Lasso tool ... any way to just select and cut out? - RealWorld forums

I just wanted to know if there was a way to have the lasso selection tool behaviour in a more straightforward way; currently, it seems to be that I select the tool, then trace around what I want to cut out and it seems to sweep over the area and after that I have to apply the recent motions before the cut out portion actually gets cut out. I'd like to know how to just select with the lasso and delete the "contents" outlined with the lasso.

How do we do that, pls?

I am not sure about the apply step. Sure, it is possible to explicitly apply the lasso selection, but it should not be needed. It is auto-applied when you for example press the Delete key to delete the selected region or when you press Ctrl+X (or use the toolbar button) to cut it out and place it on the clipboard.

Could it be that you actually want to keep the selected region and delete the rest?

Thanks. I'll try to explain. I found the lasso weird; I figured it out eventually but the lasso in RWP doesn't work like it does in PSP, for example.

I'll try to explain what happens. Perhaps it's a setting I have to change somewhere (??). As it stands, the default behaviour is this:

1. I just opened an image.
2. I chose the lasso tool.
3. Rather than cut around something as I go, by clicking the instant I left-click on the tool, it creates a form and it doesn't allow me to follow the edge of a shape. i.e., I'll left-click to start, then a shape appears as I move the mouse. If in a straight line, a line of varying thicknesses is made with the colour (or transparency) that is present being drawn out. If I then sweep around in a circle, the lasso shape sweeps around like a windshielf wiper and if I arc around evenly enough, I'd even get a circle.
4. I release mouse click and that shape is fluid, clicking and dragging moves that shape around _until_ I right-click then choose apply. Only then can I consider the operation completed.

Again, I'd never seen the lasso selection tool behave in this weird behaviour, and so yesterday's picture was weird to cut out as I had to guide the shapes along the edge and periodically had to apply.

Instead what normally would happen, i.e., in PSP and in other editors, you could left-click, hold the mouse and then trace around something (RWP doesn't allow that, btw, you get the weird wedging starting to happen). Then at the end of your selection, you let go and you're left, in PSP anyway, with "marching ants". You can then cut out that selection, move it, or fill with colour, save to alpha channel, whatever.

Anyway, just curious as to how to mimic more tranditional lasso behaviour. If it can't be done, no real worries. This is closest freeware that I've found to do what I need when I'm at work. I create TutShots as I call them (Tutorial Screenshots). Whenever I come across something that needs documenting, I take screenshots of the process and then I put all together with explanatory text and save from the original BMPs to a single high-quality, yet small PNG file.

What I've needed and never had was ability to add hand pointers to the images which requires, 1. Layers, and 2. Layers that handle transparencies so that irregular shapes (such as cursors and hand pointers in PNG format with transparent backgrounds) can be added.

Any help re this appreciated and hope I explained this well enough to be understood; tough to describe in words, I know.

I am not sure I understand the problem, but... You are saying that if you move the mouse in circle, the result is more or less OK. But if you move the mouse for example down in a zig-zag pattern, it looks weird, because as you move the mouse, the selection constantly changes - the point of clicking and the last mouse position remain "connected".

This is actually by design and although it looks strange at first sight, the end result is exactly the same as with the lasso tool in Photoshop (and I presume in PSP although it has been a long time since I have used it). The difference is that Photoshop only connect the start point with the end point after you have released the mouse, while RWPaint gives you instant preview of the final selection while the mouse is moving.

In short, the lasso selection works in the same way, you should use is as you would in Photoshop. The preview may look weird when you are half-way done, but it shows you what you would get if you released the mouse in Photoshop at that moment.

I admit that RWPaint uses non-standard things. The selected area is shown normally while the non-selected is grayed. There is no emphasized outline between selected and unselected pixels. The instant previews... Some of these may be improved, but there are also advantages when you get used to them.

BTW there is no magnetic lasso in current RWPaint. Maybe in next version.

You should have no problem with adding mouse pointers into layers, just have some .pngs prepared, click on New layer and drag and drop the .png with the pointer on the canvas. You would of course need to save the file in a format that preserves layers (.rli, .psd, .xcf) - otherwise the layers will be merged.

Hi,

No the whole lasso motion is weird. If you move in a straight line, the wedge produced by lasso effect is a bit more controlled but only because the wedge that the lasso creates all the time is more linear. The _instant_ you move sideways a few degrees, the wedge shape the lasso always creates widens out until if you get it big enough and sweep around, the wedge draws a circle shape.

All lasso tools I've ever used allow you to select around something, not create a wedge cutout shape.

Was wondering if there was a setting I could disengage to get more standard lasso behaviour.

Like I said, a pity if it can't be done, but I'll live with it. RWP can't yet compete with Paint Shop Pro even though it's portable but I'm confident that with time, it might be a great contender for all the advanced graphics editors out there of this type.

I haven't checked one aspect, the one where PictBear failed abysmally, pasting a picture into a selection whereby if the aspect ratios are equal in both source picture and the target selection being copied into, that the image can be pasted in without distortion and resizing is done correctly at the same time. That's what I'll check now.

Anyway, hoping you can advise re the lasso selection tool. Thanks.