Can not apply brush stroke to shape drawn with a pen, or edit a path drawn with a pen at all.

[mg60672792]

I am having trouble a applying  a BRUSH stroke to a shape path rather than a simple basic line. I want it to be a unique line unlike the simple or dotted line options photoshop is forcing me to choose from when drawing a shape. "Stroke path" is grayed out after rightcliking the shape path.

I can only apply a brush stroke via right click "stroke path" when drawing a "path" vs a "shape" . But then... the path is completely un editable from there on out. What I first define it as and where the path is is then completly cooked in. I can niether change the brush type or size or even where the anchor points of the path should be... Or rather I can select the anchor points and move them wherever, but the characteristics applied to the path and the path its self WILL NOT change or follow... that editing capability is only possible when drawing a shape...
Is there something I am missing? Why is the Pen/path/shape tool so needlessly over complicated.  

[Shivani Somayajula]

Hey mg60672792, 

We're sorry for your experience with Photoshop. Thanks for sharing details and screenshots of the issue.

Those options are only available if you have selected "Shape." A plain Path can be stroked or filled via the Paths panel, but these are not "Live" like Shape layers. However, they can be stroked with any painting tool—brush, Sponge, Clone Stamp, Eraser, etc.

You can check our Community post where our experts have shared how to create stroke from path: 

https://adobe.ly/3UOVZ3A

Thanks, 

Shivani 

[mg60672792]

So there is no way to then stroke a shape in the same way? With a brush, Sponge, Clone Stamp, Eraser, etc.?

if not, why not??

[D Fosse]

A stroke is pixels and hence final.

For what you want to do, you should use a true vector application like Illustrator. Photoshop is not the appropriate tool for this.

[mg60672792]

Thanks for this answer as it ends my search for solutions. Dissapointing none the less, what you have stated at the end may be correct but I do think it is rediculous that this is not possible as it is in Illustrator, having to switch back and forth between programs is needlessly cumbesome and counterintuitive to the spirit of photoshop in general. I see no reasonalbe argument why the path shouldnt stay live or a shape can not take on unique strokes in photoshop alone. Wish they would redesign this function all together, its niether intuitive or helpful. Loosing me and lots of othe designers to other programs Adobe!