Path to Selection

[evtonic3]

Is there a convert path to selection option anywhere? A paths palette would be great.

[MEB]

Hi evtonic3,

It's not available in Affinity Designer yet (only in Affinity Photo), but should be coming to Designer soon.

[evtonic3]

How is this done in AP?

[MEB]

In Affinity Photo, select the Pen Tool, draw you path, then click on Selection button on the context toolbar (there's also an option to convert it to a mask instead).

[Gaz]

click on Selection button on the context toolbar (there's also an option to convert it to a mask instead).

Found this post in a search, but I think I'm being a bit thick…. The Selection button isn't jumping out at me ?

I've created a path, I select the nodes in that path, can't find the next step to convert the path to a pixel area selection.

Is it in the tool bar down the left side or along the top ? Any clue what it looks like ? :-)

[MEB]

Hi Gaz,

You must have the Pen Tool selected. If you have selected a few nodes you are probably using the Node Tool. There's no need to select nodes. Just select the path, change to the Pen Tool and look at the top left of the context toolbar.

[Gaz]

Ahhh, … got it now. Thanks for that. I think that could be made to lot more intuitive. I spent a good half hour on that.

Is it right that the path / curve then disappears from the layers once a selection is made ?, so can't be used / altered in the future ?

 

I second the request for a Paths pallet as a way of managing / retaining / selecting paths

[MEB]

Yes, the path disappears if you convert it to a selection. You must create a duplicate before if you intend to keep it as a path too.

[Gaz]

Many thanks for your help Meb, that's brilliant.

 

I'll remember to make a duplicate. It seems it's more of a "convert path to selection" than "make a selection from path". Which would probably be more useful, especially if the selection area ever needs to be altered at a later date. :-)

[MEB]

Here's a tip: if you press and hold ⌘ (cmd) while clicking on a layers's thumbnail in the Layers panel Affinity will create a selection from its content. So if you do this with a shape layer you can create a selection without converting the shape to a selection or even change to the Pen Tool. Note that if the shape doesn't have fill but only a stroke, that's the stroke area that will generate the selection.

[Gaz]

Here's a tip: if you press and hold ⌘ (cmd) while clicking on a layers's thumbnail in the Layers panel Affinity will create a selection from its content. So if you do this with a shape layer you can create a selection without converting the shape to a selection or even change to the Pen Tool. Note that if the shape doesn't have fill but only a stroke, that's the stroke area that will generate the selection.

 

Thanks MEB, that's really helpful, didn't know holding down ⌘ would do that for a filled shape (Curve). They can then be grouped together into a folder named paths and visibility switched off. In effect that's the same as Photoshop's Path panel  :).