Fading around irregular image

[jediguitar101@yahoo.com]

Could someone please link me to a tutorial that shows how to create an image fade around something other than the geometric templates found in the "blend" tool? My search results keep giving me the same blend process.

[Ofnuts]

• Use the freehand select to make a selection that roughly follows the outline of the subject, where you want it to be half transparent in your final image.
  
• Select>Feather and give the amount of fade you need
  

then:

Method #1:

• Edit>Copy, Edit>Paste, Layer>To new layer (Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V, Ctr-Shift-N)
  
• Remove/Hide the original image
  

Method #2:

• Layer>Mask>Add layer mask and initialize to Selection
  
• Layer>Mask>Apply layer mask when happy with result
  

A slighlty more efficient method if you understand layer masks well:

• Use the freehand select to make a selection that roughly follows the outline of the subject, where you want it to be half transparent in your final image.
  
• Layer>Mask>Add layer mask and initialize to Selection
  
• Remove the selection, and  use the gaussian blur tool to blur the mask. In 2.10, the Gaussian blur will give you with a direct feedback so you can very easily adjust the fade.
  
  

[jediguitar101@yahoo.com]

@Ofnuts...I appreciate the help.

So, method #1...I got it to work. Method #2 - nothing happened. "when happy with result"...that implies that you do something between adding a layer mask and applying it?
Method #3...not sure how to target the gaussian blur with the layer mask. GB applies to the entire image. What am I missing?

[Espermaschine]

(08-11-2018, 02:08 AM)jediguitar101@yahoo.com Wrote: not sure how to target the gaussian blur with the layer mask. GB applies to the entire image. What am I missing?

to apply gaussian blur to a layermask you have to select the mask first (click on it in the layers tab)

[jediguitar101@yahoo.com]

(08-11-2018, 03:42 AM)Espermaschine Wrote:

(08-11-2018, 02:08 AM)jediguitar101@yahoo.com Wrote: not sure how to target the gaussian blur with the layer mask. GB applies to the entire image. What am I missing?

to apply gaussian blur to a layermask you have to select the mask first (click on it in the layers tab)

No visual impact....when layer mast is selected.

[Espermaschine]

(08-11-2018, 04:20 AM)jediguitar101@yahoo.com Wrote: No visual impact....when layer mast is selected.

what do you mean "impact" ?

is it a white layermask or are there actually black and white areas ?


as ofnuts said, this will make only sense if you understand layermasks...

basically a layermask acts like a filter on the image, where white reveals and black conceals
grey produces transparency

you can use this to make a "fade effect", by blurring the layermask

[jediguitar101@yahoo.com]

The image I'm trying to fade the edges of...has been cropped to a "cloudlike" shape. The area around the image is transparent/nothing...just alpha channel. I've been "initializing" to the default white. I can select a region with magic-wand and grow/shrink. Gaussian blur uses white? So, what am I missing? I want the edges of my cloud to fade out.

[Espermaschine]

(08-11-2018, 06:20 AM)jediguitar101@yahoo.com Wrote: The image I'm trying to fade the edges of...has been cropped to a "cloudlike" shape. The area around the image is transparent/nothing...just alpha channel. I've been "initializing" to the default white. I can select a region with magic-wand and grow/shrink. Gaussian blur uses white? So, what am I missing? I want the edges of my cloud to fade out.

ofnuts instructions are quite clear: he said initialize from selection

so if you have a cloudllike shape on a transparent background, you can alpha select the cloud shape and add a layermask from selection
then deselect, highlight the layermask and apply Gaussian Blur

so if i understand you correctly, this is what it might look like


   

(keep in mind, for getting a fade effect via Gaussian Blur, you would have to shrink the selection before you intialize the layermask)

   


it would be much easier to give advice if you provide an example in the form of an image

[Ofnuts]

(08-11-2018, 02:08 AM)jediguitar101@yahoo.com Wrote: @Ofnuts...I appreciate the help.

So, method #1...I got it to work. Method #2 - nothing happened. "when happy with result"...that implies that you do something between adding a layer mask and applying it?
Method #3...not sure how to target the gaussian blur with the layer mask. GB applies to the entire image. What am I missing?

Method#2: if you initialize from the selection (this is one of the choices in the "Add layer mask dialog"), in the Layers list, the "mask" preview should be a blurred shape, and in the main display your object should have fading edges. Nothing more to. But you have to make sure you have a selection... strike enter or double-click before adding the mask.

Method#3: in the Layers list, click on the layer or on the mask thumbnail to select the target of the operations. At the bottom of the image display, the indicator says Layer_name or Layer_name mask depending on the target. And when you add a mask, it is automatically set as the target of the next operations. But remember that once you have created the mask, you must remove the selection (Select>None) before applying the blur (otherwise the blur only applies inside the selection and since that bit is already all white, nothing will change.

[jediguitar101@yahoo.com]

Doh!!! I apologize. Yeah, it was as simple as you said....lol. My brain, in an act of inflexibility, decided to disassociate "Initialize from the selection" from "Initialize layer mask...to...selection". Thanks for your patience, I see how it works now Much appreciated!

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So, the reason you don't see the "feather" immediately after executing it and must either copy/paste/paste new/hide...or apply a layer mask, is because it's a "selection" and isn't realized until you executed a visually enabling action? Is this a fair line of thought?