Fixed-size selection click sillyness

[Aaron44126]

This is a somewhat silly problem, but I think it makes sense to have this changed if it is not too much trouble. What do you all think?

Here it is.

- Open Paint.NET.

- Select the rectangle select tool.

- On the toolbar on the top, change the selection mode from "Normal" to "Fixed size."

- Click somewhere on the blank image that is open. (Just click, no dragging.)

Expected results:

- A selection is formed, using the specified size, and the clicked pixel as the top left pixel.

Actual results:

- Nothing happens.

You actually have to click and drag the mouse around to get it to make a selection, which is a bit annoying when trying to do precise fixed-size selections. When using fixed-size, you should be able to create a selection by just clicking.

Thanks for your thoughts,

- Aaron

[iKid]

If I want a specific size, like 402x53 (Random numbers), all I do is use the rectangle select, and then use the arrow keys to make the right size.

[-Expiration-]

Did you make sure to change the units to pixels? (It's inches by default)

Then when you click, you don't have to drag it to make the selection, but you drag it around to move the selection.

[Aaron44126]

Yeah, sorry I left that out I guess, I am using pixels but I set it as the default unit in the "Choose defaults" dialog.

Even in pixels I have to click and drag to make a selection appear... Just clicking doesn't do it. (Using 3.22.)

(Also, it doesn't really make sense to have this behavior dependent on the selected unit of measurement either, but as far as I can tell, it behaves the same in each of them.)

[rma]

Even in pixels I have to click and drag to make a selection appear... Just clicking doesn't do it. (Using 3.22.)

(Also, it doesn't really make sense to have this behavior dependent on the selected unit of measurement either, but as far as I can tell, it behaves the same in each of them.)

Sorry to post on such an old quote, but I experienced the same thing with a recent download of Paint.net and found the solution. I didn't see this in other posts on this forum, so I thought it might be valuable to others.

It first appeared to me like the fixed size selection was not working. I played around with it quite a while. then I realized that my image size was smaller than I thought. Therefore, my fixed selection area was mostly outside the range of the canvase altogether. I would drag it around, and it would appear to expand and contract from the lower right corner.

When I increased my image size, I realized it was working properly. Note, you do have to click and start dragging for the fixed rectangular selection area to appear. However, it does not resize unless you move part of the rectangle outside to boundaries of your canvass (and then it only selects a portion of your rectangle- i.e., a smaller size).

I actually wanted to make rectangles of specific sizes. I successfully accomplished this by using the rectangle select tool, then setting my dimensions and color, then hit Backspace key (to fill the selection with the current color), then change to the Pixel Move tool and use the arrows to move the rectangle to the desired spot.

Not very intuitive for me, coming from Adobe's tools. Still, once you get beyond that learning curve, it's pretty effective.

[pophiri]

For a design I am creating I need selection circles of a fixed size. Is it possible to extend this feature to circle selection?

[jafTwo]

Yeah Aaron, I would agree with you -- a simple click should be sufficient with the option to move the marque if desired. After clicking, the size and anchor point are already known -- what is dragging supposed to accomplish? :?:

[Benji2]

Hmm, it should have an option.

There should be a mode called canter and one called free-hand or something.

With center, if you click, it selects a selection (of your chosen size) and the mouse is the middle, dragging it around. So if you just click, you ahve selected that are exactally around where you wanted

The Free-Hand one should have the setting of the current one?