(01-14-2024, 02:41 PM)SteveNewcomb Wrote: This was a show-stopper for me.  The advice above did not help. 
The answer turned out to be a bogus saved tool option of some kind.  Here's what worked:

(1) Edit->Preferences->Tool Options->Reset Saved Tool Options To Default Values
(2) Restart gimp.

(01-14-2024, 05:55 PM)Ofnuts Wrote:

(01-14-2024, 02:41 PM)SteveNewcomb Wrote: This was a show-stopper for me.  The advice above did not help. 
The answer turned out to be a bogus saved tool option of some kind.  Here's what worked:

(1) Edit->Preferences->Tool Options->Reset Saved Tool Options To Default Values
(2) Restart gimp.

Actually Blighty's post #3 is the real answer. Your action has just reset the Selection tool to Replace mode which is its default.

if you want Gimp to always start with known options: see here.

(01-14-2024, 07:06 PM)SteveNewcomb Wrote:

(01-14-2024, 05:55 PM)Ofnuts Wrote:

(01-14-2024, 02:41 PM)SteveNewcomb Wrote: This was a show-stopper for me.  The advice above did not help. 
The answer turned out to be a bogus saved tool option of some kind.  Here's what worked:

(1) Edit->Preferences->Tool Options->Reset Saved Tool Options To Default Values
(2) Restart gimp.

Actually Blighty's post #3 is the real answer. Your action has just reset the Selection tool to Replace mode which is its default.

if you want Gimp to always start with known options: see here.

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Ofnuts Wrote:
Actually Blighty's post #3 is the real answer.

No.  The "real" answer did not work.  Even with the "real" answer I could not escape subtract mode, period, nor could I find a way to escape it.  It was horrible to discard all tool options and restart.

What I'm hoping is that someone might explain how I *should* have escaped from an endless succession of dialog boxes complaining that you can't subtract from nothing.  The method I found is still the only method I know, but I doubt it's the only way.

(01-14-2024, 08:30 PM)Ofnuts Wrote:

(01-14-2024, 07:06 PM)SteveNewcomb Wrote:

(01-14-2024, 05:55 PM)Ofnuts Wrote: Actually Blighty's post #3 is the real answer. Your action has just reset the Selection tool to Replace mode which is its default.

if you want Gimp to always start with known options: see here.

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Ofnuts Wrote:
Actually Blighty's post #3 is the real answer.

No.  The "real" answer did not work.  Even with the "real" answer I could not escape subtract mode, period, nor could I find a way to escape it.  It was horrible to discard all tool options and restart.

What I'm hoping is that someone might explain how I *should* have escaped from an endless succession of dialog boxes complaining that you can't subtract from nothing.  The method I found is still the only method I know, but I doubt it's the only way.

Make a screenshot of your UI, then, showing the Tools options dialog.

(01-14-2024, 08:30 PM)Ofnuts Wrote:

(01-14-2024, 07:06 PM)SteveNewcomb Wrote:

(01-14-2024, 05:55 PM)Ofnuts Wrote: Actually Blighty's post #3 is the real answer. Your action has just reset the Selection tool to Replace mode which is its default.

if you want Gimp to always start with known options: see here.

---

Ofnuts Wrote:
Actually Blighty's post #3 is the real answer.

No.  The "real" answer did not work.  Even with the "real" answer I could not escape subtract mode, period, nor could I find a way to escape it.  It was horrible to discard all tool options and restart.

What I'm hoping is that someone might explain how I *should* have escaped from an endless succession of dialog boxes complaining that you can't subtract from nothing.  The method I found is still the only method I know, but I doubt it's the only way.

Make a screenshot of your UI, then, showing the Tools options dialog.

(01-15-2024, 01:09 PM)SteveNewcomb Wrote:

(01-14-2024, 08:30 PM)Ofnuts Wrote:

(01-14-2024, 07:06 PM)SteveNewcomb Wrote:

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Ofnuts Wrote:
Actually Blighty's post #3 is the real answer.

No.  The "real" answer did not work.  Even with the "real" answer I could not escape subtract mode, period, nor could I find a way to escape it.  It was horrible to discard all tool options and restart.

What I'm hoping is that someone might explain how I *should* have escaped from an endless succession of dialog boxes complaining that you can't subtract from nothing.  The method I found is still the only method I know, but I doubt it's the only way.

Make a screenshot of your UI, then, showing the Tools options dialog.

---

(01-14-2024, 08:30 PM)Ofnuts Wrote:

(01-14-2024, 07:06 PM)SteveNewcomb Wrote:

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Ofnuts Wrote:
Actually Blighty's post #3 is the real answer.

No.  The "real" answer did not work.  Even with the "real" answer I could not escape subtract mode, period, nor could I find a way to escape it.  It was horrible to discard all tool options and restart.

What I'm hoping is that someone might explain how I *should* have escaped from an endless succession of dialog boxes complaining that you can't subtract from nothing.  The method I found is still the only method I know, but I doubt it's the only way.

Make a screenshot of your UI, then, showing the Tools options dialog.

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Here is the tool options dialog box.  Gimp version 2.10.34

(01-15-2024, 10:13 PM)Ofnuts Wrote:

> So now I'm wondering if you didn't fall victim of a disappearing Tool options dialog, in which case see here to fix that issue first.

Many thanks for the good advice.  I bet you're right!  

(01-24-2020, 09:24 PM)HowardG Wrote: When I try to draw a selection box on the image it says "Cannot subtract from an empty selection."
Why is that and how do I make it stop?

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I found the box to check in the rectangular select tool box. Problem fixed thank you.