Perspective grayed out

I'm trying to create a reflection effect as noted on one of the team photoshop tuts. Unfortunately, in one of the steps, I'm supposed to use transform > perspective on a layer, but that option is grayed out! (Windows, photoshop 5.0) The help menu says it'll be grayed out unless the "entire path is selected." Damn, I just got used to layers....what's this Path stuff? Why isn't it mentioned in the tut instructions? I'm guessing somehow you can avoid this path stuff.

Thanks,
J

Transform -> Perspective should also work with selections. Make sure you have something selected first before using the Perspective option.

Doesn't work for that either. In fact, transform is completely grayed out when i select a part of the layer (or all of it) using the magic wand.

and the obvious...to just click the layer in order to activate it and then transform ?

yeah, got the obvious ;) ...that was the first thing i tried...still doesn't work...maybe it's a PC version thing...or maybe the mode i'm in?

Try making sure you are in RGB mode. Image > Mode > RGB

yeah, it's RGB...i just realized that I can do it, but only on layers w/o text...something here ring a bell? i'm guessing i somehow have to make the text into an image on the layer

render the text first. select the text layer then click the right pointing arrow in the layers palette and choose render or rasterize or whatever it says.

but then you can't edit the text anymore.

Ahh, didn't realize it was text you were about to transform. Deke's right, you gotta rasterize it first...