Displaying Layer Border for a Floating Selection

[JayB]

I've recently updated my version of Gimp, from a very old version, and there is something new that is costing me a lot of time. I'm working with tile based graphics, so defaulted to a grid, and when I copy and paste an image to move it, the boundaries of the pasted image auto shrinks to meet the boundaries of the graphic (ignoring the transparent background, and previously set selection tool size).

This; (upon cutting)


Becomes this; (upon pasting)


Instead of this; (upon pasting)


I'm wondering if there is someway to make it show me the boundaries of the new layer upon pasting (Floating Selection(Pasted Layer #1) it for quick left click merging to my current active layer.

Any help would be very much appreciated. At present I have to draw a mark in a corner of my grid that meets two sides of the grid in order to line up anything I move that doesn't go to the edge of the grid. This ends up costing me double the amount of time, if not more, than simply copy and pasting while retaining the dimensions of the rectangle selection tool for the pasted image.

[Blighty]

A thought:
A selection will shrink to the layer size.

Is the black square on a small layer? Is this the active layer?

If so, do Layer to Image Size or select a different layer.

[JayB]

(11-09-2017, 06:58 PM)Blighty Wrote: A thought:
A selection will shrink to the layer size.

Is the black square on a small layer? Is this the active layer?

If so, do Layer to Image Size or select a different layer.

This is the active layer. I'm simply moving a graphic from one spot on my active layer to another spot.
It's an image and layer that are all one piece. The image and layer are 256 wide by X long (length is unique, width is static). The grid is 32x32. I draw something within a 32x32 grid, then decide I would like to move the drawn graphic to somewhere else on the same active layer. Using the 32x32 grid, I used to simply be able to align the selection tool to the 32x32 grid, copy and paste, and the pasted image retained a 32x32 dimension regardless of the size of the actual copy and pasted image itself. 

Now what happens is the dimension of the pasted graphic is automatically set to ignor transparent background (dead space from the drawn graphic to my selection tool border). This means that I can't ensure that the paste graphic is still aligned to the grid, without using some other method.

Edit: This is something that was clearly changed some time during GIMP updates. It used to work one way, and now works a different way. So I'm wondering if there is someway I can make it work the way it did before.

Edit 2: I could theoretically make the copy and pasted graphic a 32x32 layer, which would allow me to align it easier, but it wouldn't be quicker than simply marking one corner to ensure alignment then removing the mark. I'm concerned with speed, as it's something I do often, moving graphics around my grid, until the entire graphic is complete. The way it worked before was fast, now creating the mark in the corner is about x2 longer a process (since the process is still relatively fast in general, were talking seconds, but they add up). Creating a new layer from the graphic that meets the dimensions of my grid, and then re-merging that layer to my original layer would ultimately be even longer than my current work around. But I appreciate the suggestion non the less

[Blighty]

The Move tool doesn't move a drawn graphic, it moves an entire layer.

A layer can be different sizes eg canvas size; 32x32; or the size of the drawn graphic.
Has something like (Layer > Autocrop layer) been used?

Check your layer size (Layer > Boundary Size). The static dotted line will also show layer size.

[rich2005]

Possibly the way you are finishing off the paste operation.

There is the image, plenty transparency, and rectangular select, then copied same as your no 1 image https://i.imgur.com/gQQeUw3.jpg

Next image, pasted. shows same as your no 2 image. https://i.imgur.com/6FH0XkN.jpg

Now use Layer -> To New Layer (or the same is right click context menu in layer dialogue) which promotes the full selection to a layer including the transparency. https://i.imgur.com/QFp7Knj.jpg

[JayB]

(11-09-2017, 07:20 PM)Blighty Wrote: The Move tool doesn't move a drawn graphic, it moves an entire layer.

A layer can be different sizes eg canvas size; 32x32; or the size of the drawn graphic.
Has something like (Layer > Autocrop layer) been used?

Check your layer size (Layer > Boundary Size). The static dotted line will also show layer size.

Correct, it doesn't move the graphic itself. It creates what is referred to as 'Floating Selection (pasted layer #1)'. The 'Floating Selection (pasted layer #1)' used to retain the the dimensions of my rectangle selection box regardless of the transparent background. By left clicking anywhere on the image, it would automatically anchor the image down (which still happens) but it no longer keeps the dimensions of my rectangle selection box.

I'm describing something that was once one way, and is now different. This isn't an issue with my understanding of layers, or bounderaries etc, I've been using gimp for years now. 
I'm using ctrl x and ctrl v to simply grab an image and move it to a new spot using the above explained parameters. I'm looking for a way to make it work the way it did before, rather than a work around or new method. Since nothing really is faster, since speed is my concern, than ctrl x, ctr v, left click, move to new location, left click to merge.

Edit: I just tested it, and making it a new layer does show that it is keeping the dimensions, but they aren't displaying upon pasting. So when I past something it doesn't show the layer boundary with a dotted line, it instead shows a dotted line around the drawn image. So it's not counting transparent background as part of the image.

Edit 2: The quickest fix I can think of would be to at a keybind to 'To New Layer' which I would then use instead of ctr+v, then I would bind something to 'Merge Down' , but that wouldn't really work either, because the new layer always appears at the top, and I at times do have other layers.

[Blighty]

OK, I see. When you move the floating selection it doesn't snap to the grid. Best to create a new layer, that does snap when moved. As per Rich2005's post.

[JayB]

(11-09-2017, 07:45 PM)Blighty Wrote: OK, I see. When you move the floating selection it doesn't snap to the grid. Best to create a new layer, that does snap when moved. As per Rich2005's post.

As mentioned above, that would actually take more time than simply marking the corner by my grid, which gives me a point of reference to align it (snap it). Since if I make it a new layer it will be at the top, then I have to merge that new layer down, which I do have other layers, and I wouldn't want it merged to what was once the top layer. Since the layer I work from is the second from the bottom layer.

I'm definitely not doing 'typical graphical work' here, so I can understand how this might be confusing to conceptually understand. This is sprite based work for a grid based video game, rather than a rendered image.

I'm literally wondering if there is/was someway to make it work the way it did before, as in show me the boundaries of the new layer upon pasting it into a temporary layer for quick left click merging to my current active layer. I also realized I probably didn't explain it very well initially.

[rich2005]

Looks like you will have to revert to the default mode (ie not single window)

AFAIK that does what you want.

Scrub that idea, NBG

[Blighty]

(11-09-2017, 07:50 PM)JayB Wrote: I'm literally wondering if there is/was someway to make it work the way it did before, as in show me the boundaries of the new layer upon pasting it into a temporary layer for quick left click merging to my current active layer.

No way that I know of. Maybe someone else can suggest something.