selecting accross layers?

jrzyguy wrote:

cant this be done? A co-worker of mine asked me this

yesterday….and i

dont THINK it can be done…but i dont want to say so until i ask the

group.

he has a selection made…and he wants to apply it to multiple

layers. My

suggestion was to save the selection and then just re-load it and

apply it

to each layer.

Apply it in what way? If you do a selection and choose "copy merged" it copies the selection exactly what you see, regardless of layers.

But if you’re painting, it’s only going to affect the current layer… what exactly do you want to do?

he is sorta making a mosiac. not realy a mosaic tho. He wants to place about 6 different images into a hexegon (separate hexagons tho). SOooooo..i THINK what he wants to do is make a "master" hexagon selection…and then apply it to multiple layers so that each layer sorta "clips" to his "master selection"..into his hexagon or whatever shape he has made.

Does that make any sence? i kinda think a layer mask is the way to go…i just havent had much time to think about this. But i thought it was worth bringing up.

NOw that i am actualy THINKING about this…i think writing a simple action and then batching the separate images might be the way to go.

Let me know if you have better ideas…and IF applying that selection across multiple layers is a reality

Just use the shape tool of a hexagon on the desired layer. Set it to Paths in the options bar (just below Image and Layer) and drag out a Polygon. Holding the space bar while dragging will allow you to move it to the desired place.
Open the Paths palette and click on the little triangle and choose Make Selection. Click on the layer mask icon at the bottom of the layers palette. to hide everything but the contents of the polygon. If other images are in different layers in the same file, you can select the layer and then drag the layer mask just created to the layer mask icon at the bottom of the layers palette to duplicate it for that layer.

Or, for a less time consuming way, you may just want to make the selection, Select Inverse (SHFT+CTRL+I) and create a new layer on top of everything else. Fill the selection with the color of your choice to make a "hexagon window" for the other images to peek through.

Peadge 🙂

"jrzyguy" wrote in message

he is sorta making a mosiac. not realy a mosaic tho. He wants to place about 6 different images into a hexegon (separate hexagons tho).

SOooooo..i

THINK what he wants to do is make a "master" hexagon selection…and then apply it to multiple layers so that each layer sorta "clips" to his

"master

selection"..into his hexagon or whatever shape he has made.
Does that make any sence? i kinda think a layer mask is the way to go…i just havent had much time to think about this. But i thought it was worth bringing up.

NOw that i am actualy THINKING about this…i think writing a simple

action

and then batching the separate images might be the way to go.
Let me know if you have better ideas…and IF applying that selection

across

multiple layers is a reality

u r right on peadge!!!!
I KNEW the answer layer within a layer mask (one of my best friends lol). Again tho….there is no right or wrong way to get things done sometimes. Its does seem silly tho that you cant "edit across layers" as you can in other programs tho.

thanks for your help

jj
"Peadge" wrote in message

Just use the shape tool of a hexagon on the desired layer. Set it to Paths in the options bar (just below Image and Layer) and drag out a Polygon. Holding the space bar while dragging will allow you to move it to the desired place.
Open the Paths palette and click on the little triangle and choose Make Selection. Click on the layer mask icon at the bottom of the layers

palette.

to hide everything but the contents of the polygon. If other images are in different layers in the same file, you can select the layer and then drag the layer mask just created to the layer mask icon at the bottom of the layers palette to duplicate it for that layer.

Or, for a less time consuming way, you may just want to make the

selection,

Select Inverse (SHFT+CTRL+I) and create a new layer on top of everything else. Fill the selection with the color of your choice to make a "hexagon window" for the other images to peek through.

Peadge 🙂

"jrzyguy" wrote in message

he is sorta making a mosiac. not realy a mosaic tho. He wants to place about 6 different images into a hexegon (separate hexagons tho).

SOooooo..i

THINK what he wants to do is make a "master" hexagon selection…and

then

apply it to multiple layers so that each layer sorta "clips" to his

"master

selection"..into his hexagon or whatever shape he has made.
Does that make any sence? i kinda think a layer mask is the way to

go…i

just havent had much time to think about this. But i thought it was

worth

bringing up.

NOw that i am actualy THINKING about this…i think writing a simple

action

and then batching the separate images might be the way to go.
Let me know if you have better ideas…and IF applying that selection

across

multiple layers is a reality

I noticed that the Magic Wand Tool has the "use all layers" option in the options bar at the top (rightmost option), but the other selection tools don’t have this checkbox. But, you’re right, there is no right or wrong way. In Photoshop, the end often justifies the means!

