On 06/03/2013 10:32 PM, Helen wrote:

I have an image with two rectangular photos, in separate layers. I want each photo to have a drop shadow. No matter what I do, I keep getting the drop shadow applied to the entire image, not to the layers. I've tried creating the drop shadow while on the individual layers, while on the background, I've tried it with layers selected -- regardless of what I do, the drop shadow keeps applying to the entire image.
I used to know how to do this!
Help? Suse 12.3, gimp 2.8

Hey Helen,

You might want to try doing Layers > Autocrop Layer against the layers with photos in them, before using a drop shadow plugin on them. That might do the trick.

Or make the shadows yourself - this would be my approach:

1. Create a new transparent layer, move it below the two layers with photos in them.

2. Select one of the layers with a photo in your Layers dock, right click the layer thumbnail and do "Alpha to selection"

3. Select the new transparent layer, drag and drop to the main canvas to fill the selection with black.

4. Select the other layer with a photo, right click and do "Alpha to selection" again.

5. Select the new transparent layer, drag and drop to fill the 2nd selection with black.

6. Do Select > None (or control + alt + a) to clear the selection.

Your transparent layer now has two black rectangles, hidden under the photos in the layers above. Use the tool at Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur to soften the edges of the shadow rectangles, then turn on the Move tool in your main toolbox and use the arrow keys on your keyboard to tweak the location of the shadows. Adjust the shadow layer's transparency if required.

:o)

Steve

Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2013 22:32:39 -0400 From: etters.h@gmail.com
To: gimp-user-list@gnome.org
Subject: [Gimp-user] drop shadow

I have an image with two rectangular photos, in separate layers. I want each photo to have a drop shadow. No matter what I do, I keep getting the drop shadow applied to the entire image, not to the layers. I've tried creating the drop shadow while on the individual layers, while on the background, I've tried it with layers selected -- regardless of what I do, the drop shadow keeps applying to the entire image.
I used to know how to do this!
Help? Suse 12.3, gimp 2.8
Thanks much

I'm curious how this is even happening in the first place, because from my experience the drop shadow uses, in order:

1 - If you have a selection, it creates a shadow based on the selection mask. 2 - Or, if your layer has an alpha channel, it uses that. 3 - Otherwise, it uses the entire current layer.

It's true that performing your own shadows is completely doable, but if it's something you do a lot then having an automated script/plug-in for it does save you a lot of work. (Assuming it functions correctly, of course.)

Do you have screenshots of what your results are? If it's creating a drop shadow around the entire image border then the most obvious problem would normally be not having the correct layer selected before executing it (or having layer boundaries extended to the whole image).

-- Stratadrake strata_ranger@hotmail.com
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Numbers may not lie, but neither do they tell the whole truth.