Emma,
Elements does indeed have the magnetic lasso.
It does not have fade but that is not a big deal. I wouldn’t let that stop you from considering purchasing Elements. If you do want a fade effect, Richard Lynch has a free add-on package for Elements that includes a fade effect along with other useful tools.
http://hiddenelements.com/freetools.html Bob
Bob, thanks for the tip on Fade being in the Hidden Elements tools; I missed that. I’m not sophisticated enough to use it, I guess!
Chuck
Bob, I have the original Hidden Power tools from the book, plus one labeled More Hidden Power. Fade isn’t in either of those; is there another set I should be downloading? Thanks
Chuck
Bob, I think I found it – sitting in an unzipped download on my desktop (HPA3).
Chuck
Yep, that’s it.
Looks like I’m slightly "out of sync" today. <g> But, that’s ok.
Bob
No, Bob, I think it’s I who’s out of sync – had the file on my desktop for a long time and probably had asked myself, ‘What IS that??"
🙂
Chuck
Would someone like to tell me or show me what you can do with ‘fade’?
Mark – fade is a photoshop command you can use after running a filter – if you decide that the effect is a bit too strong you can fade by a particular percentage. You can also fade to a particular blending mode. It is equivalent to running a filter on a duplicate layer and then reducing the opacity/changing the blending mode – except you have to decide in advance to do this whereas the PS command lets you decide after the event. The fading to a lower percentage will have subtley different effect to running the filter at a lower setting.
My favorite use for fade(using Richard’s implementaton for Elements – hit fade after running a filter and it goes back in history to create the extra layer with the filter effect on it) is to run USM, hit fade, and then fiddle with the opacity and change the blending mode to darken – it gives only the darker part of the increased contrast around edges and for some subjects – eyelashes, tree branches against blue sky, I find the haloes are less obvious. If you try PS tutorials there are a few which use the fade command and this allows them to be followed more exactly.
My favorite new tools in HPA3 are the shadow/highight masks – useful in conjunction with a levels adjustment layer for quick and efficient opening up of underexposed shadows.
Susan S
If you are not using Richard’s tools and want a simple workaround to get something similar to a fade command (not exactly, but still a useful thing to do) is to try this:
Duplicate your layer. Apply filter to the duplicate. Adjust the opacity of the duplicate layer. This gives you the ability to make a filter more subtle. Often use this with a gaussian blur to soften an image with a lot of control.
Rich
I don’t know if there’s a way to navigate while using magnetic lasso. What I tried is;I zoom in on the image want to work on, so it would be more accurate. But I find it hard cause I can’t pause the magnetic lasso and move the image up or down or left or right, and continue lassoing the edges of the zoomed image.
Hit space bar, don’t let up on mouse.
Will take a little practice…
Mac
Dennis,
I have never got the hang of it … it runs away with me everytime I try, so I have gone back to the ordinary lasso 🙂
Wendy
Dennis..
I use the Magnetic when there is enough contrast between what I am selecting and not.. when it becomes harder to do I use the "Selection Brush" not only is it more forgiving but you can "push" it back if you go over by holding the Alt Key.. in addition you can select more then one object that is not otherwise connected… ie; the spaces between multipal flower peddles… Elements has many "selection" tools… they do for a reason.. they all do have their purpose… give them all a try…
David
Dennis,
Or try the polygonal lasso, just zoom way in, click on edge, move cursor a short distance, click again…travel all the way around your selection click-clicking. Before you get to the edge of your screen (rather than letting the cursor move the image underneath the cursor) hold down the space bar, cursor turns into a hand, hand is like glued to image and moving mouse moves the image on screen, let go of space bar, hold down again if wanting to move image more.
Thanks guys for the info.. I tried all your suggestions and that helps alot…
Godspeed
I have a photo of a butterfly with background too strong. I want to select the foreground object, invert the selection, reduce intensity of background, then re-insert the selection. Is this the best approach?
When I trace the butterfly using the magnetic lasso tool. I get less than half way around the image when the entire screen turns blank for a few seconds. When my image is displayed again, the selection has closed right across the butterfly’s wing. Backspace does not work because the image is not rasterized. Undo takes me back to square one, and I start over. This happens consistently. Any ideas appreciated.
Rasterizing does not help. The screen goes blank. When it comes back on, the selection shape is closed incorrectly, and I cannot undo this action.
Also, is it possible to work at high magnification (zoom) levels and move the figure as the selection process continues? Can I somehow call "time out" while maneuvering the scroll bars, then resume the magnetic lasso selection process?
