Remember - Gimp is a graphics editor. It only does what you tell it to do. You are getting good practice with your images.
One thing with the snowman. A very common problem for beginners. There are some white-ish 'boundary pixels' left over from the background. The usual way is shrink the selection by a pixel, invert and cut to get rid of them. (then invert selection back again) In this case it leaves the border a bit 'jaggy' . Another way is make the selection, set the brush to a small size (3 pix) and stroke the selection with the eraser tool. All sorts of ways in Gimp, you will find your own favourite methods with time.
The gimp xcf.gz (gimp compressed format - opens as any other gimp file) attached with the selection still active. A gimp xcf can retain selections / masks / layers ... all sorts of things but not undo history. Make sure you keep backups as you go along.
11-23-2019, 09:28 PM (This post was last modified: 11-23-2019, 09:38 PM by marigolden.)
When I tried to open it it only gave me the option to go to the Microsoft Store to look for app to open with
I'm not sure if you know what I mean, it's not the edges of the image that's at issue but rather those gaps that I've filled in with the paint tool, they don't match the snowman's white and not sure why?
Looked at your picture, howw did you get your image to have the gaps not filled and still have a outline??
11-24-2019, 02:08 AM (This post was last modified: 11-24-2019, 02:36 AM by akovia.)
@marigolden
With this project I think you are learning all kinds of new tools and techniques and that a good thing. All learning in gimp is good and will serve you later.
For this particular project you might consider trying something different and try using the path tool to extract the snowman from the background. I'm not saying it will be easy, but understanding the path tool will help you immensely if you plan to use gimp for more than a few projects. It is the best way if you are trying for precision results.
I apologize for the length of the video, but my eyes and dexterity are not what they use to be. It's meant just to show you what's possible and the results. Feel free to speed it up.
11-24-2019, 09:44 AM (This post was last modified: 11-24-2019, 09:44 AM by rich2005.)
Quote:When I tried to open it it only gave me the option to go to the Microsoft Store to look for app to open with.
Oh child of MicroSoftclick-n-wish
The correct way to open an image, any supported image format, is of course File -> Openhttps://i.imgur.com/dEiVdqF.jpg
There are other ways, with Gimp open and using Windows Explorer, click-and-drag into the area top of the tool box. Ever wondered why it was there? That is the reason. You can also click-and-drag into the canvas area. No image active and the file opens. If an image already there the file is added as a layer. https://i.imgur.com/dnagy8N.jpg
Gimp not opened? Click-and-drag into the Gimp icon. Gimp opens with the image. https://i.imgur.com/jRewM4w.jpg
Quote:I'm not sure if you know what I mean, it's not the edges of the image that's at issue but rather those gaps that I've filled in with the paint tool, they don't match the snowman's white and not sure why?
Well, the colour picker shows that the snowman white is white so maybe your FG colour was abit off or maybe partially transparent.
Quote:Looked at your picture, howw did you get your image to have the gaps not filled and still have a outline??
The way described in the video.
1. Made an initial selection (alpha-to-selection)
2. Refined the selection with quickmask to remove the gaps from the selection.
Another xcf.gz for you to try. Saves on file-size, saves on storage, saves on download. Rememeber use File -> Open to open.
Truthfully there is a bit of work to get that original in a better state. Plenty edges to 'fix-up' either paint-in or erase-out with a tiny brush. That snowman will originally have been a vector image and you could remake as a vector, but that is another story.
11-24-2019, 12:41 PM (This post was last modified: 11-24-2019, 01:32 PM by marigolden.)
(11-24-2019, 09:44 AM)rich2005 Wrote:
Quote:When I tried to open it it only gave me the option to go to the Microsoft Store to look for app to open with.
Oh child of MicroSoftclick-n-wish
The correct way to open an image, any supported image format, is of course File -> Openhttps://i.imgur.com/dEiVdqF.jpg
There are other ways, with Gimp open and using Windows Explorer, click-and-drag into the area top of the tool box. Ever wondered why it was there? That is the reason. You can also click-and-drag into the canvas area. No image active and the file opens. If an image already there the file is added as a layer. https://i.imgur.com/dnagy8N.jpg
Gimp not opened? Click-and-drag into the Gimp icon. Gimp opens with the image. https://i.imgur.com/jRewM4w.jpg
Quote:I'm not sure if you know what I mean, it's not the edges of the image that's at issue but rather those gaps that I've filled in with the paint tool, they don't match the snowman's white and not sure why?
