move a pasted immage

[globso]

hi, i guess this is an easy task for you who know. 
 i have just copied a part from one picture from one tab, pasted it to an other in an other tab( the upper most layer). when i paste it only a part of it gets pasted. i cant use the move tool to move it either, i cant change size to it, its like its stuck.  when i click on it the mask from the other layer it also activates and the only task i can do is change size to that layer, even though that layer is not activated. 
i dont see the use of layers if you cant work with them separatly??
 also, a thing with masks, when i draw a mask with the lasso and then, i want that mask "on" and not deleted. however i dont want the same mask effect every other layer when i switch to an other layer!  i dont know why i would ever want that? i can not recall ever having this issue with photoshop, and i thought that Affinity Photo would act more similar in this basic task, but its like relearning everything again. 

Affinity photo 
Mac os

[Dan C]

Hi @globso,

Sorry to hear you're having trouble!

Your screenshot shows that you have a selection (marching ants) around the pixel layer for the sewing machine, however you have a different layer selected in the Layers Studio, which is why you're having trouble moving the sewing machine layer.

I'd recommend navigating to Select > Deselect to cancel the marching ants selection, then using the Move Tool select the sewing machine layer on the canvas or in the Layers Studio. You should now be able to transform this layer as expected.

1 hour ago, globso said:

also, a thing with masks, when i draw a mask with the lasso and then, i want that mask "on" and not deleted. however i dont want the same mask effect every other layer when i switch to an other layer! 

Unfortunately I'm not 100% certain what you mean by this - when creating mask layers at the top of your layers stack, they will affect all layers beneath. If you 'nest' a mask within a layer, then it will only affect that layer.

If possible, are you able to provide a short screen recording showing this workflow, so I can better understand and advise?

If you're unsure how to take a screen recording, please check out our FAQ linked below - 

Many thanks in advance

[globso]

it is the highest layer i want to move/transform/do anything with. that is impossible when i have made a mask with the lasso on an other layer. the mask that i have is on the sewing machine so it should not affect anything above it ( i dont want it to affect any other layer then the one i have made it on, but that seems impossible). the only way i found to import a new image and reesize it and such was to cmd/ctrl-D, and take the mask away completly. then i could import a new picture and after that make a new mask  on the sewing machine layer and continue. 

i dont know what you mean by "nest" the mask to a layer, but it sound wonderful and exactly how i want it to be. however, when i make my mask it will effect both layers on top and beneath if i go to those layers and continue working. i would like the mask i make to not ever, never ever do anything to an other layer than the one i made the layer on. 

but it seems affinity does not really care about layers that much. you can simply click around the picture to change what layer you are working on(?). i guess thats great for some stuff, but sometimes, when you are zoomed in you sometimes dont realize that you have changed layer because you have clicked on an other layer by mistake. i want it to be so that every layer change thing i do, i do in  the layers bar, and not on the canvas. im writing this because i think it has to do with the same thing, actions that should be focused in on specific layer are overruled by some function that allowes freedom between layers. is there some where you can play around with the restraints in the layers panel? 

[walt.farrell]

2 minutes ago, globso said:

that is impossible when i have made a mask with the lasso on an other layer. the mask that i have is on the sewing machine so it should not affect anything above it ( i dont want it to affect any other layer then the one i have made it on, but that seems impossible)

You have not made a "mask". You have made a "pixel selection". These are two different things, with different functions, and it's important to use the right terminology.

A pixel selection is not associated with any specific layer. It is just an area on the screen, and it applies to whichever pixel layer you currently have selected.

[globso]

ah im probably a little old school, this was the only way to make a selection/mask styff before layer mask became to be. they were still layer specific at least in photoshop. so there are no way to make the "pixel selection" layer specific in affinity?, or at least let me do anything else than only do stuff with the pixel selection. its pretty worthless if you have to "delete pixelselection- do change-make new selection" for every small change you make? just bacause the pixel selection overrides every other function? 

[Dan C]

I recommend checking out the below tutorials, as these should better explain the functionality within Affinity Photo - as this is certainly different from Photoshop and we understand there can be a bit of a learning curve.

Layers - https://affinity.serif.com/tutorials/photo/desktop/video/311178905/

Mask Layers - https://affinity.serif.com/tutorials/photo/desktop/video/332168517/

Isolating Layers (for working on 1 specific layer at a time) - https://affinity.serif.com/tutorials/photo/desktop/video/329304171/

Masking vs Clipping layers (Clipping a.k.a. 'nesting' as I previously mentioned, to affect one layer only) - https://affinity.serif.com/tutorials/photo/desktop/video/318402519/

1 hour ago, globso said:

is there some where you can play around with the restraints in the layers panel? 

If an object is set to Visible in the Layers Studio, then it can be selected on the canvas at any time when using the Move Tool. You can temporarily hide these layers using the checkbox to the right hand side, and they should no longer be selectable when working on other layers.

1 hour ago, globso said:

so there are no way to make the "pixel selection" layer specific in affinity?

An active selection will only affect the layer you have selected in the Layers Studio, but it is also possible to change which layer is being 'selected from', without changing the selection itself, simply by clicking on a different layer in the layers studio whilst the marching ants are active.

1 hour ago, globso said:

its pretty worthless if you have to "delete pixelselection- do change-make new selection" for every small change you make? just bacause the pixel selection overrides every other function? 

I'm not entirely certain what you mean by this, but If you have an active pixel selection (marching ants), this will affect how tools, adjustments and other functionalities work within Affinity Photo, and this is by design.
For example, with an active pixel selection, you can only use the Paint Brush tool within this area, adjustments added to your document will be automatically masked to only affect this area, etc.

You can also use ESC as a shortcut to clear any active pixel selection on your canvas.

[NotMyFault]

5 hours ago, globso said:

its pretty worthless if you have to "delete pixelselection- do change-make new selection" for every small change you make?

You can simply deselect any time, and re-select (via “Select” Menu) any time later. No need to “delete” pixel selection, or create again from scratch. You can always activate the last selection again by one click.

 

[globso]

oh my god!, that was a pretty well hidden feature! i have found ways around it now but good to know in the future, thank you so much.
im now struggeling to figure out why -when i copy the "fx" from a layer and then paste it via the "Edit- paste FX" (also a rediculously hidden function) it does paste the correct effects, but totally random values.