Fill selection with pattern?

[Eirinn]

Hello all, 

I' m trying to fill a selection with an image used as a pattern, but it's not working as expected.

I tried to use the gradient tool with bitmap as type and selecting the image I want to use as a pattern. After this the image is filling the selection, good, but if shrunk, it's not behaving like a pattern, but just stretching its borders. How do I fill the selection correctly?

[dutchshader]

I know the seamless pattern fill is an option in designer, i think this is not possible in photo

[R C-R]

30 minutes ago, dutchshader said:

I know the seamless pattern fill is an option in designer, i think this is not possible in photo

Yep, Affinity Designer but not Affinity Photo provides an "Extend" option on the Gradient Tool's Context Toolbar with the "Mirror" & "Wrap" options that are useful for creating seamless patterns. AP will display the Extend options for a bitmap fill created in AD, but that isn't of much use unless you have both apps.

 

If you do not, a possible if awkward workaround might be to use the AP "Place" function to add the bitmap file as a new image layer, adjust its size as desired, & then duplicate it & snap the duplicates together to get the desired pattern. Add layer clipping or masking as needed.

[Eirinn]

Hi, thanks for the answer and the suggestion on the workaround, though it's not that convenient. Do you know if this possibility will be implemented in some future release?

[R C-R]

The developers have not said anything definite about that but have said some features of one app probably will not be added to the other.

[Bri-Toon]

Judging from the screenshot, it looks like you are trying to apply a bitmap fill on a pixel selection. If you use the Pen Tool and create that same shape, you can apply a fill.

[carl123]

For more complex selections where you don't want to use the Pen Tool

Just make your selection as normal, CTRL + J to copy the section to a new layer

Draw a rectangular shape large enough to cover the copied selection.

Use the copied selection as a clipping mask/layer for the shape

Then use the Gradient Bitmap Fill on the shape and you will have the options to Extend, etc etc etc

[Bri-Toon]

That's a good idea as well, and it would work in the advantage of hiding and revealing. Just a slight correction, that would not be clipping. There are two types of masks in Affinity; vector masks and pixel masks. Clipping and cropping works for vector masks while pixel selections and vector erasing works for pixel masks. (Not to correct, but just to teach.)

 

[walt.farrell]

18 minutes ago, Bri-Toon said:

That's a good idea as well, and it would work in the advantage of hiding and revealing. Just a slight correction, that would not be clipping. There are two types of masks in Affinity; vector masks and pixel masks. Clipping and cropping works for vector masks while pixel selections and vector erasing works for pixel masks. (Not to correct, but just to teach.)

 

However, Affinity also refers to nesting one layer inside another as "clipping", which is (I think) what @carl123 may have been referring to. E.g.,  from this AP help topic,

Quote

Clipping involves positioning one layer inside another, creating a parent - child layer relationship. The path of the parent layer becomes the new boundaries for the child layer. Any areas of the child layer which lie outside the parent layer's path are masked (hidden).

 

[Eirinn]

4 hours ago, carl123 said:

For more complex selections where you don't want to use the Pen Tool

Just make your selection as normal, CTRL + J to copy the section to a new layer

Draw a rectangular shape large enough to cover the copied selection.

Use the copied selection as a clipping mask/layer for the shape

Then use the Gradient Bitmap Fill on the shape and you will have the options to Extend, etc etc etc

Thanks! I'll try that and let you know

[Bri-Toon]

9 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

However, Affinity also refers to nesting one layer inside another as "clipping", which is (I think) what @carl123 may have been referring to. E.g.,  from this AP help topic,

 

 

I rest my case.

[Eirinn]

14 hours ago, Eirinn said:

Thanks! I'll try that and let you know

Ok, so the solution proposed by Carl123 works. Not really straightforward though, I guess the way to handle this kind of need can be improved.