I understand how to make a selection or an inverse selection. However, is there a way to make both into layers?

When I make a selection from an image and turn it into a layer, the "marching ants" disappear. Then, if I want to use the remainder of the image as another layer I have to go back and re-draw it all.

Or maybe there's some other way of doing this (masking, perhaps) that I'm not thinking of?

Thank you in advance! --Dennis

Select/reselect?

- DL

Well that's what I would have thought, but "reselect" always seems to be grayed out.

--Dennis

Maybe "Create Clipping path" is what you need or to save the selection as an Alpha Channel.

If you go with Alpha Channel first create the selection and save it as an alph-cannel. Then activate the work layer and duplicate it twice, select the first duplicate and Alt-Click the alpha channel and then select the meny item "Layer/Layer mask/Reveal selection" for the positive selection. Then activate the second duplicate layer and choose in the menu "Layer/Layer mask/Hide selection" for the inverse.

To create a clipping path you have to create a layer that contains transparency to protect the underlying layer and contains detail to reveal any changes on the layer ABOVE the clipping path.

Both options work nice, Clipping path has the advantage that you can use things like saturation masking to create the selection, which is more difficult to achieve with Layer masks.

Does that help ?

Sounds like it might work... I'll give it a try. Thanks!

I'd still like to figure out why the "reselect" command is always grayed out though...

--Dennis

I understand here that you are making a selection, doing a Ctrl J to copy the selection into its own layer, then wanting to make that selection again.

I wonder if what you want to do is to Ctrl-Click the new layer? That makes a selection of purely the non transparent pixels.

Another way is to go Ctrl-Shift-D which reactivates the last selection you made. Ctrl-Shift-I is also handy for inverting a selection.

Does this help?

John

Thank you John... that's exactly what I'm trying to do.

I'm trying get the "marching ants" back after creating a layer (ctrl-J) so I can select the remainder of the image. For example, in an image of a simple terrain and sky--I'd make a selection of the terrain, make a layer of it, then go back to the image and select the sky (following exactly the same tracing I used for the terrain) and make it into a layer.

The "reselect" command (shift-ctrl-D) seems always to be grayed out on the menu and the keystrokes don't make it work, and the ctrl-shift on the actual layer does nothing either. And the ctrl-shift-I works only when I've got the "marching ants" to begin with.

I've received some good ideas from this forum, but I can't help but think I'm missing a simpler way...

Dennis

I gave the other selection related shortcuts just for completeness / speed of working.

I think the easiest way is the way I first described. As soon as you've done Ctrl J, then Ctrl click the new layer.

John