Thanks
On Sat, 23 Dec 2006 21:42:17 -0800, wrote:
Rasterizing does not help. The screen goes blank. When it comes back on, the selection shape is closed incorrectly, and I cannot undo this action.
Also, is it possible to work at high magnification (zoom) levels and move the figure as the selection process continues? Can I somehow call "time out" while maneuvering the scroll bars, then resume the magnetic lasso selection process?
Thanks
I have never found the magnetic lasso tool much good in most cases. Once in awhile it works well and makes things go faster. I would use the regular lasso or the pen tool to select the butterfly. If you press and hold spacebar your tool will turn to hand then you can move the image to a different spot release the spacebar and continue outlining.
I think either the pen tool or the extract filter would work better. Have you given them a try?
the selection has closed right across the butterfly’s wing
You can add to a selection by holding the Shift key and subtract by holding Alt. This also allows you to change selection tools half way through.
Can I somehow call "time out" while maneuvering the scroll bars
Holding the space bar will temporarily convert the cursor into the "hand" tool. Once you’ve used this to "scroll" the image simply release it to revert back to the lasso.
Merry Christmas.
Chris
Hi John,
I have a photo of a butterfly with background too strong. I want to select the foreground object, invert the selection, reduce intensity of background, then re-insert the selection. Is this the best approach?
I would strongly suggest that you look for information about how to use quick mask, layer masks and channel masks for selections and defining selections. I would also strongly suggest a drawing tablet to make drawing easier, if you don’t already have one.
To learn about masks you could go to
http://movielibrary.lynda.com/html/modPage.asp?ID=322 and watch the (free) movies there on "How Masks Work". If I remember correctly these are channel masks, but that will also help you to get to know the quick mask.
It takes a bit to get used to how the masks work, but when you get used to it, you won’t know how you did without:)
—
Arnor Baldvinsson
San Antonio, Texas
wrote in message
news:
On Sat, 23 Dec 2006 21:23:46 -0800, wrote:
I have a photo of a butterfly with background too strong. I want to select the foreground object, invert the selection, reduce intensity of background, then re-insert the selection. Is this the best approach?
When I trace the butterfly using the magnetic lasso tool. I get less than half way around the image when the entire screen turns blank for a few seconds. When my image is displayed again, the selection has closed right across the butterfly’s wing. Backspace does not work because the image is not rasterized. Undo takes me back to square one, and I start over. This happens consistently. Any ideas appreciated.
I have this happen to me quite often John. I think that it’s a shortage of memory, but I can’t be postive. I find that if I’m working on many images at once, or if I’ve been doing a lot of editing to one picture, I’ll get that blank screen.
What happens to me is that if I’m using any tool that uses the "marching ants", like the marquee tool or the magic lasso tool,(I don’t care for the Magnetic Lasso tool) as I’m trying to encircle the object, the screen suddenly turns gray with only the marching ants are visible. When this happens, I’ll just make a guess as to where I wanted to end up and release the mouse button. Once I release the mouse button (which releases the magic lasso or marquee tool), the image reappears, but with the marching ants in the wrong place. If I wasn’t able to encircle all of the object that I wanted, I hold down the "shift" key, and this allows you to add to your existing selection. Just hold down the "Shift" key, and press on the left mouse button, and you can pick up where you left off. If you encircled something that you didn’t want, hold down the "Alt" key and use the left mouse button, and this will subtract what you don’t want.
Talker
chrisjbirchall,
Thank you for the Christmas present.
Bill
Rather than treat it as a one step process see if it helps to select using a two or three stage process.
The first selection can be made at, say, 50% zoom then:
1 – switch to 100% zoom and use the navigate window to, erm, navigate around the selection.
2 – identify where additions or subtractions from the selection are required
3 – change to hand drawn selection tool and add (shift plus select tool) or subtract (ALT plus select tool) to the previously made selection.
4 – continue fine tuning until the selection is as you require then save the selection (all that work is worthy of some return later on if needed)
My own preference at step #2 is to make sure that additions or subtractions are made in the form of closed loops (I don’t know why – maybe an idiosyncrasy?)
Top it off with a CTRL+J and a CTRL+SHIFT+J as this seems to give a bit more creative freedom later on.
(you are working on a copy of the background and a copy of the original image yes?)
EDIT: butterflies can be great 🙂 <
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alan.plc/web-content/I/1/Sample s/NG26/ng26k.html>
Thanks; very helpful; happy New Year.
Where are messages #3 and 4?
I’m using the freeform pen tool now, as suggested by Michael. I believe that it also has magnetic properties, but not sure. I’m quite new to all of this.
