How to Add Picture to Background Picture & Find Handles?

[Carver]

I am trying to follow a video tutorial on "Making a Collage with Paint.Net" but my hearing is so poor I cannot hear the verbal instructions. Is there a written tutorial available where I could read step-by-step instructions?

In the meantime, I want to learn how to have a picture be the background where I will add several other resized pictures. Right now, I open the picture that I want to be the backgound, then add a new layer and use Ctrl + A to add a second picture. The full-size second picture appears. The instructions seem to be saying that I should see "handles" that can be used to resize the second picture, but I do not see any handles. Finally, if I get several pictures placed on the background picture and resized, how can I make them "blend in" to the background picture rather than appear as objects sitting on top of the background picture? So my question are:

1. Where to find the handles to resize a picture?

2. How to get a picture to blend in to another picture?

[Sarkut]

Carver,

When you add pictures, use Layers > Import from File...

The "handles" will be evident then because doing this also

activates the Move Selected Pixels tool.

http://www.getpaint.net/doc/latest/en/MoveTools.html

Here's a tutorial link:

Polaroid Collage

http://searchpaint.net

Edited April 6, 2010 by Sarkut

[Carver]

Sarkut,

Thanks for your prompt and very helpful reponse. I really appreciate it. Your advice and each of those links are super!

Do you happen to also know how I can soften or blend the edges of the resized photos after they are in place on the background?

[Sarkut]

Carver,

If you want a lot of softening on the edges, you could adapt this:

Do it on each picture separately, while it's still on its own layer,

after resizing down to be a good fit in the collage.

If you want only to reduce jagged appearance on the edges,

then Boltbait's Feather plugin or dpy's AA's_Assistant plugin

would be a good choice.

Also, applied while still on its own layer and after resizing down.

Edited April 6, 2010 by Sarkut

[Carver]

Hi Sarkur,

Another quick and comprehensive answer, all very helpful information, clearly presented. Thank you very much. This is my lucky day!

I did run into one "glitch." When I tried to download the Alpha Mask Plug-in from this site viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2178

I ended up downloading a folder with only one "dll" file in it and nothing else. Do you have a different link to the Alpha Mask? Also, in that thread, "Feathering" was mentioned. Is that something I need too?

[Sarkut]

Copy/Paste the .dll into your Program Files/Paint.NET/Effects folder.

===================================================

If you use the Alpha Mask to soften the edges

you won't need to feather.

On the left side near the top or bottom of this page

click on the Board Index link.

Follow links to the Plugin section.

Boltbait's plugin pack is stickyed on the first page of the plugin forum.

It contains the Feather plugin, which is well worth having.

[Carver]

Sarkut,

Thanks yet again. You have a wealth of information. I am very glad that you are so willing to share it.

[Sarkut]

Glad to help.