[Gimp-user] Hotkey to select image without clicking it?

[rich404 <forums gimpusers com>]

> Something that has always been irritating is that my "focus" will
> become set to
> the Layers dialog, and then when I press the Space Bar to pan around,
> it instead
> renames the current layer.  It is then fairly tedious to get it back
> to where
> Space Bar does pan the image.   I have to select a tool, usually
> Rectangle
> Select, and then make a selection on the image, press ESC, press Ctrl
> + Z to
> undo any state changes, and then I'll be back in the mode allowing for
> Space Bar
> panning.
>
> I've put this off long enough.  Someone please tell me there's a
> better way to
> re-enable this.

Always better if you give more information, operating system, Gimp version,
using a Graphics tablet or a laptop trackpad, photography or pixel-art? All can
have a bearing on the problem.

I can not find any suitable keyboard shortcut, not to say there is not one.

Personally, I always use the center mouse button to move the canvas around. The
mouse scroll wheel is often clickable and doubles as center button. That also
has the effect of re-activating the space bar scroll function.

Maybe using a graphics pad and no center mouse button equivalent? The most
'convenient' (loosely) way might be keeping some other (tiny) canvas open (can
be blank) click on that image tab then back to the working image tab. Canvas is
now active, and no swapping tools required. At least it is here,. Gimp 2.10.14
(& 18)  kubuntu 18.04

-- 
rich404 (via www.gimpusers.com/forums)