Copying and pasting selection not layer ?

[cdxp]

I want to copy a small square portion of a layer.

 

I draw a marquee using the box marquee tool

I copy

I paste

It pastes a new copy layer not the marquee selection .

 

 

I can mask or fill but i cant seem to copy the selection.

 

I'm obviously making a very basic error  but i cant find it.

[JFisher]

Hi

It should just be a case of CMD + C and CMD + V and the selection should be copied rather than the whole layer.. Check out this post which you may find helpful! 

[Alfred]

It sounds as though you're working on an image layer, not a pixel layer. Image layers are treated as single objects, so you can only perform global operations such as rotating the image or adding layer effects: you can't work at the pixel level (e.g. for copying a selection). Go to the Layers panel, right-click the layer and choose 'Rasterize...' so that the designation changes from  '(Image)' to  '(Pixel)'.

[cdxp]

It sounds as though you're working on an image layer, not a pixel layer. Image layers are treated as single objects, so you can only perform global operations such as rotating the image or adding layer effects: you can't work at the pixel level (e.g. for copying a selection). Go to the Layers panel, right-click the layer and choose 'Rasterize...' so that the designation changes from  '(Image)' to  '(Pixel)'.

 

That was it. Thank you.

For those wondering what an image layer is and why it exists this is the first post i found that explains it.

 

https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/23041-what-are-pixel-layer-image-layers/

 

I am a bit curious why create new document from clipboard would create an image layer and not a pixel layer , but affinity does clearly tell you its an image layer I just didnt know to look for it.

[_Ed]

Very helpful  post re: image layer - as most newbs I just jumped in and found most tools to be matches to PS. This one was a bit confounding..

[HeiligerBimBam]

Really confusing default behavior. Wouldn't it be helpful to let this magic "assistant" thing rasterize the image layer if a selection is present and the user uses copy or cut? Powerusers will get the assistant message, so they're aware of what has happened and novice users doesn't run into this problem.

[MEB]

Hi @HeiligerBimBam,
Welcome to Affinity Forums
Thanks for your feedback. I've filled this an improvement request (internally) some time ago however it wasn't implemented yet.

[aymanzone]

Hi, Ijust wanted to say thank you @Alfred , I just had same problem copying a marque selection over an image object because I didn't rasterize it

[Ertagon]

Can I just say that it's outrageous that I had to google this?

[MEB]

Hi @Ertagon,
Welcome to Affinity Forums
If you wish to select and copy/paste from an Image layer there's no need to rasterise it. Go to menu Edit and use Edit > Copy Merged (macOS) or Edit > Copy Flattened (on Windows) instead of the regular Copy, then Paste as usual to get just the selected area in a new layer.
There's a few advantages in having Image layers (besides pixels layers) - you can learn a bit more about their differences here. Hope this helps a bit.

I'm logging the issue with the different names given to the same command so both OS's match. 

[R C-R]

4 hours ago, MEB said:

Go to menu Edit and use Edit > Copy Merged (macOS) or Edit > Copy Flattened (on Windows) instead of the regular Copy, then Paste as usual to get just the selected area in a new layer.

I do not seem to find Copy Merged anywhere in AD on my Mac so I assume this only applies to AP & to the Photo Persona of APub (if that persona is available). Is that correct?

[thomaso]

19 hours ago, R C-R said:

I do not seem to find Copy Merged anywhere in AD on my Mac so I assume this only applies to AP & to the Photo Persona of APub (if that persona is available). Is that correct?

Correct. And logical, too, because AD & APub have no Pixel Selection Tools. (regardless of the fact that APub can "have" a pixel selection from the APhoto persona).

Edited August 6, 2022 by thomaso

[R C-R]

11 hours ago, thomaso said:

And logical, too, because AD & APub have no Pixel Selection Tools.

What about the various pixel selection tools in the Pixel Persona of AD, like the four marque tools or the freehand selection tool? At least for me, they all work to make a pixel selection, including on image layers.

[thomaso]

Oh, yes! Totally overseen. – Correct, also in AD's Pixel Persona is no "Copy Merged" option for me on mac.

Did I read correctly that no specific Affinity application was mentioned before your post in the entire thread? Either @MEB had just APhoto in mind – or there may be difference between Windows and mac. – However, it is not mentioned in the AD help about copy & paste.

[R C-R]

27 minutes ago, thomaso said:

Did I read correctly that no specific Affinity application was mentioned before your post in the entire thread?

Yes, that is why I mentioned that it is only AP & the Photo persona of APub that has a Copy Merged option in the Mac versions. I do not know if the Windows versions are any different in this respect, other than the difference in the name of the AP option.

[R C-R]

44 minutes ago, thomaso said:

However, it is not mentioned in the AD help about copy & paste.

There is no difference in the AP & AD Mac help for the copy options. Nether one mentions Copy Merged, as far as I can see.

[thomaso]

1 hour ago, R C-R said:

There is no difference in the AP & AD Mac help for the copy options. Nether one mentions Copy Merged, as far as I can see.

Indeed, this makes it more strange – in particular because this article lists the SVG Copy option + all 5 Paste methods of this menu.

In the APhoto Help Copy Merge is not a copy/paste method but a "Layer Operation".

Note the highlighted sentence above: It seems to express that non-pixel layers are excluded (e.g. Image Layers vs. Pixel Layers?) while Copy Merged is one usage of Merge. Which can be understood as Copy Merge requires rasterization of a image layer.

 

[psiess]

I know this is an old post, but THANK YOU!!  I've been fighting with this for 3 days.  I rasterized the layer and PRESTO!!

[Damago1]

On 4/27/2017 at 10:24 AM, Alfred said:

It sounds as though you're working on an image layer, not a pixel layer. Image layers are treated as single objects, so you can only perform global operations such as rotating the image or adding layer effects: you can't work at the pixel level (e.g. for copying a selection). Go to the Layers panel, right-click the layer and choose 'Rasterize...' so that the designation changes from  '(Image)' to  '(Pixel)'.

This is VERY confusing. Is there an explaination what is the logic behind this? Affinity photo is a raster images editor. Why do I have to rasterize raster image in order to be able to edit it? Maybe there is some philosophy behind this idea that is confusing and for me one of a kind among all photo editors. I would like to understand it. 

[Komatös]

10 hours ago, Damago1 said:

Is there an explaination

Hello and welcome to the forums.

Please have a look here:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=affinity+photo+image+layer+versus+pixel+layer

 

[R C-R]

11 hours ago, Damago1 said:

Is there an explaination what is the logic behind this?

From the Image Layer help topic (emphasis added):

Quote

 

Image layers retain all of the data from the original image, which remains intact when the document is exported.

An image layer has a container which retains the placed image's original color space, resolution and physical dimensions (when placed at native resolution).

Image layers can be recolored much like an opened image or a pixel layer. If an image layer is drawn on, the layer will be rasterized and will adopt pixel layer properties. Rasterization is required to convert the image to the document's color space.

 

Also, unlike a Pixel layer, when an Image layer is selected, in the Context toolbar you will find options to Replace the Image, plus a dropdown menu that allows you to revert the layer to its original size or set its DPI and Scale to either the same linked X & Y values or independently in the X & Y directions.

So basically, this is something like a non-destructive version of a pixel (raster) layer, one that does not 'bake' anything into it unless/until it is rasterized.