Well, the colour picker shows that the snowman white is white so maybe your FG colour was abit off or maybe partially transparent.
Quote:Looked at your picture, howw did you get your image to have the gaps not filled and still have a outline??
The way described in the video.
1. Made an initial selection (alpha-to-selection)
2. Refined the selection with quickmask to remove the gaps from the selection.
Another xcf.gz for you to try. Saves on file-size, saves on storage, saves on download. Rememeber use File -> Open to open.
Truthfully there is a bit of work to get that original in a better state. Plenty edges to 'fix-up' either paint-in or erase-out with a tiny brush. That snowman will originally have been a vector image and you could remake as a vector, but that is another story.
But at the end of the video the gaps are white, it's not transparent?
Also as far as the color I selected, I just went into the color and pulled it up all the way to the top left. I thought that's how you get white but maybe not?
I was able to open the file the way you said!
(11-24-2019, 02:08 AM)akovia Wrote: @marigolden
With this project I think you are learning all kinds of new tools and techniques and that a good thing. All learning in gimp is good and will serve you later.
For this particular project you might consider trying something different and try using the path tool to extract the snowman from the background. I'm not saying it will be easy, but understanding the path tool will help you immensely if you plan to use gimp for more than a few projects. It is the best way if you are trying for precision results.
I apologize for the length of the video, but my eyes and dexterity are not what they use to be. It's meant just to show you what's possible and the results. Feel free to speed it up.
Ahh this seems so useful it's just hard for me to follow along without commentary. Thank you so much for doing all of this! Perhaps could you give a summary of what was done so I can better understand the video?
Quote:Ahh this seems so useful it's just hard for me to follow along without commentary. Thank you so much for doing all of this! Perhaps could you give a summary of what was done so I can better understand the video?
Yeah, I apologize but I knew it would be a longish video and no one wants to hear me babble for nearly 15 minutes. It was not supposed to be a step-by-step, and more just showing a way to do it to get the best results. The main takeaway should be to try and learn the path tool. Once you learn how to trace something properly with the path tool, all kinds of possibilities open up to you in gimp. Maybe I'll narrate it and send it to you privately if you are really interested.
On another note, I made a second video on how I would extract from the same image without using the path tool to trace. It's much shorter so maybe you won't fall asleep. It originally had no audio as well but decided to go back and add some after seeing your previous comment. Sorry if the audio sync isn't perfect.
11-25-2019, 04:35 PM (This post was last modified: 11-25-2019, 05:06 PM by marigolden.)
(11-24-2019, 09:44 AM)rich2005 Wrote:
Quote:When I tried to open it it only gave me the option to go to the Microsoft Store to look for app to open with.
Oh child of MicroSoftclick-n-wish
The correct way to open an image, any supported image format, is of course File -> Openhttps://i.imgur.com/dEiVdqF.jpg
There are other ways, with Gimp open and using Windows Explorer, click-and-drag into the area top of the tool box. Ever wondered why it was there? That is the reason. You can also click-and-drag into the canvas area. No image active and the file opens. If an image already there the file is added as a layer. https://i.imgur.com/dnagy8N.jpg
Gimp not opened? Click-and-drag into the Gimp icon. Gimp opens with the image. https://i.imgur.com/jRewM4w.jpg
Quote:I'm not sure if you know what I mean, it's not the edges of the image that's at issue but rather those gaps that I've filled in with the paint tool, they don't match the snowman's white and not sure why?
Well, the colour picker shows that the snowman white is white so maybe your FG colour was abit off or maybe partially transparent.
Quote:Looked at your picture, howw did you get your image to have the gaps not filled and still have a outline??
The way described in the video.
1. Made an initial selection (alpha-to-selection)
2. Refined the selection with quickmask to remove the gaps from the selection.
Another xcf.gz for you to try. Saves on file-size, saves on storage, saves on download. Rememeber use File -> Open to open.
