Magic Wand - Selection?

[eejits]

I have been looking for alternative to Paint Shop Pro where I create my curious creatures known as 'eejits', After a long search and pulling my hair out with other programs, I  think Affinity might be the program I have been looking for!!

 

However, I am stumbling with my workflow. After creating an vector outline, I'd like to create a selection within the outline so I can create a fill on another pixel layer.  Normally I would use a magic wand tool, click inside the outline and a selection would be made within the enclosed shape.

 

Is there any way to recreate this work flow in Affinity? The brush selection tool just isn't doing it for me.....

 

Many thanks,

 

George

eejits

http://www.eejits-online.co.uk

[Ben]

Have you tried using your vector object as a clip for a raster layer? If you create a raster layer and drag it onto a vector layer in the Layers page, the raster layer will become a child object in the tree and will then be clipped by the vector outline. You will still get the vector line on top of your child raster content. This could well help you achieve the same results.

 

This is part of the flexibility we have tried to incorporate into Affinty. Any layer type can be used to clip another, purely by changing your layer hierarchy. This lends itself to some very versatile ways to clip to shapes, and quite unique ways of mixing vector and raster elements. All child layers are clipped to their parent layer content. This could be the alpha channel of a raster layer, or the outline of a vector layer.

 

I'll try provide some screen grabs tomorrow.

[eejits]

I think I understand what you're saying but it doesn't achieve what I want it to (I think). Maybe I'm not understanding after all...... haha!

 

To explain what I want the program to do for me (if possible).....

 

I want to be able to paint within and up to my outlines by using a selection to contain my raster work. I need to be able to make a selection that selects everything within the outline easily and quickly. Painting a selection and hoping the program catches everything and doesn't go out side the outline/shape is a bit fiddly for me.

 

Is this possible or do I ned another workaround.

 

Thanks for answering and your attention to the community.

 

George

[rui_mac]

I guess what you want is something achievable in a paint application, not a vector application.

[eejits]

Yes, but I can do both Vector and Pixel layers that does what I want. It's the selection tools that I want to figure out.

[rui_mac]

Well, you can't do pixel selections inside vector shapes (if I'm not mistaken)

What you can do is to use vectors to mask out bitmaps. Will that be enough?

[eejits]

Ah, okay! So how do I do that in Affinity Designer (my apologies for being such a noob!)?!?

[Ash]

One cool function to try - Insert Inside.  This is the button on the far right of the top toolbar.  With a vector shape selected, and selecting this option means anything you do next will be inserted inside the shape.  I've attached a video showing this with a raster brush...

InsertInside.mov

[eejits]

YES! Exactly what I want to be able to achieve!! This was a stumbling block for me to transfer my workflow from Paint Shop Pro to Affinity! Awesome, thanks Ash!

[guillaumegautier]

You can also use the "selection brush" but you have to switch edition mode to "pixel persona" at the top left of the toolbar.

[marcymurli]

But after you select that brush then what? I'm trying to get rid of the outer parts of this image, but I don't know how and none of the videos show how to make the edges transparent or to make it blend in with the other image.

[Daanon]

Fireworks had such an elegant solution to this. You could convert a layer to bitmap, use the magic wand tool and cut away the white background, and then convert the layer back to vector. I can edit an image in another program and then paste it into Affinity Designer, but that seems rather inefficient. 

[MEB]

Hi Daanon,

Welcome to Affinity Forums

In Affinity Designer you change to the Pixel Persona, use the Selection Brush Tool to create a rough selection of the object you want to isolate, click the Refine Selection button in the context toolbar to refine the selection/matte edges (adjust as necessary) and set the Output dropdown on bottom to Mask. Click Apply and you should have you object isolated from its background.

 

For more info about refining selections check this video tutorial (it's for Affinity Photo but works on the same way in Designer): Refining Selections.