ISSUE: Select tools and scale selection at fixed ratio

[cjmcguinness]

I have had a quick search through the bug reports posted here and have not found this one logged, so I thought I'd bring it to your attention.

The problem occurs when using any of the select tools (rectangle, lasso or ellipse), using the Move Selection tool to resize/reshape the selected area, then switching to the Move Selected Pixels tool and trying to scale the selection at a fixed ratio.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Open up any picture on the background layer

2. Choose any select tool - such as Rectangle Select (the same issue applies to lasso and ellipse selections)

3. Select an area of the canvas

4. Choose the Move Selection tool and change the size/shape of the original selection

5. Switch to the Move Selected Pixels tool

6. Holding the SHIFT key and, using the left mouse button click on one of the corner nubs and try to scale the selection

You will notice that the 'fixed ratio' of the scaling reverts back to the original selection shape/ratio, and not that of the resized selection

This can be particularly annoying if you are trying to make a very accurate selection and use fixed ratio scaling, as you have to get your original selection exactly right.

It would be very useful if you could use the selection tools to first select an area, then make use of the Move Selection tool to change the size/shape of the selected area in order to make an accurate selection, then be able to switch to the Move Selected Pixels tool and scale according to the ratio of the current selection, and not that of the original.

Can this be changed in a future release of Paint.NET, please?

Thanks - CJ

Version: Paint.NET 3.22

Operating System: Windows XP Pro - SP2

[Rick Brewster]

You will notice that the 'fixed ratio' of the scaling reverts back to the original selection shape/ratio, and not that of the resized selection

This is actually intentional. It's hard to determine when the user wants the aspect ratio to be "locked" -- both at design and at implementation (coding) time. So, Paint.NET uses the aspect ratio from the last time the selection was edited using a selection tool, excluding Move Selection.

[cjmcguinness]

This is actually intentional.

OK, so this is not a bug (I've updated the title of the thread to reflect such) and is, in fact, by design.

It's hard to determine when the user wants the aspect ratio to be "locked".

Does it not seem logical to assume that if the user has selected an area of the canvas then used Move Selection to refine the selected area that they would require the selection to be scaled according to the currently selected area's revised aspect ratio - that is certainly how I would expect the software to behave?

I cannot conceive a case where I would want to make a selection, refine the size and shape of that selected area, then want to scale the newly selected area according to the aspect ratio of my original selection, or am I missing something blatantly obvious? Would you mind explaining the thought process behind your original design for this behaviour?

Thanks - CJ