Re: [Gimp-user] Is there a feature for showing masks as an overlay and a command to see the layer underneath my current one?

[Bruce <speakwithbruce gmail com>]

On Mon, May 21, 2012 at 12:33 AM, Ofnuts said:

> you can define a keyboard shortcut for action layer-mask-show to toggle the display between the mask and the layer.

Thanks, Ofnuts. That helps. 

What's nice about that shortcut is I don't have to focus into the layers dialogue before it will register. 

> Define a shortcut for action "drawable-visible" to toggle the visibility of the current drawable [i.e. show/hide layer]

Oh, thank you! That will make my life much easier (and using Gimp more fun!). 

Ahhh [a sigh of satisfaction]. :) I appreciate your help.

* * *

On Mon, May 21, 2012 at 12:46 AM, Olivier said:

> GIMP's selection masks are called channels, and accessed using the
>
> Channels dialog. In this dialog, there is an eye icon in the leftmost
> part of every channel line, for showing or hiding it. You can also
> change the color used for making the channel visible.

I'm not sure how I can use this feature to do what I described. 

To explain what I'm wanting to, I want to be able to:

• click a key (i.e. a keyboard shortcut) 
• have an overlay of my layer mask appear over my image so I can see both the image and where I've painted on the layer mask
• be able to use the paintbrush to add to or remove from the overlay (like I can with the quick mask for selections, but in this case I'd be editing my layer mask)

If I can do what I described using the feature you mentioned, could you please describe how?

Pressing the space bar only works in the current layer. Otherwise
there is the eye icon. But you could attach a new keyboard shortcut to
the function you need. Use Image: Edit -> Keyboard Shortcuts, expand
the Layers list, and attach a shortcut to the function needed,,, which

unfortunately does not exist. 

I appreciate you trying to help.

Ofnuts found the name of the function; it's called "viewable" and is under the "Drawable" heading when you edit your keyboard shortcuts. And it works without having to click on the layers dialogue. It's like heaven. 

On Mon, May 21, 2012 at 12:46 AM, Olivier <olecarme gmail com> wrote:

2012/5/20 Bruce <speakwithbruce gmail com>:

> I'm not sure if this is the right place for asking questions, but I figured
> it's better than asking in the developer mailing list.
>
> 1. Is there a "show quick mask" feature for showing masks?
>
> I know Gimp has a "Show quick mask" feature which shows what you have (and
> haven't) selected by displaying a red overlay over your image, allowing you
> to add to or subtract from a selection by using the paintbrush, but I
> haven't found a similar feature for showing masks.

[I'm deleting what tells about Photoshop, which simply will complicate
the explanations].

GIMP's selection masks are called channels, and accessed using the
Channels dialog. In this dialog, there is an eye icon in the leftmost
part of every channel line, for showing or hiding it. You can also
change the color used for making the channel visible.

> 2. Is there a command for showing the layer underneath the current layer I'm
> working on?
>
> This is another feature that I've seen Photoshop has that is helpful for
> blending multiple exposures (and lots of things, really).
>
> Basically it's just a keyboard shortcut for showing the layer underneath
> your current when you hold down a certain keyboard command (it's not
> something you toggle since it's meant for quickly viewing what's on the
> layer underneath your current one).
>
> I know I can press space bar to show or hide the layer I'm currently working
> on, but I can't do that unless I focus into the layers dialogue first. It'd
> be nice if I could activate that functionality from anywhere, regardless of
> whether I'm focused on the layers dialogue.

Pressing the space bar only works in the current layer. Otherwise
there is the eye icon. But you could attach a new keyboard shortcut to
the function you need. Use Image: Edit -> Keyboard Shortcuts, expand
the Layers list, and attach a shortcut to the function needed,,, which
unfortunately does not exist.
--
Olivier Lecarme
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