The Free Selection tool, or lasso, lets you create a selection by drawing a free-hand form with it. You close a free selection by ending in the point you started from. If you draw an open shape, this selection tool will close it for you. This is often a good tool to use for "roughing in" a selection; it is not so good for precise definition. Experienced users find that it is usually best to begin with the lasso tool, but then switch to QuickMask mode for detail work.
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The Free Selection tool is much easier to use with a tablet than with a mouse. |
The Free Selection Tool can be called in the following order, from the image-menu:
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The Tool can also be called by clicking the tool icon:
The f key will change the active tool to Free Select.
Holding Ctrl while creating a free selection will place the selection into subtraction mode (see above).
Holding Alt will allow movement of the current selection (only its frame, not its content). If the whole image is moved instead of the selection only, try Shift+Alt
Holding Shift while creating a free selection will ensure that the selection mode is changed to addition (see above).
Using Ctrl-Shift will change the selection mode to intersection (or union).
Options
The available tool options for Free Select can be accessed by
double clicking the Free Select tool icon
Replace mode will cause any existing selection to be destroyed or replaced when the new selection is created.
Add mode will cause the new selection to be added to any existing selection regions.
Subtract mode will remove the new selection area from any existing selection regions.
Intersection mode will make a new selection from the area where the existing selection region and the new selection region overlap.
This option will make your selection appear more correct by antialiasing the edge of the selection with the neighbouring pixels. Antialiasing is discussed in further detail under the glossary entry Antialiasing.
The Radius slider adjusts the amount of feathering in pixels for the next selection that is created. For further information regarding feathering, see the glossary entry Feathering.
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When moving a selection beyond the boundaries of the image canvas, the selection will be cropped to the image area. Selections can exist on the visible canvas only. Selection movements and changes are, however, kept in the undo buffer should you have the need of repairing an error. |