Easy Paddle
by kim@pixelbit.com

Open a new image 1000 X 200
This is far bigger then the finished image will be but it will give you lots of room to work.

Font, color, bevel settings are your choice.
Without adding a new layer,

Make your text tool active.
Have the text setting set to FLOATING.
Click on your image.
Place your text on your image. Be sure that there is a space between each letter
F U L L O F C L A S S
Make the font size so it is 1/2 to 2/3 the height of the image.

Apply Inner Bevel. Select None
Use your selection tool set to circle.
Make a circle at the end of your text.
Fill and bevel. Select None.

SHIFT + D to make a duplicate. Save the duplicate as paste.psp. Close for now.
You won't need this image until we get to Animation Shop

Make a THIRD 1000 X 200 image, transparent. Use your PEN tool. Solid line, line width=2. Vectors unchecked.
Set your foreground color to BLACK. Make a straight line that is the full width of your image.
No need to save this, just keep it open as you will need it soon.

Back to your text image.
In your layer palette duplicate your layer so there are 1 layer PER letter.

my text has 11 letters. so I will have 11 layers.

Turn off all layers except the bottom layer.

STARTING HERE
FOLLOW THESE STEPS FOR EACH LAYER

1. Selection tool set to rectangle. Make a selection around the first letter of your text.
2. Click on the letter to form the ants.

3. Your first letter should now be on a floating layer. Promote selection to layer.

You first letter is on its own layer now and NOT on the original layer. Select None.

4. CTRL + R to rotate 15 degrees to the left. All layers unchecked.

5. Merge down (PSP 7 be sure that only these 2 layers are on and merge visible.)

6. Selection tool, rectangle. Make a rectangle around the ball.
With selection tool still active, grab the ball and
slide it over so it touches the letter that you just rotated.
 

7. Make your line image active, copy
Back to your text image, CTRL + E and place the line so it starts at the edge of the ball.

8. Turn ON the next layer up. No need to turn off the previous layer as you will need it to see where to put the line on the next layer.
 (PSP 7 must turn off all other layers except the two that need to me merged when it's time to merge visible.
After the merge visible step is done, the previous layer can be turned back on.)
*****NOTE******
Make sure that the black lines on each layer are directly on top of each other.
Notice in my screen shot of all frames on, there appears to be only 1 black line.

STOP

Your image should look like this will all of the layers on.

Make sure all layers are on. Save in psp format.

Open a new 200 x 200 transparent image.

Use either your preset shape, ellipse or selection tool. ellipse and make your paddle.
copy.

Open Animation shop. Paste as a new image (CTRL + V)
This will bring your paddle into animation shop.
Set the paddle aside for now.

File > Preferences > General Program Preferences > Layered Files

Make sure that "Keep layers as separate frames" is checked.
Click ok.
Open both of your images. The one you just saved in psp and the one that saved as paste.psp.

Activate the paste image (the duplicate that you saved in psp), Copy.

Activate your multi-layered image.
Click on frame 1. Right click. Paste before current selected

Click on frame 2.
Right click. Paste after current selected
Click on every EVEN numbered frame (the frame numbers will change as you paste)
right click. Paste after current.

What you should have is...P=pasted frame, O=a frame in the original image

POPOPOPOPOPOP

Click on the crop tool.
Crop so there is no space after the ball.
You can leave some play room on the others sides.

after cropping, make your arrow tool active again.

Make a note of how many layers it has.

While still in Animation shop, open a new 1000 X 200 transparent image.
Make your paddle active, copy.
Make your new image active. CTRL + E to paste the paddle onto the image.
Place it along the right side.
Duplicate selected until this image has the same number of frames as your text image.

Make the text active. Select all, copy

Make the paddle image active. Select all. CTRL + E and paste the text onto the paddle image.
You will only be able to see the first frame during the pasting process.
Place the text so the ball is on the paddle.

Select all. Press ALT + ENTER and change the speed to 25.
Select the ODD numbered frames and change the speed to 50.
Double click on your crop tool to open the crop options.
Click on Surround Opaque. Click OK.
Click the crop button.
That's it.
Resize to your liking and save.