Mask Selection

[DonC123]

I'm sure that this might be a simple question, but is there no easy way to make a selection on a image in Affinity Designer 2 and mask out (make invisible) the selected area of an image. I know  that I can invert the selection and add a mask, but I would like to just make the selection and mask it. In the attached, lets say I want to hide the lower part of the left leg. If I select  the mask function it hides everything else, not the selected area. I guess I am asking if there is a way to reverse, or invert the mask, rather than first inverting the selection. I hope that make sense.

 

[NotMyFault]

You could start with select all, then set the selection tool to subtract.

[carl123]

1 hour ago, DonC123 said:

I guess I am asking if there is a way to reverse, or invert the mask, rather than first inverting the selection.

(I'm assuming you must have a mask rather than just pressing the delete key)

Make your selection
Add a mask
Remove your selection (Select > Deselect)
Invert the mask (Layer > Invert)

or

Duplicate your image
Make your selection
Hit delete key (to remove leg on duplicated image)
Layer > Mask to below

 

[user_0815]

The quickest way I know is to actually invert the selection before masking.

[DonC123]

9 hours ago, NotMyFault said:

You could start with select all, then set the selection tool to subtract.

Thanks, but I could not make this work without inverting the selection at the end, which was the thing I was trying to avoid.

[DonC123]

9 hours ago, carl123 said:

(I'm assuming you must have a mask rather than just pressing the delete key)

Make your selection
Add a mask
Remove your selection (Select > Deselect)
Invert the mask (Layer > Invert)

or

Duplicate your image
Make your selection
Hit delete key (to remove leg on duplicated image)
Layer > Mask to below

 

Thanks for these suggestions, but the Layer/Invert is not available in the Designer Pixel or Vector personas. I did find them in AF Photo.

[DonC123]

7 hours ago, user_0815 said:

The quickest way I know is to actually invert the selection before masking.

This does seem to be the quickest way. Thanks!

[NotMyFault]

14 hours ago, DonC123 said:

Thanks for these suggestions, but the Layer/Invert is not available in the Designer Pixel or Vector personas. I did find them in AF Photo.

That is correct. It is almost impossible to invert a mask layer. One way is indirect via selections:

• create selection from layer by CMD-Click layer
• Invert Selection
• Create new mask

But if you want to invert the inherent mask of and adjustment layer you are out of luck - except "edit in Photo" when you purchased the universal license.

 

[DonC123]

8 minutes ago, NotMyFault said:

That is correct. It is almost impossible to invert a mask layer. The only way:

• create selection from layer by CMD-Click layer
• Invert Selection
• Create new mask

But if you want to invert the inherent mask of and adjustment layer you are out of luck - except "edit in Photo" when you purchased the universal license.

 

Thanks. It is not something that is critical for my workflow, but as I was working on my current project I thought it would be nice if a user could right mouse click on the newly created mask on the layer palette and select invert, or something like that. Since I didn't readily see it and don't have extensive experience with this program, I thought that maybe there was something I was missing. As it turns out, I wasn't really  missing anything. 

[NotMyFault]

Actually, I would always buy the bundle of all 3 Apps and use Photo for all pixel work. Designer Pixel persona is too crippled for most use cases. You will miss Info Panel, Channels panel and other functions in Designer.

[thomaso]

21 hours ago, DonC123 said:

If I select  the mask function it hides everything else, not the selected area. I guess I am asking if there is a way to reverse, or invert the mask, rather than first inverting the selection.

In AD's Pixel Persona you can…

1. create a mask layer (white, empty, nothing masking),
2. create the wanted pixel selection,
3. select the mask layer + press the delete key on your keyboard.

The deleted area will create black on the mask layer and thus mask this part of the image layer.