The Capricious Erase Brush Tool

[GDPR-354025]

I copied-and-pasted an image of yours truly from the internet. To my amazement, there were no full-face angle images, so I had to do some rotating and editing before I started Erasing the background.

The Erase Brush Tool has mystified me ever since PhotoPlus days. There was only one Layer in this project (the copied-and-pasted image). As always for me, the Erase Brush Tool did not work on the Layer I needed it to work on. I was at the mercy of Magic Wand and then Selection Brush Tool to get rid of the background and keep the face.

I was able to successfully clear the background, but NOT with the Erase Brush Tool or its fellow hooligan, Background Erase Brush. (If any Tool in Affinity should, like, "erase" a "background," would it not be the Background Erase Brush?) The Flood Erase Tool also would not work, but I imagine I would not have wanted it to work, there being only one Layer.

So I created a Duplicate Layer. NOPE. I added a Mask Layer and tried to Erase on the Mask. NO. No Erase Brush Tool for YOU!

So, two days before Christmas when even Scrooge would have a change of heart toward Tiny Tim, I was left bereft.

I would just like to know which kinds of Layers the Erase tools work on, and how you figure out why they won't work on a particular layer.

[Joachim_L]

21 minutes ago, American said:

how you figure out why they won't work on a particular layer

Without knowing image, hard to tell. Please post the image, so others can have a look. I don't know a reason, why erasing should not work.

EDIT: Make sure the layer is highlighted in the Layers panel, where you want to erase.

[Old Bruce]

Make sure it is a pixel layer not an image layer

[Joachim_L]

Isn't the Assistant enabled by default with the option for Erasing from vector layers to Place mask layer inside and erase? This could be also a place to check.

[GDPR-354025]

@Joachim_L Here is the original image found on Google and also the edited version where the Erase Brush Tool did not work. You can see that the image Layer is highlighted because it's the only layer.

Thanks!

[Joachim_L]

No problem erasing, when opening with URL or copying and pasting the graphic. Have you checked the Assistant? What are the settings there?

[GDPR-354025]

@Joachim_L Thank you again. I don't understand what you mean by the Assistant. All I know about the Assistant is that it pops up from time to time to tell you what Affinity is doing, not that it is something you can interact with or that is a tool. I will try to find it. (Happy that someone helped me and had no trouble erasing, but kind of annoyed that I shouldn't be able to.

Edited December 23, 2019 by American
Added Screen Shot

[Joachim_L]

[GDPR-354025]

@Joachim_L Yep, I just added a screenshot of the Assistant Manager, and it's the same as what you provided. Hmm... I wonder what can be wrong.

THANK you.

[Joachim_L]

Strange, I wonder if a complete RESET (hold the CTRL key while starting Affinity Photo, select all and push button Clear) would help? Please note, that everything will be reset. So backup styles, presets fill, brushes etc. pp. before doing so. Just a guess, so don't shoot me if something is going wrong.

[GDPR-354025]

@Joachim_L Again, thank you for your diligence and courtesy. I try to remain even-tempered when it comes to Affinity, always assuming I am the cause that everything, every manipulation or adjustment on Affinity always, always, is a big production. But after I read your posts and that of the other party, I went to Affinity Help and below have copied-and-pasted the ERASE BRUSH help section. NOWHERE can a neophyte or even a non-neophyte find, WARNING! Before you attempt to Erase anything at all, in any image you have taken the time and energy to upload, you must FIRST MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE LAYER YOU WISH TO USE THE ERASE BRUSH TOOL ON IS A PIXEL LAYER.

Dear God, for 15+ years, knowing that, being apprised of it, would have helped sooo much.

I suppose a Reset will be necessary. Sincere thanks to you, and sincere wishes for a good holiday if you celebrate it.

[Joachim_L]

13 minutes ago, American said:

Sincere thanks to you, and sincere wishes for a good holiday if you celebrate it.

Thank you, same for you. As a Christmas present see attached. Not perfect, the rest is up to you.

erased.afphoto

[GDPR-354025]

@Joachim_L  Whoa! Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like a pixelated Abe Simpson head. Woo-hoo!

[PierMax]

My flood erase tool and backgroun tool no work well, very rare, sometime no work and sometime erase all, I move the tolerance but is the same