Color Picker Tool is completely stupid //

[IPv6]

- It can not pick color from non-top group (composited content)

- This tool "refills" groups and layers with picked color at random. Why this "feature" is here, just to ruin layers?

- It can not pick color from hidden layers

- It can not pick grayness from masks

- It can not switch to "active layer" mode when editing layer in isolated mode

 

 

[fde101]

6 hours ago, IPv6 said:

It can not pick color from non-top group (composited content)

It can if you select "Current Layer" as the source (context toolbar) and select that layer.  Magnification still reflects the layers on top of it, but the pick is taken from the layer which is selected.

 

6 hours ago, IPv6 said:

This tool "refills" groups and layers with picked color at random.

Shouldn't be random... it is a setting on the context toolbar.

 

6 hours ago, IPv6 said:

It can not pick color from hidden layers

Why would you expect that it would?

[walt.farrell]

6 hours ago, IPv6 said:

It can not pick color from hidden layers

But if it could, how would you know what it was picking from, since you can't see it?

What is useful about that?

 

[Move Along People]

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[prophet]

1 hour ago, haakoo said:

 you can paint on invisible layers

Just tried and yes I can?!? That's seems to be a dangerous quirk.

[IPv6]

14 hours ago, fde101 said:

It can if you select "Current Layer" as the source (context toolbar) and select that layer.  Magnification still reflects the layers on top of it, but the pick is taken from the layer which is selected.

 

Shouldn't be random... it is a setting on the context toolbar.

 

Why would you expect that it would?

> It can if you select "Current Layer" as the source (context toolbar) and select that layer.  Magnification still reflects the layers on top of it, but the pick is taken from the layer which is selected.
Thanks, didn`t know it works for groups in that way. But making a bunch of magic clicks on toolbar regarding type of layer just to pick color of active layer/group/mask in outliner simply defeats the point of the tool, imho.

This is the thing that make me think the tool is "stupid", sorry.

> Shouldn't be random... it is a setting on the context toolbar.
You mean "Apply to selection"? It resets with each new document/document reload. And when checkbox is on you HAVE to "recheck" what layer/group is active now. Each F**king time. Or simple operation of just picking a color from the screen may completely ruin random group (that was active when you turned to drink tea or something). And you will even did not notice this! until you need that group later on. This is easy when you have many groups/layers in document. I lost a lot of work because of this - just picked some color and a hour later found that my group with initial references was COMPLETELY FILLED with this color by stupid picker. all 20+ inner layers was lost and document was already reloaded several times

And calculating a set of "right setup for current layer" each time still not ok for such a basic tool anyway (imho).

> Why would you expect that it would?
I have a reference images/layers, that sometimes visibile and sometimes not depending on current task. Going to outliner to on/off layer just to pick specific color is... stupid, again //

I know about swatches, palletes from image, etc, etc, lets skip basic stuff. I just rumbling. This tool requires hillaroius amout of attention and preparations for such a simple task

[prophet]

5 hours ago, IPv6 said:

This tool requires hillaroius amout of attention and preparations for such a simple task

I've never really used the tool, either now in AP or back in PS. I've not found need of the ability to limit picking from certain layers or automatically fill based on my color pick. I pick colors by using the dropper "behind" the brush tool (option +click and drag a bit) and then painting or using the flood fill tool. Different strokes I guess.

Another quirky way to not use the tool is to click+drag from the eyedropper color well in the Color panel, but then you have to make the extra click on the eyedropper color well to "activate" the chosen color in the main fill well. Not ideal perhaps, but another option.

[IPv6]

1 hour ago, prophet said:

I've never really used the tool, either now in AP or back in PS. I've not found need of the ability to limit picking from certain layers or automatically fill based on my color pick. I pick colors by using the dropper "behind" the brush tool (option +click and drag a bit) and then painting or using the flood fill tool. Different strokes I guess.

Another quirky way to not use the tool is to click+drag from the eyedropper color well in the Color panel, but then you have to make the extra click on the eyedropper color well to "activate" the chosen color in the main fill well. Not ideal perhaps, but another option.

Yes, but unfortunately alt-picking always give global (top) color. Which is unwanted in case you have several adjustments and what to quickly get "original" color under adjustments. In such case with brush tool you have to disable adjustments first (and reenable them after) or resort to color picker // it`s the only tool that can sample color from active layer (but with limitations mentioned above)

[KJones75]

Hi, I'm trying to figure out how the color picker works, and I think I'm having the same issue as the original poster of this topic.

I'm developing a website, and I want to use the color picker to determine which color was used in my client's logo. But when I click the image with the color picker tool the whole layer is filled with the color that I clicked on. Why is it doing that? I just want to know the hex code of the color, I don't want to fill the layer with it. It's such an odd behavior that I thought it was a bug, but apparently it's a feature? How can I determine the hex code of a color in an image?

[walt.farrell]

5 minutes ago, KJones75 said:

Why is it doing that?

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums.

You probably have "Apply to Selection" set in the Context Toolbar, and you have a layer selected that can accept a Fill. Therefore the layer's Fill is updated.

Turn off that option, or unselect the layer before using the tool.

 

[KJones75]

2 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums.

You probably have "Apply to Selection" set in the Context Toolbar, and you have a layer selected that can accept a Fill. Therefore the layer's Fill is updated.

Turn off that option, or unselect the layer before using the tool.

 

Hi Walt, thanks for the welcome and your help.

I did have "Apply to Selection" enabled, but even with it turned off the only way I can get the hex code of the color is to click on the little circle beside the eye dropper in the color tab on the right side of the screen, and when I do that it fills the layer with that color again. I hope that makes sense, it's hard to explain.

There is only one layer in the image so I can't unselect it.

[KJones75]

Ah, I think I figured it out. The image had a blue selection box around it (maybe from when I cropped it earlier, I'm not sure). Once I cleared the selection box the color picker stopped filling the layer with the chosen color.

Thanks again for your help, Walt. I'm still getting the hang of Affinity Photo, but I do like it.

[walt.farrell]

40 minutes ago, KJones75 said:

the only way I can get the hex code of the color is to click on the little circle beside the eye dropper in the color tab on the right side of the screen,

Are you using the Color Picker Tool, or are you using the eyedropper in the Color panel? They are different, and work differently.

 

[KJones75]

7 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

Are you using the Color Picker Tool, or are you using the eyedropper in the Color panel? They are different, and work differently.

 

I'm using the Color Picker Tool to select the color from the image, and then to get the hex code for that color I was clicking the circle beside the eye dropper in the color panel. But I've figured out that as long as I don't have the image selected I can use the Color Picker Tool with "Apply to Selection" enabled and then it will show the hex code automatically in the color panel. I'm probably explaining it badly, but I've figured out my problem at least.

Edited November 26, 2020 by KJones75