Anyway, I’m still getting blank screens after 10-20 s. or maybe a minute of tracing the butterfly to select it. I do not believe I can save a selection until it is a closed figure, correct?
When the screen goes blank I have found that only the ESC key will restore my image, and of course I lose all work, and have to start over. Is there another way to save my work when the blanking occurs? Does CS3 Beta improve this situation?
Where are messages #3 and 4?
Click "Show all messages"
I’m still getting blank screens after 10-20 s
What version of PS?
What are your system specs?
How much memory do you have allocated to PS in the prefs? What size files are you working on?
To add to Chris’s request for more information: in magnetic lasso there are some settings for tolerance and I think two other things. What are these set at. One of those two determines how far apart to set the anchor points. I’m thinking you have the lasso set to a very fine amount that might be making way too many points.
PS2 v. 9.0.2
Wind XP pro v. 2002 sp2
1 GB RAM
PS shows 849 MB RAM available; max. used by PS = 59% or 501 MB. I just increased ths to 637 MB.
Regarding the blank screens: I also have these occur all the time. I *think* it has something to do with my video card as it never happened before I changed my nVidia 5600 to an ATi 9800XT. What kind of video card do you have John?
I just increased ths to 637 MB
No really, reduce the allocation.
55% is the default. But with only 1GB of on-board RAM anything higher than 45-50% will deprive other apps (Bridge, the OS, your anti-virus etc., etc.) of resources. This in turn will cause the OS to page out to virtual memory, causing major slow-downs or even freezes.
When allocating PS memory, less is more 🙂
Think in terms of your scratch disk acting as "memory" (which is why scratch is so important) and the physical RAM acting as a cache for this "memory".
A little light reading: <
http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/320005.html>
Chris.
When using the magnetic lasso in Photoshop CS, and you make a mistake in the middle of of a run, is there some way of going back to the bit where the selection started going wrong?
—
dorayme
On Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:18:47 +1000, dorayme
wrote:
When using the magnetic lasso in Photoshop CS, and you make a mistake in the middle of of a run, is there some way of going back to the bit where the selection started going wrong?
No, there is not (as far as I know), but who cares?
Even if there was, I would not have used it.
Simply complete the selection, after which you use the Lasso Tool (add or subtract) to repair the ‘mistake in the middle of the run’. Piece of cake.
Also, you should experiment with more selecting tools.
One of my favorites is to make a selection and then use the color selector within it.
Dave
http://dave.photos.gb.net/p38699592.html
In article ,
Dave wrote:
On Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:18:47 +1000, dorayme
wrote:
When using the magnetic lasso in Photoshop CS, and you make a mistake in the middle of of a run, is there some way of going back to the bit where the selection started going wrong?
No, there is not (as far as I know), but who cares?
Obviously I care. Don’t I count in your scheme of things <g>
Even if there was, I would not have used it.
Is this because you are superior to me in not making errors in the middle of a mag las trace? I am a flawed being, I cannot deny it. I was rather hoping other sinners would be able to assist.
—
dorayme
On Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:29:23 +1000, dorayme
wrote:
In article ,
Dave wrote:
On Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:18:47 +1000, dorayme
wrote:
When using the magnetic lasso in Photoshop CS, and you make a mistake in the middle of of a run, is there some way of going back to the bit where the selection started going wrong?
No, there is not (as far as I know), but who cares?
Obviously I care. Don’t I count in your scheme of things <g>
Even if there was, I would not have used it.
Is this because you are superior to me in not making errors in the middle of a mag las trace? I am a flawed being, I cannot deny it. I was rather hoping other sinners would be able to assist.
The only sin you committed, was by reading only part of what I said. There is nothing special to my ‘selecting talents’ (the exception was my wedding day. My selection was perfect!)
I also make mistakes when doing selections, of course. But then, like said, call in the help of the ‘Lasso Tool’. That, is standard practice to everybody here with even the slightest of experience. (Don’t misjudge the tone in which I am saying this – this was said with a smile)
Please read again what I said, make mistakes on purpose, and correct it with the standard lasso tool. Play around with the add and subtract buttons (left hand corner of the task bar) and you’ll come back and confirm the victory.
Dave
http://dave.photos.gb.net/p38432094.html
In article ,
Dave wrote:
On Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:29:23 +1000, dorayme
wrote:
In article ,
Dave wrote:
On Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:18:47 +1000, dorayme
wrote:
When using the magnetic lasso in Photoshop CS, and you make a mistake in the middle of of a run, is there some way of going back to the bit where the selection started going wrong?
No, there is not (as far as I know), but who cares?
