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Create selection using selection brush and Bézier curves


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Is it possible to create a selection using both the selection brush and Bézier curves? This can be very useful when dealing with product photos: While the selection brush usually does a great job, there will sometimes be areas where it cannot reliably detect the edges because they're simply not visible in the photo. However, a human who knows what the object looks like can easily draw it using Bézier curves (see picture).

 

In Affinity Photo, is there a simple way to add a selection created from Bézier curves to an existing selection (made with the selection brush)?

scalpel.jpg

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2 hours ago, Tick said:

In Affinity Photo, is there a simple way to add a selection created from Bézier curves to an existing selection (made with the selection brush)?

 

 

Well, yes and no.

 

It is better to do it the other way round. Create a Bezier curve selection first and then add a pixel selection to that by using the Add button on the selection tool, here on the Selection brush.

add.jpg.d7975d7836693824395598c801b50e41.jpg

That will add the Bezier and pixel selections together (combine them).

 

If you want to do it the other way, it takes a little bit more work. You need to save the pixel selection first as a Spare Channel.

Make the pixel selection, then go Select > Save Selection > As Spare Channel.

 

It will appear at the bottom of the Channels panel (called Spare Channel).

ch.jpg.0d013f0c573c9ed8e2764b6b5a52d835.jpg

 

Then create  the Bezier curve selection, right click on the Spare Channel, and choose Add to Pixel Selection which will combine the two selections.

 

You can make as many selections as you like and save them, then add them together. Right click to rename the Spare Channels if necessary.

 

 

Windows PCs. Photo and Designer, latest non-beta versions.

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This variation on what @toltec suggested should work in situations where you want more than one selection made from Bezier curves:

 

1. First use the Pen Tool to draw several shapes to outline the parts of the image where Bezier curve selections are desired. To make it easy to see what you are doing, use a thin stroke & no fill.

2. Once all these parts are outlined, select all their individual Curve layers in the Layers panel & use Geometry > Add to convert them into one Curves layer.

3. Select this Curves layer, switch (if needed) back to the Pen Tool & click the Select button in the Context Toolbar. 

4. You can now use the other selection tools in Add mode to complete the selection. 

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

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99 times out of a hundred you would start with the selection brush, so try this...

Create your selection with the selection brush as usual and when you get to a tricky bit switch to the Pen Tool to create a curve layer encompassing the tricky area you also want to select, then fill the curve with a solid colour.

Switch back to the selection tool (which should be set to Add) "paint" on the curve layer to select it

You should now have your original selection plus the curve layer selection added to it

You can now switch off the curve layer's visibility

To save time I am currently using an automated AI to reply to some posts on this forum. If any of "my" posts are wrong or appear to be total b*ll*cks they are the ones generated by the AI. If correct they were probably mine. I apologise for any mistakes made by my AI - I'm sure it will improve with time.

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