Is there a plugin that allows objects outside of the canvas dimensions to not be cropped?

[Azzy]

I was wondering if anyone knows of a plugin that would allow objects to not be cropped once outside of the canvas. Maybe some sort of plugin that can modify layer dimensions without changing the canvas size? I like to move objects around the canvas and if I decide later on that I would like to shift the object slightly for composition purposes that is not possible without using the undo button of course. any help or guidance is appreciated!

[Ego Eram Reputo]

Sorry, no. Plugins cannot do this. Your best bet is to duplicate the object layer then hide the original. Move the duplicate about as you wish. If cropping become an issue, delete the copied layer and duplicate the original layer all over again.

[Tactilis]

As @Ego Eram Reputo says, plus...
 

4 hours ago, Azzy said:

Maybe some sort of plugin that can modify layer dimensions without changing the canvas size?

 

This would be impossible anyway because all layers necessarily have the same size (= the canvas size). There is no concept of having differently sized layers in paint.net.

 

When I want to temporarily have more space around my image to enable movement of objects without clipping, I do the following...

1. Ctrl+Shift+R       Opens the Canvas Size dialog

 

2. Alt+B   200  Enter   Switches to the By percentage field, overtypes the 100% with 200, and OK's the dialog.

    This adds a transparent region around the image for all layers.

 

3. Move objects/Edit the image as required.

 

Then, when all editing is finished:

4. Ctrl+Shift+R   Alt+B   50  Enter   Reverses step 2 and removes the transparent region.

 

It's super quick if you use the keyboard shortcuts. Muscle memory takes over after you have practiced it a couple of times.