mac Option key drag

[thetasig]

I've noted, and been quite annoyed by, this feature. If you wish to copy an object on the Mac, you can Option Key/left-click drag OR left-click drag/Option Key with the mouse button. If you wish to adjust the position of the object and use just the left-mouse to drag it around, it will snap to nearby objects easily making fine-tuned adjustments difficult or impossible. By pressing the Option key while dragging, it is possible to bypass the snap-to and accurately position the object.

This carries the risk of inadvertently copying the object - occasionally, an exact overlay.  It cannot always easily be seen that this has happened.

So the question is, is it possible to bypass the snap-to on a Mac with some other key that will not also possibly duplicate the object you wish to move the object with a left-click drag? (I do understand that selecting the object and using the arrow keys permits moving the object with a different method.)

[appearsharmless]

On a  Mac, you can use the colon/semicolon key to toggle snapping on and off.

[thetasig]

Thank you for that shortcut - it will save time and aggravation.

[thomaso]

On 6/8/2020 at 6:48 PM, thetasig said:

By pressing the Option key while dragging, it is possible to bypass the snap-to and accurately position the object.

This carries the risk of inadvertently copying the object - occasionally, an exact overlay.  It cannot always easily be seen that this has happened.

So the question is, is it possible to bypass the snap-to on a Mac with some other key

When you drag an object you can press the option key at any later time to ignore snapping. That way you never will get a copy.
When the option key is pressed before start dragging it will produce a copy, even if you release the key while dragging. This way opt is different to cmd, too: releasing cmd at any time also means losing the copy (but cmd toggles copy/no copy).

[thetasig]

Thank you for that clarification. Much appreciated.

[SteveRoberts]

Hello,

I'm trying to copy a selection by using option + drag, but it does not seem to work as it does in Photoshop. Rather, using this combination seems to move the pixels, not create a copy of them on the same layer.

Can you please clarify?

 

SR

[Alfred]

26 minutes ago, SteveRoberts said:

I'm trying to copy a selection by using option + drag, but it does not seem to work as it does in Photoshop. Rather, using this combination seems to move the pixels, not create a copy of them on the same layer.

Can you please clarify?

You need to make sure to press and hold the Option key before you start dragging.

On 6/9/2020 at 10:26 PM, thomaso said:

When you drag an object you can press the option key at any later time to ignore snapping. That way you never will get a copy.
When the option key is pressed before start dragging it will produce a copy, even if you release the key while dragging.

 

[thomaso]

With some modifier keys Affinity doesn't work mac-like. While in macOS in various apps the opt-key always copies a selected item, in Affinity it rather avoids snapping while the cmd-key is set to copy. Also the moment of pressing the key influences their use (see above).

[SteveRoberts]

Thanks for the fast reply!

Pressing the Option key before dragging a selection does not copy the selection for me, it only moves it. What might I be doing wrong?

[Alfred]

This thread was originally created to discuss the question of moving or copying selected objects. Are you trying to copy the pixels enclosed by a ‘marching ants’ selection marquee?

[SteveRoberts]

3 minutes ago, Alfred said:

This thread was originally created to discuss the question of moving or copying selected objects. Are you trying to copy the pixels enclosed by a ‘marching ants’ selection marquee?

Yes, I am. Sorry to have cross posted. How may I accomplish copying the selection marquee?

[Alfred]

3 minutes ago, SteveRoberts said:

Yes, I am. Sorry to have cross posted. How may I accomplish copying the selection marquee?

I think I should leave it to @thomaso or another Mac user to answer that!

[thomaso]

30 minutes ago, SteveRoberts said:

32 minutes ago, Alfred said:

Are you trying to copy the pixels enclosed by a ‘marching ants’ selection marquee?

Yes, I am. Sorry to have cross posted. How may I accomplish copying the selection marquee?

To me it's not clear what you want to do, you seem to ask for two different things simultaneously: a.) copy selected pixel content ('yes') versus b.) copying the marquee itself ('copying the selection marquee').

a.) Marquee-selected pixels can't be copied with drag + modifier key, you need to use copy/paste commands.

b.) A selection marquee can't be copied, instead you can save the marquee selection as a new channel and us that as kind of a copy (> right-click on the "Pixel Selection" in the Channels Panel):

[SteveRoberts]

6 minutes ago, thomaso said:

To me it's not clear what you want to do, you seem to ask for two different things simultaneously: a.) copy selected pixel content ('yes') versus b.) copying the marquee itself ('copying the selection marquee').

a.) Marquee-selected pixels can't be copied with drag + modifier key, you need to use copy/paste commands.

b.) A selection marquee can't be copied, instead you can save the marquee selection as a new channel and us that as kind of a copy (> right-click on the "Pixel Selection" in the Channels Panel):

Thanks for the info, Thomaso. Yes, it was "A" that I wanted. When I copy/paste, it creates a new layer, which I don't want. Can I copy/paste without creating a new layer?

 

[markw]

14 minutes ago, SteveRoberts said:

When I copy/paste, it creates a new layer, which I don't want. Can I copy/paste without creating a new layer?

If you don’t want the extra layer, you can duplicate the pixels in the selected area using cmd+J, move the duplicated area to where you want it with the Move tool and then use Merge Down, cmd+E  in the Layers menu to merge the duplicated layer into your original source layer.
Also if you are wanting to reproduce one area of a pixel layer in another part of the same layer the Clone Brush might be another option.

[SteveRoberts]

11 minutes ago, markw said:

If you don’t want the extra layer, you can duplicate the pixels in the selected area using cmd+J, move the duplicated area to where you want it with the Move tool and then use Merge Down, cmd+E  in the Layers menu to merge the duplicated layer into your original source layer.
Also if you are wanting to reproduce one area of a pixel layer in another part of the same layer the Clone Brush might be another option.

Both terrific suggestions and very helpful, markw. Thanks!

[thomaso]

As @markw points out cloning happens on the same layer (without the need for a later layer merge).

You can combine your selection marquee with the Clone Brush: therefore you move the marquee to the spot where you want to have the copied pixels, this way the marquee limits the cloned copy to the wanted selection while painting.

[SteveRoberts]

3 minutes ago, thomaso said:

As @markw points out cloning happens on the same layer (without the need for a later layer merge).

You can combine your selection marquee with the Clone Brush: therefore you move the marquee to the spot where you want to have the copied pixels, this way the marquee limits the cloned copy to the wanted selection while painting.

Again, very helpful. Thanks, thomaso.