Magnetic Lasso - Reopening the closed loop? Help!!

J

JoshuaK

Member
I am cutting out the subject from the rest of the photo with magnetic lasso and the loop closed accidentally before I was finished. It's now doing the marching ants bit.
(If it matters, I started by his head and the loop "randomly" closed when I was going along his waist.)

How do I reopen the circle? Please don't tell me I have to start all over again. And for for the future, how can I do this in steps so that I don't end up here again?

Please help!

Thanks,

J
 
The easiest way is if you look at the bottom of your tools you should have two icons
they both look like a rectangle with a circle in it. if you switch to which ever one isn't selected it will show red on the screen. Eveything that is red is what isn't selected
use you paint brush with either white or black to paint the selection back on.
 
That's an awesome function. Thanks for pointing it out.

Follow up question: After I separate "Layer via Cut," and decide I need to take some of one layer and merge it to the other, how do I do that? Just take the area in question, select, separate on its own layer and merge with the layer I want it on? Or can I use that masking device to paint it over on to the new layer?
 
you can always simply switch to the regular lasso tool and by holding Ctrl or Alt you add or subtract to your selection.

Ayou should also consider seperating elements with the Layer Mask.
 
Speaking of selections...I've pretty much stopped using the Lasso tools for complex selections, recently I've been using the pen tool to create a new path and make my selection from the path. It's nice because it will save all the paths and you can always go back to them.
 
Matt,

What is the advantage of the Layer Mask versus Layer via cut? (What is it? And is it mutually exclusive from layer via cut?)
 
Using a layer mask is non-destructive, you can add and subtract to it easily and freely, whereas cutting is destructive (except for the history brush, and who wants to use that all the time).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top