Selection Tools
Selection tools are an essential part of GIMP. Selection tools enable us to select exactly which part of the image we want to work with.
Once we make a selection, anything we do will apply only to that area (the area that the selection covers).
There are different selection tools for different situations. The way we create a selection will depend on the selection tool that we use. Some require us to click and drag. Some require us to click various parts of our image in order to indicate the selection area. Others simply require a single click.
Saving a Selection
Selections are generally temporary - once you "deselect" a selection it's gone forever.
To save the selection as a path, use the Save to Path option. Once it has been saved as a path, you can reload the selection from within the Path dialog box by right clicking on the path and selecting Path to Selection).
To save your selection as a Channel, use the Save to Channel option. You can reload the selection from within the Channel dialog box by right clicking on the channel and selecting Channel to Selection.
The Selection Tools
Rectangle Selection Tool
Selects an area in the shape of a rectangle. Simply click and drag to create a rectangular selection. The selection is made once you release the mouse
Ellipse Selection Tool
Selects an area in the shape of an ellipse (a circular shape). Simply click and drag to create an elliptical selection. The selection is made once you release the mouse.
Lasso Selection Tool
Allows you to draw a selection free-hand with your mouse or other pointer. When you release the mouse button, the selection is closed by connecting the current pointer location to the start location with a straight line. You can go outside the edge of the image display and come back in if you want to.
Fuzzy Select Tool (Magic Wand)
Enables you to make a selection, based on contiguous areas of a similar color range. The color range is determined by the point at which you click on and the value of the Threshold (within the Tool Options dialog).
Select By Color Tool
Allows you to select areas of an image with a similar color range. The difference between this tool and the Fuzzy Select tool, is that the fuzzy select tool selects contiguous pixels - those that are next to, or close to, each other. The Select By Color Tool, on the other hand, selects all pixels within the color range, regardless of their location on the image.
Intelligent Scissors
This tool is useful when you are trying to select a region defined by strong color-changes at the edges. To use the Intelligent Scissors, you click to create a set of "control nodes", also referred to as anchors or control points, at the edges of the region you are trying to select. The tool produces a continuous curve passing through these control nodes, following any high-contrast edges it can find.
Note that this tool doesn't always produce a nice, smooth path. Many experienced GIMP users tend to use the Path tool instead.
Foreground Select
The Foreground Select tool was released in GIMP version 2.4. Using this tool is done in two steps. First, you make selection which contains the entire object. Then you paint over the selected area with a brush, not crossing object’s border. Release mouse button when you’re done and look to see if there are dark blue spots on your objects. If there are some, paint over them with a brush again and release to refine the selection. When there are no more blue areas inside the object, press Enter and your object will be selected.
Path Tool
Technically, this tool is not a selection tool, however it creates paths - which can be turned into selections. This tool allows you to draw around the edge of any object on your image. More importantly, it provides you much more control than the other selection tools when working with complex shapes. Similar to the Intelligent Scissors, the Path tool results in control points that you can move around as required.
Selection tools are an essential part of GIMP. Selection tools enable us to select exactly which part of the image we want to work with.
Once we make a selection, anything we do will apply only to that area (the area that the selection covers).
There are different selection tools for different situations. The way we create a selection will depend on the selection tool that we use. Some require us to click and drag. Some require us to click various parts of our image in order to indicate the selection area. Others simply require a single click.
Saving a Selection
Selections are generally temporary - once you "deselect" a selection it's gone forever.
To save the selection as a path, use the Save to Path option. Once it has been saved as a path, you can reload the selection from within the Path dialog box by right clicking on the path and selecting Path to Selection).
To save your selection as a Channel, use the Save to Channel option. You can reload the selection from within the Channel dialog box by right clicking on the channel and selecting Channel to Selection.
The Selection Tools
Rectangle Selection ToolSelects an area in the shape of a rectangle. Simply click and drag to create a rectangular selection. The selection is made once you release the mouse
Ellipse Selection ToolSelects an area in the shape of an ellipse (a circular shape). Simply click and drag to create an elliptical selection. The selection is made once you release the mouse.
Lasso Selection Tool
Allows you to draw a selection free-hand with your mouse or other pointer. When you release the mouse button, the selection is closed by connecting the current pointer location to the start location with a straight line. You can go outside the edge of the image display and come back in if you want to.
Fuzzy Select Tool (Magic Wand)
Enables you to make a selection, based on contiguous areas of a similar color range. The color range is determined by the point at which you click on and the value of the Threshold (within the Tool Options dialog).
Select By Color Tool
Allows you to select areas of an image with a similar color range. The difference between this tool and the Fuzzy Select tool, is that the fuzzy select tool selects contiguous pixels - those that are next to, or close to, each other. The Select By Color Tool, on the other hand, selects all pixels within the color range, regardless of their location on the image.
Intelligent Scissors
This tool is useful when you are trying to select a region defined by strong color-changes at the edges. To use the Intelligent Scissors, you click to create a set of "control nodes", also referred to as anchors or control points, at the edges of the region you are trying to select. The tool produces a continuous curve passing through these control nodes, following any high-contrast edges it can find.
Note that this tool doesn't always produce a nice, smooth path. Many experienced GIMP users tend to use the Path tool instead.
Foreground Select
The Foreground Select tool was released in GIMP version 2.4. Using this tool is done in two steps. First, you make selection which contains the entire object. Then you paint over the selected area with a brush, not crossing object’s border. Release mouse button when you’re done and look to see if there are dark blue spots on your objects. If there are some, paint over them with a brush again and release to refine the selection. When there are no more blue areas inside the object, press Enter and your object will be selected.
Path Tool
Technically, this tool is not a selection tool, however it creates paths - which can be turned into selections. This tool allows you to draw around the edge of any object on your image. More importantly, it provides you much more control than the other selection tools when working with complex shapes. Similar to the Intelligent Scissors, the Path tool results in control points that you can move around as required.
No comments:
Post a Comment