Using Digital Image Suite 2006 Editor  
  
Is there a simple way to create a blank layer?  When editing a photo I  
  
currently cut and past a section of the photo and then erase the contents to  
  
get a blank layer.  
  
Also is there a simple eraser or do you have to use the selection tools and  
  
then delete?  
  
While I'm on a roll here:  Is there any way to "temporarly" make a layer  
  
partially transparent so I can trim it to fit on another layer?  I see where  
  
to change the transparency but then I can't see to get it back to 100% after  
  
I'm done trimming.  
  
Also is there a simple way to make a shape selection on one layer and then  
  
remove that shape from the new layer.  
  
All of this arises from trying to fit pieces of different photos together.  
  
THANKS FOR YOU HELP,  Ed.

Ed Sproull wrote:  
  
=========================================  
  
Possibly you mean a New Blank Canvas....  
  
just type...Ctrl+N. The default size of a new  
  
blank is 4x6 and that can be changed by  
  
going to...Format / Resize Image...if you  
  
uncheck..."Maintain Proportions" you can  
  
enter any size you require.  
  
==========================================  
  
==========================================  
  
Have you tried the Transparency Brush?  
  
Effects / Transparency / Transparency Brush  
  
==========================================  
  
===========================================  
  
I'm not certain that I even understand this question  
  
but I don't think transparency is the correct tool  
  
for this task. Why not make your cutout, save it  
  
as a separate object and then drag it onto to the  
  
collage? I suggest making a cutout as accurately  
  
as possible and then smooth the edges slightly with  
  
the...Effects / Edges / Soft...tool. It only takes 1 or 2  
  
points.  
  
After the cutout has been added to the collage, it  
  
can be resized by dragging the corner handles and  
  
it can be repositioned by dragging the 4 way arrow.  
  
Also a selected object can be nudged into position  
  
with your arrow keys.  
  
TIP: Sometimes a cutout needs to be partially behind  
  
another object in the project. I suggest that you make  
  
a cutout of the object that must be on top and type...  
  
Ctrl+D...this layers a copy of the cutout on top of the  
  
original image. Now you can place your cutout of  
  
Uncle Harry...partially behind the layered cutout.  
  
This method can help you create more realistic  
  
looking images and may eliminate having to try and  
  
*fit* the pieces together.  
  
I also find the Clone Brush, the Blending Brush  
  
and the Dodge and Burn Brush to be essential in  
  
doing basic touchups that are always necessary  
  
when creating a project of this type.  
  
The following three images are examples of  
  
how two original images can be combined  
  
into one.  
  
Mother and Son  
  
(Original)  
  
http://tinyurl.com/b67i  
  
Father and Son  
  
(Original)  
  
http://tinyurl.com/b67h  
  
Mother, Father and Son Final  
  
(Cutout of Father added to  
  
Mother and Son)  
  
http://tinyurl.com/b67k  
  
Two more examples of removing unwanted  
  
subjects from an image:  
  
Before  
  
http://tinyurl.com/4soyv  
  
After  
  
http://tinyurl.com/5dvsb  
  
==========================================  
  
===========================================  
  
Just wondering why you would even want to do that?  
  
===========================================  
  
=====================================  
  
Maybe the following steps for saving cutouts  
  
would be useful to you:  
  
I'm sure you discovered that you can define  
  
your cutout by using the Advanced Selection  
  
tools....the trick is how to save the cutout as  
  
a separate project.  
  
After you define your selection (cutout), copy  
  
the selected object by typing...Ctrl / C...  
  
Now... open a blank canvas by left clicking  
  
the "New" button (or Ctrl / N)...and Paste the  
  
cutout...Ctrl / V...the blank will autofit the cutout.  
  
So the simple steps are...  
  
1) Define your selection with the  
  
Advanced Selection tools...  
  
