Can't copy a selection

[AndyV]

Please forgive this newbie question. I have made a selection, and I want to copy it into a new separate layer. But the "copy" is greyed out and when I do cmd-C I just get a warning ding. I was told about a similar problem I was having with layers (I forget at the moment what it was) that I didn't have a focus set .... or something like that. But I've been clicking everything. I have the selection made into a separate channel. Is that the problem?

The crazy thing is, is that I just managed to make a selection and copy it into a new layer just before this new selection. I was having the same problem, but suddenly I was given an option to copy. But I don't know how I managed to get that choice!

[walt.farrell]

It will be difficult to answer your question, I think, without more information. Specifically, a screenshot of the complete application window at the time of the problem, with the Layers panel visible, would help.

[AndyV]

I was just about to add some information  because I've been able to select and copy just fine now. BUT the problem arose when I saved the selection to a separate channel. I got stuck in some sort of wormhole doing that. All I'm really wanting to do is make new layers of what I'm selecting out of the original. I thought I would save each selection for safekeeping but that got me in trouble. (I'm used to a different sort of "save selection" in Photoshop.)

So if that helps you to understand what I did wrong, be my guest. Otherwise, I'm just going to avoid saving to a separate channel!

[walt.farrell]

Thanks.

No, that doesn't help me figure out anything, as I've never used the spare channels

But perhaps it will help someone else figure out your problem.

[AndyV]

I suppose I'm just going to have to read the help files.    😁

[Old Bruce]

@AndyV,

To make a new layer from a Pixel selection (the marching ants made from the Marquee or Lasso or Selection Brush) you need a Pixel Layer selected in the Layers panel and then it is just Copy and Paste. Note that it has to a Pixel layer, not a Vector or Image layer.

[AndyV]

I believe I tried that Bruce. I clicked on every layer possible and kept getting the warning ding. I'll have to retrace my steps though and see if I missed doing that. Thanks.

[RichardMH]

What are you trying to save? The selected part of the image or the pixel selection?

To save the pixel selection, in Channels right click on Pixel Selection and Create Spare Channel.

On a PC hitting ctrl J with the selection (marching ants) visible creates a new layer containing that part of the image.

[John Rostron]

17 hours ago, AndyV said:

I suppose I'm just going to have to read the help files

As it says in the old, old adage "When in doubt, read the instructions."

John

[AndyV]

Richard: I made a selection and all I wanted to do was copy and paste as a new layer. But in between making and pasting, I saved the selection as a separate channel. And after I did that, when I hit cmd-c, it just went "ding" and wouldn't let me copy.

I just tried to replicate my steps, and for reasons I can't fathom, it worked.  So there you go.  Maybe I did something by accident the first time.

But also as I said above, if I skipped the saving to separate channel, I could do what I was trying to do just fine.

 

John: True, but in my defense, the above is an example of why going to the instructions doesn't necessarily help. If you can't quite figure out what is causing the problem, then you can't really know what to look up. But that said, I do need to study up on what "saving to a separate channel" means and what "pixel selection" means. I think I know it based on my Photoshop experience, but I'm fast realizing that experience is only going to get me so far. I think the way Affinity uses layers (and maybe channels) is different than Pshop in ways I'm not quite grasping yet.

 

[Maarten V]

Andy, 

I've experienced this behaviour when trying to copy part of a layer that is an embedded RAW file.
When I duplicate the RAW layer (embedded) and try to duplicate a selection to a new layer (ctrl+j), it just copies the entire layer. 

What I did to get this to work is duplicate the RAW layer and rasterize it. This creates a pixel layer from which you can copy selections. 

I hope that helps. 

[AndyV]

Thanks Maarten. This was quite awhile ago. I've since realized that my problem was in not completely understanding the nature of different types of layers. As an old Photoshop user, I never had to first "rasterize" anything. Affinity offers me too many choices sometimes!