Foreground Select tool

[JackOats]

Hi All

I seem to be having quite a lot of trouble with the Foreground Select tool.

The 1st stage works alright - I  draw an area around the part I want to select. The Lasso changes to a brush. I paint a line inside the image to select different 

shades of colour. But when I release the mouse button instead of the 'marching ants' selected area I get the following:


   

It seems to work about once in every 20/30 times.

Is it me?

Many thanks.

[rich2005]

Its not you, just not a wonderful / intuitive tool.

1. Rough trace around the subject with the free select tool
When you let go the mouse, the 'discard area' turns blue and the cursor becomes a brush http://i.imgur.com/rAyGJzs.jpg

2. Paint inside the 'keep area' - (hint: the square brackets change the brush size same as a any brush) - let go mouse blue areas are still editable, click and continue painting.  http://i.imgur.com/ByZIlyx.jpg

3.  When finished maybe something like this. http://i.imgur.com/hs97uzo.jpg

I think this is where you stop

4. Hit the enter key to finish and return to free select tool and your selected foreground. http://i.imgur.com/82wVGlQ.jpg

There are other possibly better tools. I like the interactive foreground select tool in the g'mic plugin.

Edit:

This is the extract foreground tool in the gmic plugin.

Left click (green dots) are keep Right click (red) are discard. http://i.imgur.com/Djwvov2.jpg
Gives 2 layers FG and BG http://i.imgur.com/HEzVhw3.jpg

[JackOats]

Hi Rich - Thanks for the message.

Quote:I like the interactive foreground select tool in the g'mic plugin.

Is there an easy way to install this plugin for Gimp?
I've checked it out on Google & it's way beyond me!

[Ofnuts]

If you are on Windows or OSX, it is integrated in the builds from http://partha.com. On Linux, it is in the repos of the Ubuntu distros.

[rich2005]

(05-08-2017, 09:19 PM)JackOats Wrote: Is there an easy way to install this plugin for Gimp?
I've checked it out on Google & it's way beyond me!

For OSX?

The Partha build of Gimp will be the easiest option

There is a gmic_gimp plugin for OSX at the gmic site, http://gmic.eu/gimp.shtml a .dmg file and the link takes you to:
http://karo03.bplaced.de/gmic/release/

All depends on where you got Gimp from and version.

[JackOats]

@rich2005
@Ofnuts

Hi Guys - Thanks for your help. I managed to download the McGimp plugin today. 

Do I use it as a standalone or can it be integrated into Gimp & accessed from there?

Thanks.

[JackOats]

Well - McGimp doesn't seem to work for me either


   

[rich2005]

From the screenshot, that is a Gimp 2.9.5 (presumably the one you got from Partha)
The problem might be specific to OSX but strange that it should affect both Gimp 2.8 and the development 2.9

This a short video demo of the FG select use in Gimp 2.9.5 about 2 minutes https://youtu.be/93m9MXTYDgQ

Maybe it is your work flow somewhere. I still think that there are better tools.

You wrote earlier I paint a line inside the image to select different shades of colour. remember the tool is not about selecting colour, it tries to find the boundary between FG and BG.

[JackOats]

Ahh! - Sorry. I misunderstood.

So McGimp is the new version 2.9.5. of Gimp?

And the g_mic plugin is included in that?

@rich2005 - Thanks very much for the video link.

[rich2005]

(05-11-2017, 09:32 PM)JackOats Wrote: Ahh! - Sorry. I misunderstood.

So McGimp is the new version 2.9.5. of Gimp?

And the g_mic plugin is included in that?

Gimp 2.9.5 is the development version of Gimp, so it is still work in progress until deemed suitable for release as Gimp 2.10.x

However it is quite stable and very usable.

The g'mic plugin is included, (I unpacked the zip and looked) You need an open image otherwise it is grayed-out. You should find it bottom of the Filters menu.