
go over to the TOOL OPTIONS WINDOW and select the heart shape below.
Place your cursor in the upper left hand corner, hold down the LEFT mouse button and start to drag to the opposite BOTTOM corner. You will see your heart start to take shape. Make it as large as you'd like. When you get it the size you like, release your mouse button. You'll now see the new shape on your transparent background.
The next step is to flood fill the selection with white so that we can then apply some effects. For this tutorial we are only going to use some of the effects that are already built into PSP. Also, at this point you'll need to decide if you want a solid heart or just the heart outline for your finished tube.
To make a solid heart you will click on your selection tool 
and
then, placing the selection tool on the background on the outside of the heart, click ONE
time. This will place the "marching ants" around the entire heart as well
as around the frame of the graphic. Next click on the word SELECTIONS in the tool
bar at the top and from the drop down menu click on INVERT SELECTION. This will put
the "marching ants" around the outside of the heart.
Click on the FLOOD FILL TOOL
on the side bar, make sure the color
is set at red or whatever color you'd like to use, and then click on the INSIDE of the
heart. Your picture should now look like this.
Make sure that the "marching ants" are still surrounding the heart shape and then click on the word EFFECTS on the PSP toolbar. From the drop down menu click on NOISE and then on ADD. You should then see a new window like the one below. PLAY with the settings to get different "looks" for your heart.
Next we will add a bit of depth to the heart by using an INNER BEVEL on our heart. Again, making sure the "marching ants" are still around the outside of the heart, click on the word EFFECTS and then on the word 3D EFFECTS and then on INNER BEVEL. Again, you'll see a new window pop up. Play with the different types of bevels as well as the other settings until you find something you like.
Your finished graphic should now look like this.
At this point you can embellish the tube by adding a drop shadow or a little sparkle or even text to make it your own. After you've done all that you plan on doing, the next step is to convert to a .TUB file so that it can be used in your PSP program. To do that, remove the "marching ants" by clicking on the word SELECTIONS and then on SELECT NONE. Click on the word FILE and then on EXPORT. From the EXPORT menu click on PICTURE TUBE as seen below.
This will bring up another window.
You will leave all the settings as they are for a single tube. Give your tube a distinctive name and then hit the OK button and your tube is ready to go!
Outline Tube directions
You will follow most of the directions above, except for the part where you make your first selection. Instead of clicking on just the outside of the heart, you will hold down your SHIFT key and click on the INSIDE of the heart as well. Next, click on SELECTIONS and then INVERT. ONLY the heart, both inside and out, will show the "marching ants".
Flood fill as above and then apply the effects that you want such as the NOISE and then the INNER BEVEL. Let's use ONE more just to give the tube some depth. We're going to apply a DROP SHADOW to the heart. Click on EFFECTS and then on 3D EFFECTS and then on DROP SHADOW.
From the new window that opens, you can play with the settings to get the desired effects. Here are the settings I used, and the second picture will show you the finished graphic. Follow the same directions as above to import into your Tube files.
Here is a look at a few samples of what can be done with the tube that we just created!
Have fun and experiment with different settings to get a look that you like.