I'm not sure if this is the right place for asking questions, but I figured it's better than asking in the developer mailing list. *
*
*1. Is there a "show quick mask" feature for showing masks?* *
*

I know Gimp has a "*Show quick mask*" feature which shows what you have (and haven't) selected by displaying a red overlay over your image, allowing you to add to or subtract from a selection by using the paintbrush, but I haven't found a similar feature for showing masks.

Photoshop has this feature (it's called 'reveal mask' I think) and it basically just shows a red overlay of your mask on your image so that, similar to the quick mask feature in Gimp, you can see where you have and haven't masked through.

(I don't own Photoshop so I'm not sure if the red overlay shows the opacity with which you've masked through or whether or not you can edit the mask when it's being shown as a red overlay.)

*2. Is there a command for showing the layer underneath the current layer I'm working on?*
*
*

This is another feature that I've seen Photoshop has that is helpful for blending multiple exposures (and lots of things, really).

Basically it's just a keyboard shortcut for showing the layer underneath your current when you hold down a certain keyboard command (it's not something you toggle since it's meant for quickly viewing what's on the layer underneath your current one).

I know I can press space bar to show or hide the layer I'm currently working on, but I can't do that unless I focus into the layers dialogue first. It'd be nice if I could activate that functionality from anywhere, regardless of whether I'm focused on the layers dialogue.

* * * Do either of these features exist in Gimp?

If not, where can I make suggestions about them?

*Disclosure: neither of these are original ideas from me. I saw these features when watching a video of someone using Photoshop and then wondered if I could do the same thing in Gimp. *

*On Mon, May 21, 2012 at 12:33 AM, Ofnuts said:*

you can define a keyboard shortcut for action layer-mask-show to toggle the

display between the mask and the layer.

Thanks, Ofnuts. That helps.

What's nice about that shortcut is I don't have to focus into the layers dialogue before it will register.

Define a shortcut for action "drawable-visible" to toggle the visibility of

the current drawable [i.e. show/hide layer]

Oh, thank you! That will make my life much easier (and using Gimp more fun!).

Ahhh [a sigh of satisfaction]. :) I appreciate your help.

* * *

*On Mon, May 21, 2012 at 12:46 AM, Olivier said:*

GIMP's selection masks are called channels, and accessed using the

Channels dialog. In this dialog, there is an eye icon in the leftmost part of every channel line, for showing or hiding it. You can also change the color used for making the channel visible.

I'm not sure how I can use this feature to do what I described.

To explain what I'm wanting to, I want to be able to:

- click a key (i.e. a keyboard shortcut) - have an overlay of my layer mask appear over my image so I can see both the image and where I've painted on the layer mask - be able to use the paintbrush to add to or remove from the overlay (like I can with the quick mask for selections, but in this case I'd be editing my layer mask)

If I can do what I described using the feature you mentioned, could you please describe how?

Pressing the space bar only works in the current layer. Otherwise

there is the eye icon. But you could attach a new keyboard shortcut to the function you need. Use Image: Edit -> Keyboard Shortcuts, expand the Layers list, and attach a shortcut to the function needed,,, which

unfortunately does not exist.

I appreciate you trying to help.

Ofnuts found the name of the function; it's called "viewable" and is under the "Drawable" heading when you edit your keyboard shortcuts. And it works without having to click on the layers dialogue. It's like heaven.

On Mon, May 21, 2012 at 12:46 AM, Olivier wrote:

2012/5/20 Bruce :

I'm not sure if this is the right place for asking questions, but I

figured

it's better than asking in the developer mailing list.

1. Is there a "show quick mask" feature for showing masks?

I know Gimp has a "Show quick mask" feature which shows what you have

(and

haven't) selected by displaying a red overlay over your image, allowing

you

to add to or subtract from a selection by using the paintbrush, but I haven't found a similar feature for showing masks.

[I'm deleting what tells about Photoshop, which simply will complicate the explanations].

GIMP's selection masks are called channels, and accessed using the Channels dialog. In this dialog, there is an eye icon in the leftmost part of every channel line, for showing or hiding it. You can also change the color used for making the channel visible.

2. Is there a command for showing the layer underneath the current layer

I'm

working on?

This is another feature that I've seen Photoshop has that is helpful for blending multiple exposures (and lots of things, really).

Basically it's just a keyboard shortcut for showing the layer underneath your current when you hold down a certain keyboard command (it's not something you toggle since it's meant for quickly viewing what's on the layer underneath your current one).

I know I can press space bar to show or hide the layer I'm currently

working

on, but I can't do that unless I focus into the layers dialogue first.

It'd

be nice if I could activate that functionality from anywhere, regardless

of

whether I'm focused on the layers dialogue.

Pressing the space bar only works in the current layer. Otherwise there is the eye icon. But you could attach a new keyboard shortcut to the function you need. Use Image: Edit -> Keyboard Shortcuts, expand the Layers list, and attach a shortcut to the function needed,,, which unfortunately does not exist.
--
Olivier Lecarme
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