How to soften/feather a selection

[DavidP]

Is there a way (or a plugin) that can soften a selection?

 

I need to apply a filter to a selection, but with a softer transition between the filtered area and the rest of the image.

 

[Pixey]

4 hours ago, DavidP said:

but with a softer transition between the filtered area and the rest of the image.

 

1.  Copy the selection

2.  Post in a new layer.

3. Use the Gradient tool on transparent.

4.  Rt click to anchor the start, then left click the nub to drag.

5.  Repeat around the circle.

 

[DavidP]

Thanks, but I don't understand how this is supposed to give me a soft selection edge.

[Pixey]

35 minutes ago, DavidP said:

how this is supposed to give me a soft selection edge.

 

If you uncheck the bottom layer, you will see what I mean.

 

[DavidP]

Sorry, but I can not follow. Especially steps 3 and 4.

 

I also don't understand why you have three layers. And I still don't see a soft selection that could have a filter applied to it.

[Pixey]

The first layer is the background when you open paint.net.  You don't need it for this, so you could delete it.

Second layer is your photo.

third layer is a copy of the area that you want to distort.  You need this to blend with the photo.

 

 

 

Perhaps if you watch this video, you may understand how the use of the gradient, set to transparency, which can soften the edges of an image:

 

 

 

[DavidP]

Thanks very much, I believe that I begin to understand the principle now. 

 

However, a possibility to directly soften a selection's edge would be of course way simpler...

 

I wonder why there is not even a plug in which can do that. 

 

BTW, kudos that you spotted the use of Elvis in my example

[Ego Eram Reputo]

6 hours ago, DavidP said:

However, a possibility to directly soften a selection's edge would be of course way simpler...

 

I wonder why there is not even a plug in which can do that. 

 

There are plugins, several in fact. Most operate on an area that is surrounded by transparency, so....

1. Copy the selection
2. Paste selection into a new layer (Ctrl + Shift + V)
3. Apply one of Feather Object or AA's Assistant to the new layer.

 

BoltBait has a plugin which will fade the selection  (it's called, wait for it...Fade Selection) and KrisVDM has a Fade Edge plugin.  Fading in-situ will leave a gap between the original and the selection edge.

[DavidP]

16 hours ago, Ego Eram Reputo said:

BoltBait has a plugin which will fade the selection  (it's called, wait for it...Fade Selection)

I believe it's called "Feather Selection", right? This plugin (or "Feather Object") actually works for my purpose, when used in the way that Pixey proposed. Only the feather range should be larger in my view.

 

16 hours ago, Ego Eram Reputo said:

Apply [...] AA's Assistant to the new layer.

16 hours ago, Ego Eram Reputo said:

KrisVDM has a Fade Edge plugin

 

Both AA's Assistant and Fade Edge don't seem to do anything when applying them to a selection/object that's been pasted into a new layer...?

 

Also, I've yet to see a plugin that actually softens the selection's edge itself, not the object that is contained in the selection...?

[CircleBox]

So were you looking for something like this? There's a ton of different ways to do what you are asking, but I am trying to answer the question put forth. I might just select a larger area than the face and use the 'Unfocus.' 

 

Since it appears you already have this layered out I just selected a larger area than the dotted white and black line. Then holding alt, I de-selected an area within the larger circle. 

 

I then applied the Smudge effect. The plugin browser links me here, I installed it with a pack: https://forums.getpaint.net/topic/7291-pyrochild-plugins-2020-11-21/

 

If I was way off let me know! 

 

[DavidP]

What I mean is a feathered selection, not any manipulation of the object or pixels of the image.

 

Shown in another image editor below, left is a normal selection, right a feathered (softened) selection (in Mask view mode):

 

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/56/ab/50/56ab508bdc19416b7a46d1a07b154daa.jpg

Edited October 4, 2022 by DavidP

[MJW]

14 hours ago, DavidP said:

What I mean is a feathered selection, not any manipulation of the object or pixels of the image.

 

Other people aren't misunderstanding or holding out on you: There is no such thing as a feathered selection in Paint.NET. Repeatedly asking for it won't add the feature. Your only option within PDN is to follow the suggestions on how to achieve a similar result in other ways. That is, assuming Rick Brewster doesn't decide to drop everything else he's working on for PDN so that he can immediately add feathered selections to the next release. You probably shouldn't count on that.

 

Doing what you want to do -- blurring a region with a soft transition -- isn't all that difficult. I describe another method in a different thread. It isn't quite as easy as using a feathered selection, but most things would be easier if there were a special built-in feature to do them

 

[CircleBox]

I see, your image makes it much clearer what you were talking about. 

 

Since I've been using pdn for awhile my workflow goes into the gradient blending as well in order to achieve the same effect. 

Pixey is there a way to make the gradient stronger in the middle? It seems to apply an alpha layer to the entire layer itself. 

[Pixey]

4 hours ago, CircleBox said:

Pixey is there a way to make the gradient stronger in the middle? It seems to apply an alpha layer to the entire layer itself. 

 

You have to fine-tune it by also using the opposite nub, the one that you used to anchor it.  You can pull on both nubs.

[DavidP]

On 10/5/2022 at 1:18 AM, MJW said:

Other people aren't misunderstanding or holding out on you: There is no such thing as a feathered selection in Paint.NET.

 

While you might have not, other people obviously were. Your post is the first one to say so.

Edited October 8, 2022 by DavidP

[MJW]

2 hours ago, DavidP said:

While you might have not, other people obviously were. Your post is the first one to say so.

 

No, other people offered alternative ways to achieve your desired result without a feathered selection -- as I did. Alternate methods which depend on the apparently distasteful manipulation of the object or the pixels of the image.

 

(You actually marked your own post as the Solution?)

 

 

 

 

[DavidP]

On 10/8/2022 at 7:30 PM, MJW said:

No, other people offered alternative ways to achieve your desired result without a feathered selection

Yes, but you were the first to simply and clearly say that there is no such thing as a feathered selection in Paint.NET.

 

Had this been stated earlier, I would not have repeated my request several times, each time clarifying it further -- in the assumption that people still had not understood it.

  

On 10/8/2022 at 7:30 PM, MJW said:

(You actually marked your own post as the Solution?)

Yes, because it contains your answer (reduced to its essentials), which fully answers the original question.

Edited October 9, 2022 by DavidP

[MJW]

53 minutes ago, DavidP said:

Had this been stated earlier, I would not have repeated my request several times, each time clarifying it further -- in the assumption that people still had not understood it.

 

I can understand the problem. I think since the responses were from long-time PDN users, they assumed their answers implied there was no feathered selection, and that was why they were offering alternate methods.  My original response was probably too harshly expressed. I should have just said there's no feathered selection in PDN, without the sarcastic edge.