designer 2 win 10 Intersect just gives a white thing?

[Anyone2]

I dont know what to call it.  But, if i take a jpg and then draw a circle over the jpg with no color, and then select both and hit intersect, the full image vanishes, I would hope that what was inside the circle of the jpg below, i would see.  But no, nothing just a white circle.  So, can anyone tell me how to cut out shapes in this odd software product?  Thank you.

[Poziomka]

You're doing it wrong.

Intersect applies to vector objects. And you want to mask the image (jpg).  

You can do this from the layer palette or from the layer menu.

From the layer palette

Select an ellipse in the layer palette and right-click. (See mask 1.jpg) From the context menu, select mask to below. (See mask 2.jpg)

As a result, you will get (see mask 3.jpg)

From the layer menu

Select an ellipse in the layer palette. Go to the top menu Layer click and select Mask to Below (it is at the bottom of the menu).

My favorite method is: in the layer palette, press hold the layer with the photo with the left mouse button and drag it to the name of the top layer (ellipse) when you see that it is already inside the ellipse - release the left mouse button. (See mask4.jpg)

That's it

[Pšenda]

8 hours ago, Anyone2 said:

how to cut out shapes

Image isn't "shape".

 

8 hours ago, Anyone2 said:

I dont know what to call it.

Try clipping.

https://affinity.help/designer2/English.lproj/pages/Layers/layerClip.html

Edited April 19, 2023 by Pšenda

[David in Яuislip]

Starting with a pixel layer
Copy
Paste special/DIB
Convert to curves
Add shape above
Select shape and image layers
Boolean intersect
Add border if required

[Anyone2]

16 hours ago, Poziomka said:

You're doing it wrong.

Intersect applies to vector objects. And you want to mask the image (jpg).  

You can do this from the layer palette or from the layer menu.

From the layer palette

Select an ellipse in the layer palette and right-click. (See mask 1.jpg) From the context menu, select mask to below. (See mask 2.jpg)

As a result, you will get (see mask 3.jpg)

From the layer menu

Select an ellipse in the layer palette. Go to the top menu Layer click and select Mask to Below (it is at the bottom of the menu).

My favorite method is: in the layer palette, press hold the layer with the photo with the left mouse button and drag it to the name of the top layer (ellipse) when you see that it is already inside the ellipse - release the left mouse button. (See mask4.jpg)

That's it

This is what i ended up doing, the last line, your favorite way

 

[Anyone2]

15 hours ago, Pšenda said:

Image isn't "shape".

 

Try clipping.

https://affinity.help/designer2/English.lproj/pages/Layers/layerClip.html

Yes i know the image isnt a shape, thats why i called it a jpg.  Ill watch the video, is it the same as the first response?

[Anyone2]

13 hours ago, David in Яuislip said:

Starting with a pixel layer
Copy
Paste special/DIB
Convert to curves
Add shape above
Select shape and image layers
Boolean intersect
Add border if required

Thanks, i thought i tried this and it didnt work, ill try it again, as obviously it must work lol

 

[Anyone2]

13 hours ago, David in Яuislip said:

Starting with a pixel layer
Copy
Paste special/DIB
Convert to curves
Add shape above
Select shape and image layers
Boolean intersect
Add border if required

Yep i did it and it worked great, thank you.   The only thing is, i resized the image to a smaller size, and when i cut out the bit, it was in the wrong area and very large.  It cut from the original, not the resized one i was using.  Interesting?  pain in the neck, lol.   so you must resize, then save and bring it in again.  poo.  But it worked so yeah!

[David in Яuislip]

Ha ha, great catch. I've tried all sorts but the quickest way I've found is to resize the pixel layer, copy and File/New from clipboard then paste special/dib, dump the pixel layer. If you resize an image layer then File/New from clipboard you need to rasterise it first and go from there
Quite unexpected behaviour, 'poo' is such an excellent comment too and much nicer than the one I usually use

[lacerto]

You can work with an image in non-destructive way, not changing its original resolution, and use Boolean operations (like subtract or intersect) on the encompassing curve (shape). If you convert the curve to a Picture Frame, you can move and resize the contained image easily -- you can do so without using a Picture Frame by using a curve object for masking or clip masking, but then need to toggle the child-parent lock to have similar functionality.

Try to avoid working with pixel layers, or converting images directly into curves, or turning pixel layers to images (using the menu command, or using the Clipboard trick) just to get the ability to shape a photo or other picture type. Note, too, that you can first create the framing shape by using any vector tools available, and once ready to place a contained image convert the object first to a Picture Frame and then just drag the image content into the Picture Frame (you can drag images directly from the file system or Stock Panel, or drag images within the document or Layers panel into a Picture Frame control in the Layers panel). 

[Anyone2]

5 hours ago, lacerto said:

You can work with an image in non-destructive way, not changing its original resolution, and use Boolean operations (like subtract or intersect) on the encompassing curve (shape). If you convert the curve to a Picture Frame, you can move and resize the contained image easily -- you can do so without using a Picture Frame by using a curve object for masking or clip masking, but then need to toggle the child-parent lock to have similar functionality.

