making one character in a group larger

[badpenny]

I'm sure for most of you this is a walk in the park, but for me--is there a simple way to make one character in an image larger than the rest?

Thank you. And if it can be done simply, can you please outline the steps for me? In detail.

[Ego Eram Reputo]

1. Activate the Rectangle Select tool by clicking this icon in the Tools Window or pressing the S key once.

2. Drag out a rectangle around the character you want to enlarge.

3. Check that the layer that has the character on it is the active one (blue highlight in the Layers Window). To be sure you can click on the layer name in the Layers Window.

4. Press the M key once. This activates the Move tool The selection will be surrounded by a border with little square control points at the corners and edges.

5. Hover the mouse over the top center control nub. When the pointer changes to a hand, click and hold the left mouse button & drag the control nub upwards.

6. Release when the character is large enough.

7. Press the Esc key to deselect the region.

it's pretty much the same technique as explained here:

[badpenny]

Again, thanks. But I'd tried that and it didn't seem to work. So I'll try again. I must be the only one in the world who not only can mess up, but find my own unique ways to do it!

IE: I finally figured out what was making the transparent background copy without my musical note! I'd made an additional layer as I supposed the instructions said to when I opened the source file--and I'd used ctrl A, then C, etc.

Only as it turned out when the source loaded, it had loaded as the background layer and the ctrl A wasn't doing anything!

So all I finally did was just ctrl C on the background layer and it worked!

So I'll check out the link you sent and then see what happens. Sometimes the entire image expands not just the selection--lord knows how I do that!

Part two: the figrure I want to enlarge is part of a larger group and when I enlarge it, a transparency appears where the smaller figure was. I cannot fill the transparency because it still should have the now smaller figures in place.

It wouldn't work with a simple rectangle so I tried the lasso, but again it's an intricate figure so again I moved it ok but still got the transparency.

I haven't been very successful with the magic wand doing anything--and as I understand it, it's just for color anyway. Although the example shows the guy riding the flying bike. So would that indicate it can be used to enlarge just a piece of a background??

I don't think I'm far enough advanced for this. That's why I asked for detailed steps. So once again, the figure--say a running horse is in a pack of running horses and I want to single one out for enlarging--and still have the place I "grew" it from remain intact.

As I said, maybe it can't be done.

Edited November 30, 2012 by badpenny

[Ego Eram Reputo]

IE: I finally figured out what was making the transparent background copy without my musical note! I'd made an additional layer as I supposed the instructions said to when I opened the source file--and I'd used ctrl A, then C, etc.

Only as it turned out when the source loaded, it had loaded as the background layer and the ctrl A wasn't doing anything!

That's because you didn't have the appropriate layer active. You see, you can only copy from the active layer regardless of what you see on the canvas. Here's an example.

In this image, there are two layers. The purple filled layer (named Background) and the transparent layer with the green circle (Layer 2). In the above image, the background layer is the active one. We can tell that because there is a blue highlight in the layer name in the Layers Window.

If we copy & paste using any selection in the above scenario, we will always get a purple filled selection pasted to our destination. It does not matter how many times we select around the green circle, copying any selection with the Background layer active results in a purple filled selection.

In the image below, the Upper layer (Layer 2) has been made active. You can tell because this layer now has the blue highlight in the Layers Window. The canvas looks exactly the same as above, but the difference here is that a different layer is active.

If we copy and paste in the scenario below we will get a portion of the green circle and transparent layer copied. There will be no purple copied while Layer 2 is the active layer.

Does this help explain why you're having trouble copying?

[jim100361]

EER, no disrepect intended, but you didn't explain (in case she doesn't -or others don't- realize) how to make the layers active.

The method to select and make a layer active is simply to click on that layer in the Layers pane.

So to copy from one layer to the next, you first make your selection from your currently active (highlighted) layer and copy it, then click on the other layer you wish to make active (destination layer) in the Layers pane to make it active (highlighted). You can then paste to the newly active second layer.

EDIT:

Badpenny,

Not to toot my own horn, but when the opportunity avails itself to you, you may wish to spend some time in the Tutorial Section of the forums to familiarize yourself with how some things are accomplished. The tutorial I created at the link below indicates for example in steps 4-6 how to move about between the different layers as I explained above.

Edited December 1, 2012 by jim100361

[badpenny]

Well, I thank God I have a mentor from here who knows I have a working brain!

There is nothing that either you, Scott nor you, Jim (although admitedly I haven't followed your link yet) said that I didn't already know. And do!

For some reason the image on the canvas was only on the background layer--not the layer I was told to make when I opened the source file. I did make the blank layer--and surprise, surprise, I have sense enough to know when a layer is blue--and then I used ctrl A as instructed to put the "canvas" image on the new layer.

It did not work. I suppose since it was already on the background layer that I had been ignoring in my effort to get the image to the new layer. When I finally saw it, I simply clicke on it and copied it and then it worked.

This forum is no help to me because I'm treated like a kindergartener. I assure you I'm at least 4th grade.

Edited December 1, 2012 by badpenny

[badpenny]

Jim, that is a wonderful tutorial! Clearly explained and clearly shown and reasons given why for following your instructions!!

I wish you'd make a book of instructions for all the tricks that PdN can do!! With the keys that go with the commands that make them work.

I thoroughly enjoyed looking through it and when I have the time I want to study it in more detail since learning one thing often opens the door for me to figuring something else out on my own.

Thanks for a tut it was a pleasure to read!

Renee

[jim100361]

...-and then I used ctrl A as instructed to put the "canvas" image on the new layer.

Maybe I'm reading this wrong - so please don't feel like I'm trying to treat you as a child, I'm simply replying to what I'm reading as quoted above. I know there is a great amount to learn, so maybe there is some confusion and we need to sort out the shortcuts:

Control A = All. It doesn't put anything anywhere. It is simply the method for selecting (all). Once you've selected, then the computer then needs to be instructed what you wish to do with the selection.

In this case it would be:

Control C = Copy.

Once the computer has taken the action (copy), the instruction to the computer necessary now is now to indicate what to do with it:

Control V = Paste (It's not Control P as your might expect - (P for Paste) - P is already designated to Windows for Print, so an alternative key is used).

[badpenny]

I understood that A only selected when I saw my image turn light blue/grey.

But I need to really study your tutuorial to find out how to cut an image--as I used before say a running horse--out of the pack--without having any transparency go with it. An exact cut-out as if I'd used scissors.

I think maybe somehow the magic wand would be involved? I certainly can't do it by selecting it manually. My hands just aren't steady enough.

So as I asked before--is there some way to 'clip' an image out as if I were using scissors--and then paste it into a new image? Say cowboys trying to lasso a running horse (that wasn't there in the original image). And without anything else--including transparency--but the running horse?

[HELEN]

You can use the lasso tool. You don't have to be precise with it, either if you want it to be a cut-out.

[badpenny]

I tried that, Helen, but it carries a transparency around the image I'm cutting out. And that's what I want to lose.

Again, I need it as if it were cut out with scissors. So that's there's no extemperaneous transparency to have to deal with.

[OddLlama]

Select the transparency with the magic wand tool. Then press CTRL+i.

[badpenny]

Mind telling me what that will do before I try it?

[HELEN]

Renee, it will invert the selection.

[badpenny]

Sorry, Helen, but I'm not sure what that means.

[HELEN]

For example, you have a square, right? You select it by drawing in the square using the "Rectangle Select" tool. It will create a purplish-transparent box. So, now only the square is selected. Okay. After, when you press "Ctrl + i" it will select everything else but NOT the square. Also known as, "Invert Selection."