Peadge 🙂

"jrzyguy" wrote in message

u r right on peadge!!!!
I KNEW the answer layer within a layer mask (one of my best friends lol). Again tho….there is no right or wrong way to get things done sometimes. Its does seem silly tho that you cant "edit across layers" as you can in other programs tho.

thanks for your help

jj
"Peadge" wrote in message

Just use the shape tool of a hexagon on the desired layer. Set it to

Paths

in the options bar (just below Image and Layer) and drag out a Polygon. Holding the space bar while dragging will allow you to move it to the desired place.
Open the Paths palette and click on the little triangle and choose Make Selection. Click on the layer mask icon at the bottom of the layers

palette.

to hide everything but the contents of the polygon. If other images are

in

different layers in the same file, you can select the layer and then

drag

the layer mask just created to the layer mask icon at the bottom of the layers palette to duplicate it for that layer.

Or, for a less time consuming way, you may just want to make the

selection,

Select Inverse (SHFT+CTRL+I) and create a new layer on top of everything else. Fill the selection with the color of your choice to make a

"hexagon

window" for the other images to peek through.

Peadge 🙂

"jrzyguy" wrote in message

he is sorta making a mosiac. not realy a mosaic tho. He wants to

place

about 6 different images into a hexegon (separate hexagons tho).

SOooooo..i

THINK what he wants to do is make a "master" hexagon selection…and

then

apply it to multiple layers so that each layer sorta "clips" to his

"master

selection"..into his hexagon or whatever shape he has made.
Does that make any sence? i kinda think a layer mask is the way to

go…i

just havent had much time to think about this. But i thought it was

worth

bringing up.

NOw that i am actualy THINKING about this…i think writing a simple

action

and then batching the separate images might be the way to go.
Let me know if you have better ideas…and IF applying that selection

across

multiple layers is a reality

thanks again peage….i never noticed that tool feature….but alas..it doesn’t do what my buddy was looking to do.

I think my suggestion about saving the selection and then re-loading is best. I keep on coming up with other things…but this works. Just wanted to make sure that I wasn’t missing something completely obvious.

thanks
"Peadge" wrote in message

I noticed that the Magic Wand Tool has the "use all layers" option in the options bar at the top (rightmost option), but the other selection tools don’t have this checkbox. But, you’re right, there is no right or wrong way. In Photoshop, the end often justifies the means!

Peadge 🙂

"jrzyguy" wrote in message

u r right on peadge!!!!
I KNEW the answer layer within a layer mask (one of my best friends

lol).

Again tho….there is no right or wrong way to get things done

sometimes.

Its does seem silly tho that you cant "edit across layers" as you can in other programs tho.

thanks for your help

jj
"Peadge" wrote in message

Just use the shape tool of a hexagon on the desired layer. Set it to

Paths

in the options bar (just below Image and Layer) and drag out a

Polygon.

Holding the space bar while dragging will allow you to move it to the desired place.
Open the Paths palette and click on the little triangle and choose

Make

Selection. Click on the layer mask icon at the bottom of the layers

palette.

to hide everything but the contents of the polygon. If other images

are

in

different layers in the same file, you can select the layer and then

drag

the layer mask just created to the layer mask icon at the bottom of

the

layers palette to duplicate it for that layer.

Or, for a less time consuming way, you may just want to make the

selection,

Select Inverse (SHFT+CTRL+I) and create a new layer on top of

everything

else. Fill the selection with the color of your choice to make a

"hexagon

window" for the other images to peek through.

Peadge 🙂

"jrzyguy" wrote in message

he is sorta making a mosiac. not realy a mosaic tho. He wants to

place

about 6 different images into a hexegon (separate hexagons tho).

SOooooo..i

THINK what he wants to do is make a "master" hexagon selection…and

then

apply it to multiple layers so that each layer sorta "clips" to his

"master

selection"..into his hexagon or whatever shape he has made.
Does that make any sence? i kinda think a layer mask is the way to

go…i

just havent had much time to think about this. But i thought it was

worth

bringing up.

NOw that i am actualy THINKING about this…i think writing a simple

action

and then batching the separate images might be the way to go.
Let me know if you have better ideas…and IF applying that

selection

across

multiple layers is a reality