Jump to content
You must now use your email address to sign in [click for more info] ×

Recommended Posts

Maybe I'm simply missing this, but is there any way to shift a selection around as I form it? To clarify, for those familiar with Photoshop, when you are dragging out a marquee selection by holding the spacebar down you can shift the position of the selection around.

 

Is there a similar ability in Affinity Photo? On my Mac I've tried the spacebar, ⌘, option, ctrl, and shift all with no success. I'm fully updated to 1.5.1 as well.

 

I appreciate any help.

 

Matt

Matt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Coming from Photoshop I too am in the habit of dragging a selection, using spacebar to move/align the selection, then continue dragging.  So I'm missing that feature as well.  I'm not sure whether there's a better way, but this is what I've been doing instead as a work-a-round:

 

1) Make a selection with one of the Selection Marquee tools

2) Press 'Q' to enter Quick Mask mode

3) Press 'V' to select Move tool

4) The selection marquee is now draggable/editable

5) Press 'Q' to exit Quick Mask mode and go back to the marching ants

 

Maybe it was something that was just overlooked, because the Affinity Photo shape tools (such as the rectangle/eclipse tool) work with the Spacebar, just not the marquee tools.

 

Alternatively, depending on what you want to do with the selection, you can use the rectangle tool, eclipse tools, etc. as a layer mask as shown in this video:

 

https://vimeo.com/168186956

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the replies. The quick mask method is a work around, but I'm going to suggest in the "Feature Requests" forum that positioning of a selection while forming it be added.

 

To be honest, I don't like to pigeon hole Affinity and force a Photoshop ecosystem on it, but PS has had years of development and user input that have ironed out little things like this that make editing/designing more user friendly.

 

Matt

Matt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe I'm missing the point here, but can't you just use Select > Edit Selection as Layer for this? I am able to free-transform any selection with this, scaling and moving included. Or is Quick Mask mode the same?

 

Your suggestion is essentially the same as the Quick Mask mode. I'm hoping for the addition of the quicker spacebar (or any keyboard key really) method of repositioning a selection as a time saver and easier UI. If I can reposition my selection as I make it with a single key press and avoid have to switch to the Quick Mask and then switch to the Move tool and then switch back out of the QM mode and back to my marquee too – all the better.

 

I also dislike how when more than one selection is made they are treated as a unified selection (even with quick mask method), and thus, trying to reposition one selection will then move the other as well which may or may not realign it with my intended selection.

 

Here is an example that keeps bumping me up against this issue:

 

I'm a photographer. When I want to edit eye irises in photoshop I use the oval marquee tool to select the iris of one eye on a person. I rarely have it lined up as much with the iris as I would like, so as I drag out the selection I use the space bar to reposition the selection. After I have the first selection in position over the 1st iris, in "add" mode I then drag out and reposition using the spacebar a second selection over the other iris. Using a quick mask, I remove the pupil from the selections, switch out of QM and I have my irises selected. I then copy the irises to a new layer for any adjustments I want.

 

In Affinity Photo this workflow is complicated with multiple quick mask switching and tool changing. It is also thrown totally off because the separate selections are treated as one unified selection, so trying to move the 2nd selection (even in quick mask mode) will move both selections - which rarely lines up both with each iris.

 

Granted I am trying to carry a workflow from PS to Affinity and, as I said above, I am not trying to have Affinity pigeonholed into a PS ecosystem, but the repositioning selection issue can be much more simplified with a keyboard button that allows for reposition selections while making them.

 

Matt

Matt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 years later...
  • 2 months later...

Hi @GarryP, it exists for ages in Photoshop and something very handy. Named "reposition marquee while selecting" within the Photoshop shortcuts list, it works with any marquee tool (except single column and single row) + spacebar-drag. On my side, it brings workflow frictions when I work with Affinity Photo selections compared to Photoshop.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, el.Fakir said:

Named "reposition marquee while selecting" within the Photoshop shortcuts list, it works with any marquee tool (except single column and single row) + spacebar-drag.

As you may know, in Affinity, holding down the spacebar temporarily changes the current tool to the View (hand) tool, which is great if you work at high zoom levels & need to move around in the document. The spacebar also can be used with modifier keys to temporarily switch to zooming in & out of the document view, also quite useful in many workflows. Since AP does many things differently from PS, it is just one of the many things you have to get used to if you want to use AP in preference to PS.

As for the quick mask alternative, it does require more steps but it also allows things like rotating & shearing the selection, using the transform origin option, using the snapping options, & using the Transform panel for precise numerical inputs. So again, for many workflows it is very useful, & actually very quick to use once you get used to how it works.

All 3 1.10.8, & all 3 V2.4.1 Mac apps; 2020 iMac 27"; 3.8GHz i7, Radeon Pro 5700, 32GB RAM; macOS 10.15.7
Affinity Photo 
1.10.8; Affinity Designer 1.108; & all 3 V2 apps for iPad; 6th Generation iPad 32 GB; Apple Pencil; iPadOS 15.7

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I consider this a required feature. It is my first day trying out AP after being a pro PS user all my years. So far this issue (drag selection while making it)  is the only seriously missing feature I ran into as a real issue for me personally. I was taught by the PS seminar pros like Kelby etc, and those guys use this feature all day long on just about every graphic they make and besides boosting creativity while drawing, it saves loads of time that we don't have much of. It is not just some way of doing something, it is an easily proven value feature.

Beyond time saving, it boosts creativity while drawing. After I draw it I lose stamina in what I wanted to do. I want to adjust while I draw as I have done all my years. Can a moderator please let us know about this while I choose my new design toolset?

Note: If it's a technical trade-off for better features (as R C-R listed above), let a moderator please complete this thread with an updated response. May I reiterate this is important feature to people "switching" from the mentioned app and those that have followed the common/available software line of features, to make it better (and not fall short).

Please and thanks in advance,

Uri

Edited by SHINING MEDIA
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...

The Affinity Photo v2 is out.. moving marquee tool while creating sellection is ... not implemented

This feature has been requested by many people since at least 2016. I don't think we'll see it implemented in 2023.

The inability to move the marquee while making a selection by holding the keyboard spacebar button is beyond annoying.

I'm thinking of skipping V2 altogether and waiting for V3. Hopefully, with the implementation of this feature.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

I want to give up buggy and sluggish Adobe products and I like Affinity products for speed and simplicity but.... So important thing for my workflow like moving selection while making it is missing!

Please, do a miracle, make my and my colleagues dream come true!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Guidelines | We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.