Fill protecting alpha

[verysame]

When I do Document / Fill, the color is applied to the whole layer.

How to protect alpha?

[verysame]

Anyone?

[Fixx]

I do not think there is a handy button "protect alpha" (which often would be useful), but people use selection (cmd-click layer) or some masking function to save transparency. Please advice me if there is quick and easy way.

[verysame]

For some reason, protect alpha disappears when I want to use the edit/fill command.

Even if I check the option, edit/fill still fills the whole layer:

 

At this point, I'm not sure whether it is a bug or the way it actually works.

If it's the latter, I'll submit a feature request.

 

p.s. I tend to avoid cmd-click or ctrl-click layer as it adds more pixels to the actual layer's contents.

[Fixx]

ah there it is. Seem to be very limited. I am used alpha protection to be layer feature.

[R C-R]

"Protect Alpha" is a Context menu bar option only available for pixel level operations (like for the Paint Brush & Pixel tools). It limits the effects of those tools to pixels that are not transparent. (There is no "Document/Fill" item I can find in the AP menus.)

 

The Edit > Fill... menu item is a layer level operation that affects the entire selected layer. This is (somehow?) different from the Layer > New Fill Layer menu item, because unlike that it pops up a "Fill" panel window with several options. Some are fairly obvious, like Custom color, Primary Color, & Secondary Color, but Inpainting & to a slightly lesser extent History are a mystery to me, & I can't find anything in the Help system that explains them.

 

Maybe someone else can explain what they do. Hosts ...?

[JimmyJack]

I would go with what's behind curtain #3  :D .

 

The Flood Fill Tool (paint bucket icon)... with Tolerance set to 100% and Contiguous unchecked.

 

Example with a couple knockouts and Flood Fill (one click in both cases)...

 

=> or 

[verysame]

I would go with what's behind curtain #3  :D .

 

The Flood Fill Tool (paint bucket icon)... with Tolerance set to 100% and Contiguous unchecked.

 

Example with a couple knockouts and Flood Fill (one click in both cases)...

 

Screen Shot 2016-12-05 at 12.19.41 PM.png => Screen Shot 2016-12-05 at 12.20.11 PM.png or Screen Shot 2016-12-05 at 12.19.55 PM.png

 

Nice solution JimmyJack.

Thanks for posting it!

 

I wish the edit/fill would have the protect alpha, as it would be a faster method.

 

Best,

Andrew

[carl123]

@verysame

 

Will this work for what you want to do?

 

Select > Alpha Range > Select Opaque

 

Then use Edit > Fill