Obviously I care. Don’t I count in your scheme of things <g>
Even if there was, I would not have used it.
Is this because you are superior to me in not making errors in the middle of a mag las trace? I am a flawed being, I cannot deny it. I was rather hoping other sinners would be able to assist.
The only sin you committed, was by reading only part of what I said.
Ah but I did read it. It was ‘more or less’ what I do. I find it a bit of a pain and just wish one could command z or sort of trace back over the mistake and it removes it till one gets to where it was fine…
Truth is, I might have to get cannier at setting the pixel and feathering options, I am slack on this!
There is nothing special to my ‘selecting talents’ (the exception was my wedding day. My selection was perfect!)
Bless you on this. It warms my heart to hear such things! I’m a sucker big time for romantic.
I also make mistakes when doing selections, of course. But then, like said, call in the help of the ‘Lasso Tool’. That, is standard practice to everybody here with even the slightest of experience. (Don’t misjudge the tone in which I am saying this – this was said with a smile)
Please read again what I said, make mistakes on purpose, and correct it with the standard lasso tool. Play around with the add and subtract buttons (left hand corner of the task bar) and you’ll come back and confirm the victory.
OK, I will practice this more! Thanks Dave. <g>
—
dorayme
OK, I will practice this more! Thanks Dave. <g>
dorayme
Big pleasure, dorayme.
fasolatedo
OK, I will practice this more! Thanks Dave. <g>
Nobody do selections without polishing it afterwards.
As a last thought – experiment with the other selection tools as well, with special effort on the color selector (select/Color Range)
Dave
dorayme wrote:
When using the magnetic lasso in Photoshop CS, and you make a mistake in the middle of of a run, is there some way of going back to the bit where the selection started going wrong?
DELETE key.
HTH
R.
In article <LPYNj.47341$>,
"Ragnar" wrote:
dorayme wrote:
When using the magnetic lasso in Photoshop CS, and you make a mistake in the middle of of a run, is there some way of going back to the bit where the selection started going wrong?
DELETE key.
Well! You could knock me down with a feather! I tried this but never realised to go back with the mouse to the point wanted and yes, this works!
I needed someone to say it for me to realise this. Gosh, I do feel a bit silly now.
Thanks all. I *really* appreciate this!
—
dorayme
On Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:52:25 +0200, Dave wrote:
On Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:18:47 +1000, dorayme
wrote:
When using the magnetic lasso in Photoshop CS, and you make a mistake in the middle of of a run, is there some way of going back to the bit where the selection started going wrong?
No, there is not (as far as I know), but who cares?
Even if there was, I would not have used it.
Simply complete the selection, after which you use the Lasso Tool (add or subtract) to repair the ‘mistake in the middle of the run’. Piece of cake.
Also, you should experiment with more selecting tools.
One of my favorites is to make a selection and then use the color selector within it.
Dave
http://dave.photos.gb.net/p38699592.html
backspace will undo errors
dorayme wrote:
When using the magnetic lasso in Photoshop CS, and you make a mistake in the middle of of a run, is there some way of going back to the bit where the selection started going wrong?
Yes, you can always use ADD/Substract later at anytime. I believe Shift = + and Atl= –
I use Add/Substract quite often but I am not running Photoshop at the moment to confirm the keyboard commands above.
"Ragnar" wrote:
dorayme wrote:
When using the magnetic lasso in Photoshop CS, and you make a mistake in the middle of of a run, is there some way of going back to the bit where the selection started going wrong?
DELETE key.
HTH
R.
Read my other message. You can always use the Add/Substract command to redo any part of selection at anytime.
On 17 abr, 20:18, dorayme wrote:
When using the magnetic lasso in Photoshop CS, and you make a mistake in the middle of of a run, is there some way of going back to the bit where the selection started going wrong?
—
dorayme
On PC, on Mac don’t know if is the same:
Put your mouse pointer over the last good anchor point made by the magnetic lasso (no matters the selection looks owful)
and start pressing Backspace till all the anchor points made by the magnetic lasso after the last good point desapear.
good luck
In article
,
samuel wrote:
On 17 abr, 20:18, dorayme wrote:
When using the magnetic lasso in Photoshop CS, and you make a mistake in the middle of of a run, is there some way of going back to the bit where the selection started going wrong?
—
dorayme
On PC, on Mac don’t know if is the same:
Put your mouse pointer over the last good anchor point made by the magnetic lasso (no matters the selection looks owful)
and start pressing Backspace till all the anchor points made by the magnetic lasso after the last good point desapear.
good luck
Yes, after all the other exchanges, I am sure this will work. Thanks.
—
dorayme
