Several Issues with Crop Tool

[PapaBear60]

Have been a loyal Photoshop fan since version 1, but now that I'm retired but active, the price is out of reach.  In searching for alternative tools, found Affinity Photo and I love many aspects of it.  HOWEVER, I've run into a couple of peculiarities that I cannot seem to work around.  

What I'm trying to do is create .png elements that I can combine as web elements to build up a composite image for customers to create their own version of my product.  (Think, changing colors on a car image - sort of like that.)  Problem is some of these elements are ovals of differing sizes that must come together concentrically on the website.  So, I am attempting to use the crop tool to create transparent background .PNG files and it ain't working as (I think) it should.  Here goes:

1. Cropping leaves a ghost line around the cropped area unless I find a way to make that area transparent first.

2. Using the crop preset - I create a crop area and save that as a preset.  The area is in the center of the drawing.  When I recall the preset, it is justified to the upper left corner.  Getting it back to dead center is nearly impossible and my images never align.

3. Aside for the misalignment issue from #2, if I use the preset on two different .bmp images, then export them as .png, they do not retain the relative size - one is larger than it should be.  Here are 3 bitmap images produced by my CAD.  They are exactly the same size, 1387x983 px.  The first one is an oval board with blue place holders for two overlay tracks, the 2nd and 3rd files.  BTW, on the toolbar it says that all 3 are represented at 84 - shown here.

So, I remove all but the tracks on the 2nd and 3rd files to create the overlays as .png files, attached.  Then, when I "place" these two back onto the board graphic, it seems to work.  

Here's the problem.  When I crop these 3, I must recenter the crop tool each time and cannot make it exact with my eye.  The result is that the .png files I create for each is slightly on a different center and the overlays don't line up properly, as shown in Sample Board - Cherry with 2 tracks

Thoughts?

 

Sample Board - cherry.bmp

Sample Inner Track.bmp

Sample Outer Track Maple.bmp

[firstdefence]

Using the Flood Select Tool I got a reasonable selection and ended up with this.

 

Sample Inner Track.afphoto

Sample Outer Track Maple.afphoto

[PapaBear60]

Flood select tool on what?

[Dan C]

Hi PapaBear60,

Welcome to the forums

I'm a little confused as to why you're using the crop tool, as your images are already the correct size to fit within each other, but I might be missing something here.

Using whichever selection method you prefer to select the outer and inner track (I used the smart selection brush, firstdefence used the flood selection tool I believe) you can then copy the selection and go to File>New From Clipboard. This will create a new file of the track only, at the correct size for the board.

You can then export each of these new documents as PNG with a transparent background, then open your board and go to File>Place and left click once to place the image at it's base resolution. With snapping options turned on you can then drag each track and snap it to the centre of the image, which should provide the desired outcome you're looking for.

I've included a video below showing this process, hope this helps!

[PapaBear60]

Awesome!!!!!!!  Thank you.  Ultimately, I will use each of these elements on the internet to build up the various options.  I was using the crop tool to assure that they all line up concentrically.  I'll try this.

I'm a believer and a fan.  Will go ahead and install Affinity on my 2 PCs, my MAC and my iPad.  Then cancel my Adobe subscription.  

Thanks again.