Question about selection mode

[PeterPeterPeter]

So I have noticed when I chose a selection mode with the lasso tool (for example "add") it stays in that mode when switching tools. BUT when I chose the selection mode "add" in the magic wand and then switch tools it allways jumps back to the default selection mode "new". Is there anything I can do about that. Little things like that drive my nuts...

Thanks in advance!

[thomaso]

1 hour ago, PeterPeterPeter said:

BUT when I chose the selection mode "add" in the magic wand and then switch tools it allways jumps back to the default selection mode "new".

It does not happen to me in V1. – Can you show your workflow in a screencast, including the Canvas + Tools + Context Toolbar + Layers Panel?

[PeterPeterPeter]

1 hour ago, thomaso said:

It does not happen to me in V1. – Can you show your workflow in a screencast, including the Canvas + Tools + Context Toolbar + Layers Panel?

Sure, no problem, here is a video of it...

So V2 was a downgrade in this regard i guess?

 

 

[thomaso]

At 0:15 min your current pixel selection gets deactivated before you switch to the Paint Brush Tool. (otherwise you could paint within the currently selected areas only).

So, if you then go back to the Flood Select Tool there exists no selection that could be used to add a further selection, thus any selection is new.

Note, the Flood Select Tool always refers to specific layer content – whereas the Freehand Selection Tool is layer independent for its creation.

[PeterPeterPeter]

9 minutes ago, thomaso said:

So, if you then go back to the Flood Select Tool there exists no selection that could be used to add a further selection, thus any selection is new.

Well I get your point, but I can start a selection with the Lasso Tool in "add mode" too, so that should be possible with the Flood Select Tool as well dont you think? Its such a little tiny thing, that I wish was improved in the near future... Or lets say if I hold shift or strg it adds to the selection automaticly, that would be such a quality of life improvement...

Anyways thanks for taking a look at my problem.

[thomaso]

On 11/4/2023 at 1:27 PM, PeterPeterPeter said:

I can start a selection with the Lasso Tool in "add mode" too, so that should be possible with the Flood Select Tool as well dont you think?

Interestingly, starting a new selection in the "Add" mode is possible with the Flood Select Tool, too. So my previous explanation is not the true reason. I don't know for what purpose especially this selection tool gets reset to "New" in certain situations – while e.g. the Selection Brush even has no "New" mode at all.

On 11/4/2023 at 1:27 PM, PeterPeterPeter said:

Or lets say if I hold shift or strg it adds to the selection automaticly, that would be such a quality of life improvement...

Keep an eye in the Status Bar for modifier key tool tips. To me on mac it says for the Flood Select Tool to use CTRL to add (not Shift) and it works.

[PeterPeterPeter]

13 minutes ago, thomaso said:

Keep an eye in the Status Bar for modifier key tool tips. To me on mac it says for the Flood Select Tool to use CTRL to add (not Shift) and it works.

Hmmm, where can I find those "modifier key tool tips? (ALT, SHIFT, STRG dont do anything while clicking)

[thomaso]

7 minutes ago, PeterPeterPeter said:

where can I find those "modifier key tool tips?

As mentioned,

22 minutes ago, thomaso said:

Keep an eye in the Status Bar (…)

… or in the Affinity Help interface introduction,

[R C-R]

12 hours ago, PeterPeterPeter said:

So I have noticed when I chose a selection mode with the lasso tool (for example "add") it stays in that mode when switching tools. BUT when I chose the selection mode "add" in the magic wand and then switch tools it allways jumps back to the default selection mode "new".

FWIW, this does not happen for me in AP V2 on my Mac. If I set either tool to add, it remains in that mode as long as the document is open or I change it to some other mode.

[Dan C]

On 11/4/2023 at 9:10 AM, PeterPeterPeter said:

So I have noticed when I chose a selection mode with the lasso tool (for example "add") it stays in that mode when switching tools. BUT when I chose the selection mode "add" in the magic wand and then switch tools it allways jumps back to the default selection mode "new".

I can confirm that the current expected behaviour is for Selection Tools to automatically reset the Mode to 'New' (or 'Add' if 'New' is not available for the tool) when no active pixel selection is detected.

For example, using the Flood Select Tool set to 'Add' mode will continue to use 'Add' mode as long as a selection is active, you can change tools (for example to the Move Tool) and then back to the Flood Select Tool, and the 'Add' mode should be retained. However if you switched to the Move Tool, then used ESC to deselect and returned to the Flood Select Tool, you would now find that the mode has reset to 'New'.

This was implemented to update version 1.7, due to customer confusion when trying to create a new selection- for example if the Mode remained on 'Subtract' after a previous edit, this caused no new selection to be made and users to report a bug for the tool.

I have checked and confirmed this behaviour across both macOS and Windows (testing in Affinity Photo 2), and found the following errors/inconsistencies:

Windows:

Selection Brush - Resets to 'Add', but UI remains on 'Subtract'
Flood Select - Resets to 'New' correctly
Rectangle Marquee Tool - Resets to 'New' correctly
Elliptical Marquee Tool - Does not reset
Column Marquee Tool - Resets to 'New' correctly
Row Marquee Tool - Resets to 'New' correctly 
Freehand Selection Tool - Does not reset

macOS:

Selection Brush - Resets to 'Add' correctly
Flood Select - Resets to 'New' correctly
Rectangle Marquee Tool - Resets to 'New' correctly
Elliptical Marquee Tool - Does not reset
Column Marquee Tool - Resets to 'New' correctly
Row Marquee Tool - Resets to 'New' correctly 
Freehand Selection Tool - Does not reset

I would expect the Elliptical Marquee Tool and the Freehand Selection Tool to behave in the same way as the other selection tools, so I'm getting this logged as a bug now - I'll also be logging the Windows UI error with the Selection Brush Tool inconsistency on the context toolbar.

I hope this helps 

[R C-R]

1 hour ago, Dan C said:

This was implemented to update version 1.7, due to customer confusion when trying to create a new selection- for example if the Mode remained on 'Subtract' after a previous edit, this caused no new selection to be made and users to report a bug for the tool.

OK, fair enough for the Subtract mode, but there should be no confusion if Add is 'sticky' since in effect Add & New would both make a selection if there currently is none.

So maybe it should reset to New (or Add if there is no New mode) if it was last set to Subtract but not reset otherwise?

[Dan C]

5 minutes ago, R C-R said:

So maybe it should reset to New (or Add if there is no New mode) if it was last set to Subtract but not reset otherwise?

I agree, this would be sensible behaviour - initially within the development log I included the desire for a Preference/Context option to 'Lock' the Mode, so that it would remain on the last selected option, regardless of other active selections.

Therefore I'll be sure to update this with the alternative suggestion you've provided for consideration

[PeterPeterPeter]

On 11/6/2023 at 3:06 PM, Dan C said:

I agree, this would be sensible behaviour - initially within the development log I included the desire for a Preference/Context option to 'Lock' the Mode, so that it would remain on the last selected option, regardless of other active selections.

Therefore I'll be sure to update this with the alternative suggestion you've provided for consideration

Thanks alot! I am glad to hear that

[Affinity Info Bot]

The issue "[Win] Selection Brush Tool Mode icon remains on Subtract, even though the tool has reset to Add" (REF: AF-1062) has been fixed by the developers in internal build "2.4.0.2222".
This fix should soon be available as a customer beta and is planned for inclusion in the next customer release.
Customer beta builds are announced here and you can participate by following these instructions.
If you still experience this problem once you are using that build version (or later) please reply to this thread including @Serif Info Bot to notify us.