I am uncertain about what you are attempting so you will forgive me if my response is completely off-base. Firstly, layermasks "choose" (or blend) between two images, the layer to which it is attached AND "everything underneath". Your description is confusing because you don't really specify what is to be blended with the current layer. By having only one layer visible at a time, the "everything underneath" will be transparent; which may be precisely what you intend (or perhaps you will put something there after your positioning is complete?).
Assuming that you are only concerned with the positioning of the mask relative to a single image (a single layer), I would propose that a channel mask might be a more appropriate solution. Taking, for example, several different layers over which you wish to place a text label: create your text and perform an Alpha to Selection, Invert your selection, perform "Select->Save To Channel", and make the newly created channel visible. (You can change the color and opacity of the channel mask if you wish, or leave it at 50% opacity.) Once you have done this, you can individually select your layers and move/transform them to see how the end result would appear. When you have the layer positioned as you like, you should hide your channel mask, perform a Channel To Selection (using the button at the bottom of the Channels dialog), and add a layermask to the appropriate layer (initializing it to the Selection). At this point, I am unclear how you should proceed because I don't know if you wish the mask (the text label in the example) to be a transparency or something else. If a transparency, you are basically finished; if an image (or a solid color, gradient, pattern, etc) then put that image on a visible layer beneath the one with your layermask. --------------------------------------------- David Marrs wrote: > I've been trying to accomplish some things with layer masks that I don't > believe are currently possible. Please correct me if they are. I've been > thinking about how to solve the problem and thought I'd ask the opinion of the > community before posting a feature request to bugzilla. > > I want to apply the same layer mask to a number of stock photos. In this case > the mask is text but it could be anything. I want to get the best image for the > mask and this means not only trying different photos but also aligning those > photos for best composition. > > As far as choosing from a selection of images goes, the easiest thing in my > mind would be to create one layer mask and then paste it to other layers. Then > I'd switch visibility between them to see which I prefer. Unfortunately, > selecting the mask, hitting copy and then selecting a new layer and hitting > paste doesn't work; the mask gets added as a floating selection with its > position changed and when I anchor it, it is merged directly into the selected > layer instead of being applied as a mask. > > The other problem comes when I try to reposition the layer being masked. The > idea is to apply the mask and then establish the best position for the image > beneath it by using the move tool. Unfortunately, moving the layer also moves > the mask and I don't seem to be able to move one independently of the other. > > In summary, masks seem to be dependant on their layers and can't easily be > moved either within or between layers. I'd like it if layer masks were > independent of one another to make such flexibility possible. Is this a > desirable change? Are there side effects of this that cause problems? Is it > already possible? -------- "It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." -- Harry S. Truman _______________________________________________ Gimp-user mailing list Gimp-user@lists.XCF.Berkeley.EDU https://lists.XCF.Berkeley.EDU/mailman/listinfo/gimp-user
