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Is 'Select all' superfluous?


Red ochre

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Is 'Select all' superfluous?

 

Can 'Copy' use the active layer when no user selection has been made?
 

When running an effect or adjustment it applies to the whole layer, even when 'nothing' is selected. This is because Pdn assumes the whole active layer to be the selection if there is no user selection. (I guess Rick knows this 😉). Please could the 'Copy' and 'Copy merged' instructions behave in the same way? ('Copy merged' is wonderfully useful b.t.w.)

 

Reasons for:
1. It would save so many unnecessary mouse clicks!
2. The greying-out of the copy options is not visually obvious on my screen set up, so I regularly click 'Copy'...think... then click 'Select all', 'Copy'... and swear to myself.🙄
3. The Edit menu could be simplified by removing the greying-out code? The 'Select all' option could be completely removed from the U.I.(ideal) ...or just left there as a meaningless step for old tutorials?
4. The 'Ctrl + A' shortcut could also go ... or be reassigned?
5. A layer is already selected, so also needing to select everything within that layer seems odd.
6. Since this behaviour is already there for plugins/adjustments & Layers, hopefully it wouldn't be too painful to extend it to 'Copy selected' and 'Copy merged'?

 

Reasons against:
1. Perhaps there is an obscure function that needs literally nothing selected? (please keep the 'De-select' icon, it would simply select all but not Xor blue highlight the layer).
2. All change involves work and possible introduction of bugs... but that reasoning would prevent all updates!🙂
3. Not a priority? - fair enough. It's at the top of my wish list if it's possible.

4. Perhaps it's a clipboard thing?


Please do consider. Many thanks!

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Red ochre Plugin pack.............. Diabolical Drawings ................Real Paintings

 

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You could argue that select all is superfluous in the case of Paint.NET, but it has become the traditional thing to offer Select All function, and workflow tends to match whatever traditional thing. In some cases, in the case of image processing software, select all do offer some hidden features that would never be discovered. I'm not sure if the grayed out option would work, select all would be necessary in the case of Paint.NET, but I would argue it would remain there for matching workflows of other software even if Paint.NET is not meant to do that. That being said, I don't think this'll be changed any time soon only because select all is required for the grayed-option to work, and programming can be a lot of work for a man alone, and there are bigger thing to care about.

G'MIC Filter Developer

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I use the "Select All" command in order to make my layer selection active so I can copy an object in the layer.  This is what I do all the time with alpha masking.  Another alternative, quicker way is to use the move tool and clicking only once to select the object of the layer.  I hope Rick leaves in Select All.

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36 minutes ago, TrevorOutlaw said:

I use the "Select All" command in order to make my layer selection active so I can copy an object in the layer.  This is what I do all the time with alpha masking.  Another alternative, quicker way is to use the move tool and clicking only once to select the object of the layer.  I hope Rick leaves in Select All.

His argument is that if Select All was removed, and the grayed out options are available, then you wouldn't need to do this. All you would need to do is to copy or copy merged to get to what you want. I agree with the argument, but I also understand that it wouldn't be changed due to tradition. There's also the issue of effort involved just to do this, and I see no real justification for supporting this motive.

Edited by Reptillian

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I agree (and have proposed before) that all commands, such as Copy, and Fill Selection, should treat no-selection as if the entire canvas was selected.

 

BTW, the keyboard shortcuts for Copy and Copy Merge do that already.

 

 

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1 hour ago, MJW said:

BTW, the keyboard shortcuts for Copy and Copy Merge do that already.

So they do!... so what is Ctrl+A for?

 

2 hours ago, Reptillian said:

but I also understand that it wouldn't be changed due to tradition

Ye olde graphics programme!😄

 

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19 minutes ago, Red ochre said:

So they do!... so what is Ctrl+A for?

 

There are other commands, such as Fill Selection, which only work when there's an actual selection. Also, the menu versions of Copy and Copy Merge require a selection.

 

I hypothesize that the Copy and Copy Merged keyboard shortcuts work without a selection because they correspond to standard Windows keyboard commands, which they are made to act like. Whatever the reason, I certainly appreciate that convenient behavior.

 

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