Selections in GIMP

Post by a***@gmail.com
When using GIMP, I make lots of selections. Usually,
the "Mode" is "Replace current selection" - which is
what I always want it to be. But lots of times, the
Mode switches on me to "Subtract From Current
Selection". Yikes! I did not want this! It seems to
do this on it's own when you have a selection and you
press the Command button (on a Mac). Why does it do
this????? What is the keyboard short cut to get it back
to "Replace Current Selection"? I cannot figure this
out.
Thanks!

I am not familiar with how a Mac keyboard/mouse interface
works.

On a PC running Linux if you double click on one of the
selection tool icons on the toolbox window, a dialog for
that specific tool comes up. You can select which mode
is the default with the dialog box.

When using a selection tool the default is as selected
(and it might well be convenient to have it set to
replacing the current selection), but when you start a
selection with the mouse you can either hold down the
shift key or the control key as you start, and with
those you'll get "Add to Selection" and "Subtract from
Selection" respectively.

Is there any chance you are accidentally holding down
the Control Key when you start selections? Or is there
something about the Mac keyboard/mouse interface that
equates to the same thing as a result of pressing the
"Command button"?

--
Floyd L. Davidson http://www.apaflo.com/
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska) ***@apaflo.com

John W Kennedy

2015-01-05 17:50:38 UTC

I am not familiar with how a Mac keyboard/mouse interface
works.
On a PC running Linux if you double click on one of the
selection tool icons on the toolbox window, a dialog for
that specific tool comes up. You can select which mode
is the default with the dialog box.
When using a selection tool the default is as selected
(and it might well be convenient to have it set to
replacing the current selection), but when you start a
selection with the mouse you can either hold down the
shift key or the control key as you start, and with
those you'll get "Add to Selection" and "Subtract from
Selection" respectively.
Is there any chance you are accidentally holding down
the Control Key when you start selections? Or is there
something about the Mac keyboard/mouse interface that
equates to the same thing as a result of pressing the
"Command button"?

The Mac has a Ctrl key (notated with the traditional ^), but, outside
of running Unix programs, both command-line and X11, it is used for
special purposes, like changing click on a 1-button mouse to a
right-click. In Mac GUI programs, the Command key (labeled Command and
⌘, and notated ⌘) does what the Ctrl key typically does on Windows and
Unix. For example, Command-C is Copy, Command-X is Cut, and so forth.
In other words, GIMP is doing exactly what a Windows or Unix program
that has been thoroughly ported to Mac is supposed to do. (There is
also one more key, labeled both Option and Alt, and notated ⌥.)

There used to be, perhaps still is, another version of GIMP for OS X
written in X11, where the Ctrl key would be used in the traditional
non-Mac way, but if you mostly use the Mac as a Mac, it’s maddening.

--
John W Kennedy
"There are those who argue that everything breaks even in this old dump
of a world of ours. I suppose these ginks who argue that way hold that
because the rich man gets ice in the summer and the poor man gets it in
the winter things are breaking even for both. Maybe so, but I'll swear
I can't see it that way."
-- The last words of Bat Masterson

Floyd L. Davidson

2015-01-05 20:53:35 UTC

I am not familiar with how a Mac keyboard/mouse
interface
works.
On a PC running Linux if you double click on one of the
selection tool icons on the toolbox window, a dialog for
that specific tool comes up. You can select which mode
is the default with the dialog box.
When using a selection tool the default is as selected
(and it might well be convenient to have it set to
replacing the current selection), but when you start a
selection with the mouse you can either hold down the
shift key or the control key as you start, and with
those you'll get "Add to Selection" and "Subtract from
Selection" respectively.
Is there any chance you are accidentally holding down
the Control Key when you start selections? Or is there
something about the Mac keyboard/mouse interface that
equates to the same thing as a result of pressing the
"Command button"?

The Mac has a Ctrl key (notated with the traditional ^),
but, outside of running Unix programs, both command-line
and X11, it is used for special purposes, like changing
click on a 1-button mouse to a right-click. In Mac GUI
programs, the Command key (labeled Command and âOE~, and
notated âOE~) does what the Ctrl key typically does on
Windows and Unix. For example, Command-C is Copy,
Command-X is Cut, and so forth. In other words, GIMP is
doing exactly what a Windows or Unix program that has
been thoroughly ported to Mac is supposed to do. (There
is also one more key, labeled both Option and Alt, and
notated âOE¥.)
There used to be, perhaps still is, another version of
GIMP for OS X written in X11, where the Ctrl key would
be used in the traditional non-Mac way, but if you
mostly use the Mac as a Mac, itâEUR(Tm)s maddening.

Wonderful, but can you answer the OP's question then?

Apparently pressing the Command key puts the selection
tools into Subtract from the Current Selection mode,
even if it is not held down while a selection is
started? If that is what is happening, how would GIMP
get back to the default mode, Replace Current Selection?
In other environments just pressing the Control Key does
not lock it into another mode, so simply releasing the
Control Key prior to starting a new selection is all
that is required. How about with the Mac?

--
Floyd L. Davidson http://www.apaflo.com/
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska) ***@apaflo.com

John W Kennedy

2015-01-06 05:02:43 UTC

I am not familiar with how a Mac keyboard/mouse
interface
works.
On a PC running Linux if you double click on one of the
selection tool icons on the toolbox window, a dialog for
that specific tool comes up. You can select which mode
is the default with the dialog box.
When using a selection tool the default is as selected
(and it might well be convenient to have it set to
replacing the current selection), but when you start a
selection with the mouse you can either hold down the
shift key or the control key as you start, and with
those you'll get "Add to Selection" and "Subtract from
Selection" respectively.
Is there any chance you are accidentally holding down
the Control Key when you start selections? Or is there
something about the Mac keyboard/mouse interface that
equates to the same thing as a result of pressing the
"Command button"?

The Mac has a Ctrl key (notated with the traditional ^),
but, outside of running Unix programs, both command-line
and X11, it is used for special purposes, like changing
click on a 1-button mouse to a right-click. In Mac GUI
programs, the Command key (labeled Command and âOE~, and
notated âOE~) does what the Ctrl key typically does on
Windows and Unix. For example, Command-C is Copy,
Command-X is Cut, and so forth. In other words, GIMP is
doing exactly what a Windows or Unix program that has
been thoroughly ported to Mac is supposed to do. (There
is also one more key, labeled both Option and Alt, and
notated âOE¥.)
There used to be, perhaps still is, another version of
GIMP for OS X written in X11, where the Ctrl key would
be used in the traditional non-Mac way, but if you
mostly use the Mac as a Mac, itâEUR(Tm)s maddening.

On my system using the GIMP on OS X port (there used to be others;
perhaps there still are), version GIMP 2.8.14p1 for Mavericks/Yosemite
(newest stable), running on OS X Yosemite 10.10.1 (newest stable), the
switch lasts as long as the Command key is down and no longer.

Post by Floyd L. Davidson
If that is what is happening, how would GIMP
get back to the default mode, Replace Current Selection?
In other environments just pressing the Control Key does
not lock it into another mode, so simply releasing the
Control Key prior to starting a new selection is all
that is required. How about with the Mac?

As I say, I am not seeing this.

--
John W Kennedy
"But now is a new thing which is very old--
that the rich make themselves richer and not poorer,
which is the true Gospel, for the poor's sake."
-- Charles Williams. "Judgement at Chelmsford"

Floyd L. Davidson

2015-01-06 08:33:51 UTC