quick photoshop path question

[SooTyLaD]

hi guys,

when using the pen tool, how do i use it just to create a "working path" as opposed to a stroked and filled shape?

i'm just watching pixel perfect lesson three (the lamp) and he created these nice shapes without the fill dynamically messing him up... mine dunt do that, is it becuase i'm on CS3 maybe?

 

[Sic]

I normally just set the opacity to 0, but there might be a better way

 

[simisker]

With the Pen tool or Custom Shape tool selected, click the middle of the three 'mode' buttons on the menu bar at the top.

The three modes are:

1. A square with a node at each corner - creates shape layers ['filled vectors']. Pen and Custom Shape.
2. A square with a node at each corner and a pen nib in the middle - creates paths ['unfilled vectors']. Pen and Custom Shape.
3. A plain square with no nodes - creates rasterised fills on a layer ['filled rasters' unsurprisingly]. Custom Shape only.

That's how it is in CS, at least. I doubt it's that different in CS3, if at all.