Truthfully there is a bit of work to get that original in a better state. Plenty edges to 'fix-up' either paint-in or erase-out with a tiny brush. That snowman will originally have been a vector image and you could remake as a vector, but that is another story.
I realize what might have happened the other time, when I selected white it probably turned the background color that and I needed to swap the FG/BG swatches but neglected to? In any case I tried it again and it worked!!! It completely made the gaps blocked off but still transparent so I could outline the image. Then I decided I didn't like how the neck came out flared the way I'd made the mask and had to refill the whike thing to make that part slightly different, of course having to do everything over since I closed it.. then I wanted to adjust the outline thickness and having closed it again figured I might as well paint it at that point since it was taking forever anyway, at least the paint wouldn't be just one and done like the quick mask so I could make any other adjustments that came to mind if I wanted without starting from scratch. So while the quick mask is great I wish there was some way to save the quick mask selection somehow is the only thing it lacks in in my opinion. I think I will use it only when the selection doesn't need to be too careful so it's quick, or if I know I won't need to adjust anything stylistically.
Thanks a bunch for your help without it I wouldn't know about this option!
(11-24-2019, 03:23 PM)akovia Wrote:
Quote:Ahh this seems so useful it's just hard for me to follow along without commentary. Thank you so much for doing all of this! Perhaps could you give a summary of what was done so I can better understand the video?
Yeah, I apologize but I knew it would be a longish video and no one wants to hear me babble for nearly 15 minutes. It was not supposed to be a step-by-step, and more just showing a way to do it to get the best results. The main takeaway should be to try and learn the path tool. Once you learn how to trace something properly with the path tool, all kinds of possibilities open up to you in gimp. Maybe I'll narrate it and send it to you privately if you are really interested.
On another note, I made a second video on how I would extract from the same image without using the path tool to trace. It's much shorter so maybe you won't fall asleep. It originally had no audio as well but decided to go back and add some after seeing your previous comment. Sorry if the audio sync isn't perfect.
I can't believe you did all this thank you so much!! The only thing is that I sometimes didn't know where to access certain boxes you brought up since mouse movement is a bit hard to follow, so I will keep this on hand as I learn more parts of the software so it will be easy to replicate at that point! What I did was refollow Rich's directions but then I kept wanting to make adjustments and realized it would actually be less time consuming to just use the paint (& at certain parts clone) tools so I wouldn't have to redo the mask selection any more times, so I did it that way. But this video reference will come in very handy for future stuff especially where you went in blurred/sharpened to make it clearer! Never seen that technique before.
I have used the path tool a ton yes, I agree it's probably the most important tool just haven't been using it the way advanced people like you do so it would take me forever >< Your first video was so useful if anything in just showing how to properly manipulate it which I couldn't figure out. Inspired me to finally dig up an introductory video on the subject which I will watch soon! https://youtu.be/fJE70PyYu2k
Quote:... I wish there was some way to save the quick mask selection somehow is the only thing it lacks in in my opinion...
If you have an active selection you can save it (and other selections) for later use. 'Select -> Save to Channel`
Save in Gimp .xcf format and it is still there next time you open the file.
Then at a later date you can restore the selection(s) from the channels dock. Right click for the menu.
Just a note: If you do this, remember to return to the layers dock and make a layer active. Always catches me out.
Wow amazing, thanks for telling I'll definitely use it a lot more then I'm sure. Do you make the layer active before or after doing that? And are you supposed to set the layers back to not active when you're done with the picture or does it not matter either way?
Quote: Do you make the layer active before or after doing that?
You need an active selection. Just keep the image the way it is when you go Select -> Save to Channel
Quote:And are you supposed to set the layers back to not active when you're done with the picture or does it not matter either way?
When you have 'saved to channel' you are in the channels dock. If you try and paint there you will alter the channel (and eventually the saved selection)
To continue editing go back the layers dock and make a layer active. Be aware of 'where you are in Gimp'
Just keep experimenting, Gimp is a big application, always lots to learn.
![[Image: ryrq7IA.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/ryrq7IA.jpg)
