Re: [Gimp-user] Neophyte questions

[Ofnuts <ofnuts gmx com>]

On 12/04/2020 23:01, Adobero wrote:
> Attempting to migrate from PS to GIMP.

So you have to "unlearn" PS. Gimp is not a PS clone, it is a different
editor with its own ways.

> In PS I learned > Cut to New Layer in ~10 seconds, used it in 2 seconds.  In
> GIMP I'm wasting far too much time... Help!
> I attempted about X00 times to Rectangular Select > Cut a historic photo image
> from it's antique border and paste it onto a new layer.  After ~X00 attempts, I
> was still unable to enjoy my selection surrounded by 'marching ants'.  After far
> too many hours, I stumbled into an unrelated GIMP forum unrelated conversation
> that included "Do a Select > None."   So after .5 lifetimes, I tried that and
> somehow rectangular 'marching ants' appeared.  What does Select > None have to
> do with anything?  How do I determine what is / is not on my clipboard?

You could have the Selection tool in a mode other than "Normal" (for
instance, "Intersect"), or you just didn't have the selection visible
(View>Show selection or Ctrl-T, you can also use Windows>Dockable
dialogs>Selection editor to see you current selection). Seeing a
"forbidden" icon near the pointer is also an indication.

> Cut to New Layer was (if that's possible) much worse.  Of course I tried
> creating a new layer and Cut > Paste to it.  I tried letting various flavors of
> Paste create a new layer.  This, I guess sporadically produced a worthless
> 'Floating Layer'.  What does a Floating Layer have to do with anything?  I tried
> anchoring everything to everything including my forehead.  Sometimes the Anchor
> Button disappeared for a month.  What does anchoring have to do with anything?

This "Floating selection" is your copy... One reason it works that way
is to let you adjust the copied stuff before your merge it (in
particular, move/scale/rotate). After this you have two choices:

- Merge it (the term is "anchor") to your target layer: Layer>Anchor
layer, Ctr-H, or the Anchor button at the bottom of the Layers list

- Make it a layer of its own: Layer>To new layer, Ctrl-Shift-N, or the
"New layer" button at the bottom of the Layers list

You have to do either action before you can do other things (many menus
will be disabled while there is a floating selection).

> But even more delightful (if that's possible), the Edit > Cut choice goes dark
> for a month.  This, of course, allows zero cutting until I revert to an earlier
> version of my work from a few months earlier.  What are advantages of Edit > Cut
> going dark?  Did I breach my Edit > Cut limit?  Did I fail cutting too many
> times?  Just curious.

There are case swhere you can't cut: no selection, no pixels in the
selection in the current layer...

> And what else could I stumble into that could possibly make GIMP even more
> unproductive than I describe above?  Well, after about 85,623 attempts to Select
> > Cut > Paste, I observe the following:
> (1)  Zero pixels from my original Selection ever disappeared from my source
> layer;  My source layer has no 'hole' in it, as I expect from a 'Cut'.

You get a hole if your layer can be transparent. If it is not you can
make it so using "Layer>Transparency>Add alpha channel". If you load and
image from a format that doesn't support transparency you won't get an
alpha channel by default. If there is no alpha channel, the cut is
filled with the background color (this is also how the erase
behaves...). Hint: the name of layers with no alpha channel is in
boldface in the Layers list.

> (2)  Zero pixels from my original Selection ever appeared on my new target
> layer;  My new target layer has zero pixels or material from my source layer via
> 'Cut > Paste'.

Yes, because it is all in the Floating Selection that you disregarded.