How to delete what's inside a selection?

[OlaHaldor]

I feel really stupid for asking but I can't find anything in the help file or find any menu item for this.

 

It's pretty basic: I make a rectangle marquee selection, and intuitively press DELETE or BACKSPACE. Both will delete the LAYER, not what's inside the selection.  :rolleyes:

 

How do I remove the selected part of the image?

 

(I'm not talking about cropping, just removing pixels from a layer)

 

 

OR how can I copy what's inside the selection and paste into a new layer?

[gdenby]

I'm using AD, not AP, and I don't often use the pixel persona tools. If you are using AP I expect the pixel selection is much the same. Here's what I know. You must be working w. a pixel layer. I'm unclear about the difference between a pixel layer and an image layer. Image layers, tho' pixels need to be rasterized.

 

Use the rectangle tool, or ellipse, whatever, and define the area. Then use the move tool (arrow) and click on the defined space. That turns it into an editable object that can be cleared by delete, or copied and pasted in the standard manner.

 

I suppose it works this way because the selected area can be placed over multiple layers, and then each layer can have a different treatment.

[OlaHaldor]

I'm in Affinity Photo by the way. Thought it would show when I typed a tag for the post.

Huh.. Ok.. So I had to "rasterize" the layer before I could delete parts of the layer.. Cumbersome to figure out when it's not covered in the manual (if it is, it should be easier to find!) 

[IndigoMoon]

Hi,

Simpy Ctrl+X for cutting out and Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V for copy and paste...

https://vimeo.com/134729670

Cheers

[OlaHaldor]

That's what I thought too! 

 

But it turned out to be the layer was IMAGE instead of PIXELS.

The solution: right-click each layer and select RASTERIZE.

[IndigoMoon]

If you open an image like a JPG, then it should work simply like described.

What operation did you before, that it was necessary to rasterize the image or layer? Maybe you've placed (Place...) images as layers?!

[Geej]

1. Click MARQUEE tool (whatever shape you prefer)

2. Click ADD in top menu

3. Drag mouse around shape you want to cut or edit

4. Click MOVE tool 

5. Right-click on marqueed part on the image

6. Click Rasterize

7. Click Ctrl X or Right-click on marqueed & rasterized part of image (image is deleted but copied into clipboard)

8. Click Ctrl P or Paste onto another part of the page

[robinp]

Yeah, this is stupidly clunky UI. Come on. Draw marquee, hit backspace should delete the contents of the marquee. Why on earth wouldn't it?

[MEB]

Hi robinp,
That's how it works on pixel layers which is the equivalent of the regular layers people are used to in other image editors. If you are placing images (File ▸ Place or dragging them from Finder or Windows Explorer to an opened document in Affinity) then we create Image layers which keep all the original image data as if they were embedded documents - you can still transform (scale, rotate etc) and/or adjust them them non-destructively through adjustments etc - but they cannot be edited at a pixel level - that's when you need to rasterise them. 

 

[robinp]

34 minutes ago, MEB said:

Hi robinp,
That's how it works on pixel layers which is the equivalent of the regular layers people are used to in other image editors. If you are placing images (File ▸ Place or dragging them from Finder or Windows Explorer to an opened document in Affinity) then we create Image layers which keep all the original image data as if they were embedded documents - you can still transform (scale, rotate etc) and/or adjust them them non-destructively through adjustments etc - but they cannot be edited at a pixel level - that's when you need to rasterise them. 

 

Hi @MEB

Thanks, but that’s not how it’s working for me. I’m using pixel layers and it’s driving me nuts. I’m having to use cut instead and that obviously causes problems if you are in the middle of copy and pasting something. 

Robin

[R C-R]

19 minutes ago, robinp said:

Thanks, but that’s not how it’s working for me.

'Marching ant' selections are not a part of any layer -- they 'float' over all the layers of the document, so to speak. So for this to work on any layer it must be the currently selected layer. So check for that in the Layers panel, & that in that panel there is a "(Pixel)" suffix indicating it is a pixel layer.

[robinp]

Thanks, I had done that but having restarted Photo it does now appear to be working. I'm quite familiar with working with Photoshop so I had checked that the correct layer was selected etc but nothing would make it work. It was very strange indeed and driving me crazy.

 

Edit:

@MEBIt has now started happening again. Definitely a bug.

[robinp]

Here's a video of it. Rest assured, I'm hitting backspace repeatedly during this video.

[robinp]

OK, I've figured out what is going on. It's not great.

I disable using backspace as a shortcut for deleting a layer. I never ever would want this to be the case. You just risk deleting a layer without realising. In no way should backspace = delete layer.

Disabling this shortcut disables backspace for deleting the contents of a marquee. It is really weird and horrible that these two commands are linked with the same shortcut controls.

[robinp]

Drawing a lasso it is never possible to delete the contents

[firstdefence]

@robinp Are you on windows? 

The reason I ask is on Mac it works as it should.

[robinp]

Just now, firstdefence said:

@robinp Are you on windows? 

The reason I ask is on Mac it works as it should.

Nope, I'm on Mac.

[firstdefence]

Ok, drawing a rectangle and pressing backspace I can delete every time, drawing with the lasso I can delete using Cmd + X but backspace just deselects the lasso selection. Backspace for the lasso appears to be Undo, draw 2 or three selections with the lasso and press backspace it will take you to the previously drawn selections, until it deselects the first selection drawn.

[robinp]

2 minutes ago, firstdefence said:

Ok, drawing a rectangle and pressing backspace I can delete every time, drawing with the lasso I can delete using Cmd + X but backspace just deselects the lasso selection. Backspace for the lasso appears to be Undo

Yes, they appear to be 2 different but similar problems.

[firstdefence]

2 minutes ago, robinp said:

Yes, they appear to be 2 different but similar problems.

Not consistent, needs changing.

[firstdefence]

If you draw with the lasso tool, then add a rectangle to that selection backspace will work and will remove part of the image within the created selection.

[robinp]

Good spot, a decent work around for the short term but these two things really do need fixing.

1. Lasso selection should be deletable using backspace (currently it deletes the selection)
2. It should be possible to disable backspace to delete layer without it stopping deleting the contents of a marquee / lasso

[fde101]

I don't have this in front of me at the moment to check, but what happens if you use the lasso to make a selection then switch to the rectangle selection tool and press delete (the correct Mac name for what Windows users call backspace), without adding the rectangle?

Wondering if it is the selection of the tool that activates the behavior or some actual property of the selection itself that is somehow different.

[robinp]

3 minutes ago, fde101 said:

I don't have this in front of me at the moment to check, but what happens if you use the lasso to make a selection then switch to the rectangle selection tool and press delete (the correct Mac name for what Windows users call backspace), without adding the rectangle?

Wondering if it is the selection of the tool that activates the behavior or some actual property of the selection itself that is somehow different.

Fair enough, I call it backspace to differentiate from the delete key but whatever.

Your point is interesting and yes, switching to marquee having created the lasso selection does indeed enable the contents to be deleted.

[walt.farrell]

5 minutes ago, fde101 said:

press delete (the correct Mac name for what Windows users call backspace)

That confuses me a bit, as Windows has both Delete and Backspace keys. They certainly do different things when operating on text, but may do the same or different things when operating on other kinds of data, depending on the program and items factors.