Use of the selection brush not well solved

[deepblue]

The function of the selection brush (W) is not always clear to me.

When I use the selection brush via the toolbar, I never see when something is being added or subtracted.

The mode display (top left) also has no visual added value.

When I add or subtract a path from an image in Affinity Photo, it is not clearly displayed in the mode.

I can click the icons at the top in the mode, but when I press the "Alt" key combination to subtract, the mode at the top does not change.

A "+" or "-" display for the selection brush would also be good, so that you know when the selection is being added or subtracted.

[GarryP]

Is this something that is specific to the beta?

[GarryP]

20 hours ago, deepblue said:

When I use the selection brush via the toolbar, I never see when something is being added or subtracted.

The ‘marching ants’ does not show the full extent of the selected pixels, so that’s normal. For example, it doesn’t show where pixels have been ‘feathered’ etc.

20 hours ago, deepblue said:

The mode display (top left) also has no visual added value.

I don’t know what you mean by that. The Mode buttons are used to select which Mode you want to use.

20 hours ago, deepblue said:

When I add or subtract a path from an image in Affinity Photo, it is not clearly displayed in the mode.

I don’t know what you mean by that either. Can you supply a visual example and workflow to replicate?

20 hours ago, deepblue said:

I can click the icons at the top in the mode, but when I press the "Alt" key combination to subtract, the mode at the top does not change.

The Alt modifier is used to temporarily specify the opposite Mode. The buttons keep displaying the ‘real’ Mode so you can tell which one has been selected.

20 hours ago, deepblue said:

A "+" or "-" display for the selection brush would also be good, so that you know when the selection is being added or subtracted.

That would seem a reasonable idea to me, as opposed to the current 'mixed rectangles' icons, unless anyone has a good argument against it.

[Alfred]

1 hour ago, GarryP said:

The ‘marching ants’ does not show the full extent of the selected pixels, so that’s normal. For example, it doesn’t show where pixels have been ‘feathered’ etc.

The ‘marching ants’ outline should show the full extent of the selected pixels if they’re 100% selected. If feathering has been applied to the selection, the pixels in the middle of the selection will be 100% selected and the pixels at the edges of the selection will be 0%. The ‘marching ants’ outline in this scenario will show you where the degree of selectedness is 50%.