Selection
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Selection Tools
This seemingly benign section of tools has the greatest amount of tools to use!
(Using GIMP 2.6.6)
The image above shows 7 Selection Tools on the top row. Starting from the left, the Tools are as follows;
- Rectangle Select Tool
- Ellipse Select
- Free Select
- Fuzzy Select
- Select by Color
- Scissors Select
- Foreground Select
Rectangle Select
The Rectangle tool will let you select an area in a "box".
(Using GIMP's Logo)
You can increase or decrease the size if the "box" by hovering your mouse over the Box sides or corners and then clicking and dragging. Please note that the box is defined by dashes (---) that move, these dashes are called "Marching Ants". You can turn of the Marching Ants by going to the Menu Bar, clicking "View", scroll down to "Show Selection" and click the check-mark.
Ellipse Select
The Ellipse Select is similar in use to the Rectangle Tool, except of course, it draws an ellipse.
You can increase or decrease the size if the "ellipse" by hovering your mouse over the sides or corners and then clicking and dragging. Please note that the ellipse is defined by dashes (---) that move, these dashes are called "Marching Ants". You can turn of the Marching Ants by going to the Menu Bar, clicking "View", scroll down to "Show Selection" and click the check-mark.
Free Select
Free Select will let you draw by "Free hand" an area around your selection.
There are 2 ways to do your "Free Hand" drawing, click/hold and draw, or multiple click your way around your selection. Please note that the Free Hand Selection is defined by dashes (---) that move, these dashes are called "Marching Ants". You can turn of the Marching Ants by going to the Menu Bar, clicking "View", scroll down to "Show Selection" and click the check-mark.
Fuzzy Select
Fuzzy Select is also known as "Continuous Select" and is very similar to Select by Color except that Fuzzy Select selects only a continuous area.
In the image above the darkest black area of the nose was clicked and then by click and holding, dragging towards bottom left of the image the selection area size was increased. Please note that the Fuzzy Select Selection is defined by dashes (---) that move, these dashes are called "Marching Ants". You can turn of the Marching Ants by going to the Menu Bar, clicking "View", scroll down to "Show Selection" and click the check-mark.
Select by Color
Select by Color is similar to Fuzzy Select except that Select by Color will select all areas of the image of that color.
In the image above the darkest black area of the nose was clicked. Please note that unlike with Fuzzy Select, other areas of the same "Black Value" were also selected. And you can not increase the selection area by clicking and dragging. Please note that the Select by Color Selection is defined by dashes (---) that move, these dashes are called "Marching Ants". You can turn of the Marching Ants by going to the Menu Bar, clicking "View", scroll down to "Show Selection" and click the check-mark.
Scissors Select
With Scissors Select you define the selection area with multiple clicks around the area.
After you have clicked around the selection area, click the first dot to fully encompass the selection area. You can adjust the area by clicking on a dot and dragging to where it is needed. To complete the selection, click inside the selection. Please note that the Scissors Selection area is defined by dashes (---) that move, these dashes are called "Marching Ants". You can turn of the Marching Ants by going to the Menu Bar, clicking "View", scroll down to "Show Selection" and click the check-mark.
Foreground Select
Foreground Select may be the most powerful selection tool and thus has multiple steps.
Step 1 - Just like using the Free Select Tool, draw an area around the selection area. This can be a 'rough' outline of the selection area.
Note that the outside area of the selection area is now shaded in Blue.
Step 2 - Define the selection area by 'painting' inside of the target selection area. Take care to stay inside the target area.
Once you have painted the area, it may take some time for you computer to process the rendering. When the process is complete, you can repeat Step 2 to re-define the target area.
Step 3 - When you are satisfied with the defined selection area, click "Enter" on your keyboard to make the final selection.
Quickmask
Quickmask is not a selection in itself but will help define a selection along with any of the selection tools.
Step 1 - Create a selection with any of the selection tools.
Step 2 - In the bottom lefthand corner of the Image Window, you can see the small "Quickmask" icon.
When you click the Quickmask icon, everything outside of the previous selected area will be shaded red.
This is much like using the Foreground Select Tool now.
Step 3 - In the Toolbox, grab the Paintbrush tool and paint in the areas that are outside the selection area with black as the color. To paint inside the selected area (to reveal areas) use white as the paintbrush color. This is an advantage over using the ForeGround Select Tool.
Step 4 - When you are satisfied with the mask, click the Quickmask icon once again to reveal the selection.
You may click the Quickmask icon on and off as many times as you need to to define the selection area.
Resulting Image
