Selecting smaller image

[jediguitar101@yahoo.com]

How do you select an entire image without grabbing the whole canvas. I have a small picture that's sitting on a larger canvas. Everything I have the layer selected and try to "select all"...it frames it, but it also includes the canvas as well. Fuzzy select won't work, since I want the entire image there's no negative space.

[Wallace]

(08-16-2018, 05:17 AM)jediguitar101@yahoo.com Wrote: How do you select an entire image without grabbing the whole canvas. I have a small picture that's sitting on a larger canvas. Everything I have the layer selected and try to "select all"...it frames it, but it also includes the canvas as well. Fuzzy select won't work, since I want the entire image there's no negative space.

You can try using  Alpha To Selection.
An Alpha To Selection, does not include any of the transparent space within the image.
You would need to first have transparent space within the image.
In order for Alpha To Selection to work.

You could also use the Rectangle Selection Tool .
Unless the picture is of an irregular nature.

In this case I would suggest the Free Selection Tool  .

[Ofnuts]

(08-16-2018, 05:17 AM)jediguitar101@yahoo.com Wrote: How do you select an entire image without grabbing the whole canvas. I have a small picture that's sitting on a larger canvas. Everything I have the layer selected and try to "select all"...it frames it, but it also includes the canvas as well. Fuzzy select won't work, since I want the entire image there's no negative space.

The target of operations is the intersection of the selection and the active layer. Nothing happens outisde of the active layer, so there is no problem with having a selection larger than the layer.

Noet also that in most case, no selection at all or a full selection have the same results, the only case where they differ is when you apply transform tools. Without selection the transform tool is applied on the layer, and with a selection it is applied to a "floating selection".

[jediguitar101@yahoo.com]

It was a rectangular image. I ended up just copying the layer and then pasting as a "new image"...which since it was the only image (and canvas size) I could then modify and them just paste back in. Honestly, pretty easy work around...but I'd liked to have had been able to work it against the larger background. The rectangle tool would have been my next choice, but I didn't want to fuss over missing any of the image. I don't understand why it doesn't just treat the layer as an "object" at that point?

[Ofnuts]

(08-16-2018, 08:26 AM)jediguitar101@yahoo.com Wrote: It was a rectangular image. I ended up just copying the layer and then pasting as a "new image"...which since it was the only image (and canvas size) I could then modify and them just paste back in. Honestly, pretty easy work around...but I'd liked to have had been able to work it against the larger background. The rectangle tool would have been my next choice, but I didn't want to fuss over missing any of the image. I don't understand why it doesn't just treat the layer as an "object" at that point?

I don't understand why you did all this... Why didn't you just work on the layer? That would not have changed anything on the other layers... What were you trying to "work around"?

[jediguitar101@yahoo.com]

I was trying to treat/modify the edges of the image. (which was shorter, but same width as the canvas. Gimp wouldn't let me just quick select the image/layer. I could have just selected it with the rectangle tool. Since I was doing border manipulation, it wasn't letting me select the border without grabbing the entire canvas for some reason?

[Ofnuts]

The selection is an image thing, not a layer one. If you want to play with the edges of the layer, as Wallace said, use Layer>Transparency>Alpha to selection. You can also use a rectangle selection that closely matches the layer.