Quick links to procedures on this page:

•
 
To load a selection from a channel
•
 
To store a selection in the portfolio
•
 
To use a selection from the portfolio

Loading and Combining Selections

When you save a selection, you create a channel, which you can later reuse as a selection. Loading a selection reactivates a selection that was previously saved as a channel. You can also load selections from the Selection Portfolio, a library of ready-to-use selections. In addition, you can use Boolean operations to combine existing selections with alpha channels.

Loading Selections

Loading a selection reactivates a selection that was saved as a channel. When you load a selection, you can replace the current selection, add it to the current selection, subtract it from the current selection, or intersect it with the current selection.

Loading a selection reactivates it on the canvas, where it controls your painting and image effects. You can combine selections in powerful ways. For more information, see Combining Selections by Using Boolean Operations .

To load a selection from a channel Back to Top
1
 
Do one of the following:
•
Choose Select Load Selection.
•
In the Channels panel, click the Load Channel as Selection button .
2
 
In the Load Selection dialog box, choose a channel from the Load From list box.
3
 
In the Operation area, enable one of the following options:
•
Replace Selection — replaces the current selection with the chosen channel
•
Add to Selection — adds the channel to the current selection
•
Subtract from Selection — subtracts the channel from the current selection. In other words, the channel is “cut away” from the selection.
•
Intersect with Selection — determines the intersection of the channel and the current selection. This intersection becomes the new selection.

Using the Selection Portfolio

Corel Painter provides a library of sample selections in the Selection Portfolio. You can use any of the selections in the portfolio. If you create a path-based selection that you want to use again, you can store it in the portfolio. You can add your selections to the sample library, or you can create your own library. For information about creating and using your own libraries, see Libraries.

To store a selection in the portfolio Back to Top
1
 
Create the path-based selection you want to store.
2
 
Choose Window Media Library Panels Portfolio.
3
 
In the toolbox, click the Selection Adjuster tool .
4
 
In the Selection Portfolio panel, click the Selection Portfolio options button , and choose Add Image to Portfolio.
5
 
In the Save Selection dialog box, type a name for the selection.
To use a selection from the portfolio Back to Top
•
 
Double-click a selection in the Selection Portfolio panel.
The selection replaces the previous selection and appears in its original position on the canvas, provided that the document dimensions are the same.

Combining Selections by Using Boolean Operations

When you save selections, you can use Boolean operations (add, subtract, and intersect) to combine the saved selection with an existing channel. Adding a selection combines it with the existing channel. Subtracting a selection cuts it out of the existing channel. When you intersect a selection, you include only those parts that are common to the selection and the existing channel. For information about specifying Boolean operations when saving selections, see To modify an existing channel.

You can also use Boolean operations to combine loaded selections, or channels, with the current selection. Adding a channel combines it with the current selection. Subtracting a channel cuts it out of the current selection. When you intersect a channel, you include only those parts that are common to the current selection and the loaded channel. For information about specifying Boolean operations when loading selections, see Loading Selections.

Using Boolean operations to load selections has many practical advantages. For example, in the following set of owl images, the artist created and saved selections for each area that she wanted to work with separately — the eyes, the beak, and the outline. To show the selections clearly in these images, the selections were saved to channels, reloaded, and displayed as red overlays. For information about displaying channels as colored overlays, see To view or hide a channel. The step-by-step creation of a precise "face" selection that excludes the beak and eyes is shown in the following.

The image

The eye and beak channels (saved selections) are loaded and added. The combined selection is saved to the “eyebeak” channel.

The “outline” channel is loaded.

The “eyebeak” channel is loaded and subtracted from the “outline” channel. The resulting selection is saved to the “head” channel.

A “face” selection is drawn roughly by using the Lasso tool. The eyes, the beak, and a portion of the background are included.

The “head” channel (the outline with eyes and beak subtracted) is loaded and intersected with the rough “face” selection. This step removes the eyes, beak, and background portion. The resulting selection is saved to the “face” channel.

Now, with a precise selection of the face, it’s easy to control brushstrokes and constrain effects. You can also combine selections when you create them by adding to, or subtracting from, the current selection. You can combine selections made with different tools. For more information, see To convert a pixel-based selection to a path-based selection and To add to a selection.

Feedback
Was this page helpful? Send feedback.

Copyright 2012 Corel Corporation. All rights reserved.