 

Try to avoid working with pixel layers, or converting images directly into curves, or turning pixel layers to images (using the menu command, or using the Clipboard trick) just to get the ability to shape a photo or other picture type. Note, too, that you can first create the framing shape by using any vector tools available, and once ready to place a contained image convert the object first to a Picture Frame and then just drag the image content into the Picture Frame (you can drag images directly from the file system or Stock Panel, or drag images within the document or Layers panel into a Picture Frame control in the Layers panel). 

Whooooooosh! right over my head?   a picture frame?  I read this twice, perhaps im not awake enough or centered to understand what you are saying, but it sounds like yes convert to curves, then no do not convert to curves. ... the clipboard trick?  is that the copy and paste it in? I dont know that either.  I would love to understand what you are saying, be in your head so to speak.  Thank you very much, i will ponder this more while i await.

[lacerto]

Sorry for not being able to be less confusing: the concept of (Image) and (Pixel) layers are a bit non-intuitive in Affinity apps, but fundamental. I was trying to show ways to encapsulate an image layer (e.g. a photo placed in a Publisher document) within a vector object so that you can perform Boolean operations like interchange on the encompassing vector object rather then on the image layer itself, and without using workarounds that cause rasterization of the shaped photo.

One alternative would also be converting a placed image layer into a Picture Frame layer (Layer > Convert to Picture Frame) and then shaping that (similarly as was done on the video, though there an external photo is placed into an already created Picture Frame) -- and if wanted, convert the resulting Curve layer back to a Picture Frame for easier positioning and resizing of the contained image. This way you would also avoid the kinds of sizing issues that you would typically experience when converting image layers directly to curves (and then performing Boolean operations on the curved image). Converting an image layer to a Picture Frame would reset the PPI (effective pixel per inch value) to the document DPI value (e.g. 300 ppi), but you could easily resize the image within the frame by using the scale control. That is, you can manipulate the frame in any way and yet maintain the control of the contained image size and location, because the image stays encapsulated within the frame.

Whichever way you encapsulate the image layer, the point is that its pixel information stays unchanged so you work non-destructively, without deteriorating the image quality.

[Anyone2]

32 minutes ago, lacerto said:

Sorry for not being able to be less confusing: the concept of (Image) and (Pixel) layers are a bit non-intuitive in Affinity apps, but fundamental. I was trying to show ways to encapsulate an image layer (e.g. a photo placed in a Publisher document) within a vector object so that you can perform Boolean operations like interchange on the encompassing vector object rather then on the image layer itself, and without using workarounds that cause rasterization of the shaped photo.

One alternative would also be converting a placed image layer into a Picture Frame layer (Layer > Convert to Picture Frame) and then shaping that (similarly as was done on the video, though there an external photo is placed into an already created Picture Frame) -- and if wanted, convert the resulting Curve layer back to a Picture Frame for easier positioning and resizing of the contained image. This way you would also avoid the kinds of sizing issues that you would typically experience when converting image layers directly to curves (and then performing Boolean operations on the curved image). Converting an image layer to a Picture Frame would reset the PPI (effective pixel per inch value) to the document DPI value (e.g. 300 ppi), but you could easily resize the image within the frame by using the scale control. That is, you can manipulate the frame in any way and yet maintain the control of the contained image size and location, because the image stays encapsulated within the frame.

Whichever way you encapsulate the image layer, the point is that its pixel information stays unchanged so you work non-destructively, without deteriorating the image quality.

Oh i didnt watch the video, to tell the truth at the time i didnt realize it was a video, i thought it was a pic.  Yeah, like i said before i was not centered!  I just watched it, and realize you are in the publisher, not the designer.   So i never use the pub, lol, only the designer and photo if i have to because its not available in the designer.  Thank you so much, i get it!  Its much easier in the publisher!  

[lacerto]

Sorry, I did not realize that you did not have Publisher. You can then use any vector shape as a clipping object and make it basically behave as if it were a Picture Frame, though to scale and position the contained image you would need to use the Layer panel to select the image layer, and might need to toggle the Lock Children option on the context toolbar to achieve what you want, 

I also realized that you can use the Fill tool to position and resize an image that has directly been converted to curves and then shaped with Boolean operations (which causes the placed PPI to be changed to one of the document DPI, and typically being enlargened within its containing object) so even if you cannot e.g. see image meta data (like its PPI etc.), you can still resize and reposition the image within its containing object, and manipulate the container object as you wish. The original image quality is also retained.

 

[Anyone2]

9 minutes ago, lacerto said:

Sorry, I did not realize that you did not have Publisher. You can then use any vector shape as a clipping object and make it basically behave as if it were a Picture Frame, though to scale and position the contained image you would need to use the Layer panel to select the image layer, and might need to toggle the Lock children option on the context toolbar to achieve what you want, 

I also realized that you can use the Fill tool to position and resize an image that has directly been converted to curves and then shaped with Boolean operations (which causes the PPI to be changed to one of the document DPI, and typically being enlargened within its containing object) so even if you cannot e.g. see image meta data (like its PPI etc.), you can still resize and reposition the image within its containing object, and manipulate the containing object as you wish. The original image quality is also retained.

 

 

have not watched the vid yet, so will after i finish eating.  I do have pub, i just never use it, lol.  but what you showed was so easy i will use it for this type of construction!  THANK YOU SO MUCH!