What Selection tools are available?
PhotoImpact has a number of different selection tools. In this tutorial, we look at use of the Standard and Lasso selection tools. In Selection Tools #2, the Magic Wand and Bezier Curve tools are discussed, and in Selection Tools #3, the Colour Range and Mask tools are covered. This tutorial was produced using PhotoImpact version 8, but these tools will also be found on later and earlier versions.

Where are the selection tools located? The Standard, Lasso, Magic Wand and Bezier Curve tools are located on the Tool Panel towards the top left hand side (see area circled top left). The icons used for these tools are shown below.

Tip: If the required selection tool is not visible on the Tool Panel, put the mouse cursor over the selection tool icon, then left click and hold the mouse button down. This displays a 'flyout' menu (shown left), from which the appropriate tool can be selected. This can be used for any icon on the Tool Panel that has a small triangle in the lower right corner.

The Colour Range selection tool is located under Selections on the main Menu bar.

The Mask tool is located on the Tool Panel towards the lower left hand side (see circled area left), or alternatively, can be accessed from the Edit menu on the main Menu bar.

Standard Selection Tool
The Standard Selection tool is used to select regular geometric shapes, namely rectangle, square, ellipse and circle, which can then be editied as required. Generally speaking, standard selections have limited use for photo editing purposes, but they do have some uses.



In the example shown right, a rectangular selection was made on the image, then further edited to produce a vignette effect with soft focus graduated edges. This technique could be used on any type of photo, but is probably seen most often on portrait shots with a soft edged circle or ellipse shaped vignette.






Using the standard selection tool: On the Selection tool Attribute Bar (shown right), the required shape is selected first, then drawn on the image (or blank canvas) using a click and drag action with the computer mouse. Alternatively, a fixed size selection can be made by checking the Fixed Size box, then putting the required size (in pixels) in the dimension boxes alongside (width and height respectively).

Lasso Selection Tool: While the Standard selection tool is limited to predefined regular geometric shapes, the Lasso tool can be used for selections of any shape, and is especially useful for selecting irregularly shaped areas within an image, for example, a persons head in a portrait photograph, or a sky or foreground area in a landscape photograph. In the example below, the foreground rock and upper part of the water were selected with the Lasso tool, then further edited to make them darker, leaving the central image tones unaffected.

Using the Lasso tool
To make a selection using the Lasso tool, click the Lasso icon on the Tool Panel. In the Options menu on the Attribute toolbar (see below), select any of the three options you wish to use. For photo editing purposes, I would suggest all three options are selected. Checking the Editable Lasso option enables fine tuning of the initial selection (if necessary) before confirming its ok. This is useful for correcting any part of the initial selection you are not happy with. Once a selection is confirmed, you can no longer edit its shape, apart from deleting it and starting again. Checking the Preserve Base Image option is recommended to protect your original image from unwanted or accidental changes. The Anti-aliasing option is also recommended as this helps to smooth the appearance of curved selection lines so they appear less jagged.

When the relevant options have been selected, start the selection process by clicking a point on the edge of the area to be selected. Click carefully around the remaining edge areas to complete the selection, working back to the original start point. When back at the start, double click it to complete the initial selection. At this stage, you will have a selection line with a series of 'control points' indicating the selected area (see below, left).

The colours of the selection line and control points can be changed if required by clicking the Line and Node colour squares on the Attribute bar (see below), then selecting the desired colours from the Colour Picker dialog box that opens. This is helpful for making selection line and control point colours easily distinguishable from the image colours.

If the Editable Lasso option has been selected, the control points can be edited before finishing the final selection by dragging them with the mouse to a more accurate position. Additional control points can also be added to the selection by clicking on the selection line, then dragging and releasing the mouse at the appropriate point. A new control point will appear on the selection. When happy with the selection, click Finish on the Attribute toolbar. At this stage, the control points disappear and the selection is displayed as a dotted line (see above right). Once the selection is completed, filters or effects can be applied as required. Additional selections can also be made if further areas require editing.

Adding to, or subtracting from, a selection: There may be occasions when its necessary to edit a number of different parts of an image in the same way, for example, adjusting colour or contrast. You could select and edit each area separately, but its quicker and easier to make the selections and group them so you only need to carry out one editing procedure. If you need to do this, immediately after completing the first selection, check the plus (+) icon on the Attribute toolbar (see right) then continue to make the additional selection(s). When completed, any editing will be applied to all the selections grouped together. You can also subtract areas from a selection by checking minus (-) on the Attribute toolbar and selecting areas to be removed from the original selection. For example, you may start with a circular shaped selection, and need to remove a part contained within it.

Adjusting selection attributes: When a selection is completed, the basic shape cannot be adjusted, but it is possible to make some adjustments using options from the Selection menu on the Menu toolbar (see left). Useful options for photo editing are Invert, Expand/Shrink and Soften.

The Invert option could be used where the selection area is made within a central part of the image, and the intention is to edit the surrounding areas. For example, selecting the seagull in the photo above, then inverting the selection to edit the rock and water part of the image, rather than the seagull.

The Expand/Shrink option can be used to expand or shrink a selection between 1 and 64 pixels. This can be useful where a 'good fit' is required between adjacent edges of selected and non-selected areas, to avoid any 'gaps' between them. For photo editing purposes, its unlikely an expansion of more than one or two pixels would be required, but use the Preview option to check the effect of any changes.

The Soften option can be used to give a soft edge to a selection area, so it blends better with edges of the adjacent non-selected areas. However, this is best done by selecting the required soft edge size (in pixels) on the selection tool Attribute toolbar (see below) before making the initial selection with the Lasso tool. Soft edges up to 150 pixels can be made on the Attribute toolbar, compared to a maximum of 64 pixels on the Selection menu. The amount of soft edge required will vary depending on a number of factors, including file size and the effect you wish to achieve, so experiment with different settings. With practice, you will have a good idea of what values to use in different circumstances.