2) Ctrl / C  
  
3) Ctrl / N  
  
4) Ctrl / V  
  
Also, there are lots of excellent tutorials at  
  
the following links:  
  
Mary's Graphics (Picture It! / Digital Image  
  
Pro tutorials)  
  
http://www.marysgraphics.com/picit.html  
  
Scrapbook-Bytes Digital Image Pro Tutorials  
  
http://tinyurl.com/dd4tl  
  
kimlizzy's Digital Image Pro Tutorials  
  
http://www.members.iinet.net.au/~kimlizzy/index.html  
  
Microsoft Digital Image Pro and Picture It! User Resources  
  
http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/digitalimagepro/  
  
Short Courses On Digital Imaging  
  
http://www.shortcourses.com/  
  
--  
  
John Inzer  
  
MS Picture It! MVP  
  
How to ask a newsgroup question:  
  
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

Hi John,  
  
unfortunately, when I looked at this topic Dec. 9, 2005, non of the  
  
tinyurl links to your examples worked so  I was not able to look at  
  
what you were trying to show. If you can check that out, I'll look and  
  
see if I understand what you are doing but if not I'll repost and ask  
  
for a more detailed explaination of using transparency brush.  
  
Just looked in the book and there is no mention of this tool.  Frankly,  
  
the book is not overly useful for anything related to DIP 10 which I  
  
gather is basically the same as the new 2006 version.  
  
I'm not very good at "finding out" how to do things so like to see  
  
tutorials or books etc that show what the tool is used for and things  
  
that one would use it for with some examples.

Murray,  
  
Anytime you are looking for tutorials just give me a yell.  I'm always  
  
looking for new topics to make tutorials for.  
  
Kim  
  
MurrayW wrote:

MurrayW wrote:  
  
===================================  
  
The links are working fine....try again. Possibly  
  
you are running a pop-up stopper that requires  
  
you to hold your Ctrl key when opening certain  
  
pages.  
  
If you have a specific question about how to  
  
accomplish a certain task...let us know.  
  
And don't forget all the tutorials and info at  
  
the following links:  
  
Mary's Graphics (Picture It! / Digital Image  
  
Pro tutorials)  
  
http://www.marysgraphics.com/picit.html  
  
Scrapbook-Bytes Digital Image Pro Tutorials  
  
http://tinyurl.com/dd4tl  
  
kimlizzy's Digital Image Pro Tutorials  
  
http://www.members.iinet.net.au/~kimlizzy/index.html  
  
Microsoft Digital Image Pro and Picture It! User Resources  
  
http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/digitalimagepro/  
  
Short Courses On Digital Imaging  
  
http://www.shortcourses.com/  
  
--  
  
John Inzer  
  
MS Picture It! MVP  
  
How to ask a newsgroup question:  
  
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

Hi John  
  
yes, today the links are now working without use of CTRL but not so  
  
last night. Anyway, very interesting. I think a much more detailed  
  
explaination of what was done would be needed for me to understand how  
  
you accomplished what you did.  
  
I have poked around the tutorials you mention which I had bookmarked  
  
and looked at before but have not seen one that uses masks or at least  
  
none is identified as doing this.

MurrayW wrote:  
  
===================================  
  
Basically I added a cutout of dad to the  
  
image of mom and the young boy. Also  
  
there had to be a cutout of the mom and boy  
  
layered onto the project so the cutout of dad  
  
could be correctly placed behind them.  
  
In the second example....the man and woman  
  
with the baby were removed from the original  
  
as a cutout...the background was cleaned up  
  
and the the cutout was placed on the new  
  
background.  
  
I'm sorry Murray but I have no idea what  
  
your specific question is. Can you clarify?  
  
--  
  
John Inzer  
  
MS Picture It! MVP  
  
How to ask a newsgroup question:  
  
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

ok, John, for example, how did you change the arms of the father? and  
  
from what you said it looks like this is a 3 layer project with the  
  
background layer, one of the father and one of the mother and son if I  
  
interpret what you say correctly.  
  
MW

MurrayW wrote:  
  
====================================  
  
You are quite observant to notice that. I made  
  
a cutout of the right arm (which would be on  
  
your left) ...reversed it (flip horizontally) and  
  
used it as a left arm.  
  
When all objects are in place to your satisfaction,  
  
the Clone Brush, Blending Brush and the Dodge  
  
and Burn Brush can be very useful in blending  
  
the various elements together.  
  
====================================  
  
====================================  
  
That is correct. And...it's not unusual for a  
  
project to require several layers.  
  
Just for fun, I also made a cutout of the boy  
  
from the image with the father...added some  
  
feet with a cutout from the other boy and  
  
created what I called Mom, Dad and the  
  
Twins.  
  
Mom, Dad and the Twins  
  
http://tinyurl.com/b67m  
  
--  
  
John Inzer  
  
MS Picture It! MVP  
  
How to ask a newsgroup question:  
  
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375