Feathering selection along the edge of the image.

[Brush]

Hi All,

The task in my case is:
The landscape image. I want to select the sky and darken it a bit using levels.The selection have to be feathered between the sky and horizon.

What I found out immidiatly (I'm currently trying PSE60), is that when I'm selecting the part of the image with selection along the edge (-es) of the image and then do feathering of this selection, I have fethered selection along the edge as well. ??? The feather behaves not like in PSE 2.0, and not like in PS SC2 where I've use this workflow alot. Whats wrong? Bug or new limitation of PSE 6? :confused:

In case if you did not andestand what I ment, take look at:
http://www.photoanswers.co.uk/Video-Tutorials/Search-Results/Imaging-Techniques/Create-a-grad-filter-effect-with-levels/?&R=EPI-1197

or this

http://www.photoanswers.co.uk/Video-Tutorials/Search-Results/Imaging-Techniques/Darkening-skies-in-Photoshop/?&R=EPI-1447


Thanks,
Brush.

[Byron Gale]

Brush,

I concur with your observations.

As shown in the examples you posted, the Feather command did not affect the selection when the selection was fully at the edge of the image. This allowed the three edges of the selection touching the sides and top of the image to be fully selected while working with the selection.

In testing, I observe that PSE versions 1-5 all behave this way -- the Feather command does not affect the selection where the selection includes the pixels at the edge of the image.

PSE6 is different. (Bug or intentional feature change... who knows?) The Feather command affects the entire selection, regardless of whether the selection includes pixels at the edge of the image.

Do you need help finding a work-around? I can already see how one could use the Gradient tool to define a target area, and then use that to define the selection.

Byron

EDIT: I submitted a Bug Report on this.

[Brush]

Byron,

Yes, you understood my (guess not only my) problem exactly.

Thanks for your comprehensive testing. Yes, I have currently PSE 2.0 which works fine for me.

Thanks for offering help with work-around, but I also can see how to do this with gradient tool. Guess I will stick to PSE 2.0 for now, because this workflow have very big use in my case (landscapes images). The work-around is doable, but not convenient, especially in case where I have to use not rectangular selection, but lasso-tool. :rolleyes:

Thanks for submitted bug report. I will try to follow up this issue.

regards,
Brush

[Lesa]

Interestingly, Photoshop CS3 now behaves in the same frustrating manner, though CS2 did not.

I wonder why Adobe changed it? I wish they'd change it back!

[TonyW]

Actually you can do it in PSE6 (and presumably CS3) but you need to use the feather in Refine Edge and not the feather in Select>Feather. I'd never noticed before but they work differently when selected up to an edge. And the nice thing about refine edge is that you can preview the feather before you commit it.

Tony

[Lesa]

Thanks for the tip Tony! I didn't realize they worked differently. I'll give that a shot in CS3 and see what happens.

[Brush]

Thank you Tony,

This seems to be working (in PSE 6). Although, now its less convenient then before (in my opinion). I feel like I have less control over the feathered edge, although it's more (three) control sliders in this window :). Confused. :rolleyes: But this solution will work for me I guess.

Thanks,
Brush

[DennyD]

I've used PE 4.0 2 yrs, just upgraded to PE 6.0
Frustrated (too) that feathering a rectangular selection results in greatly rounded corners. BUT "refine edge" doesn't work for me either; I get rounded bottom corners (just), when feather gives 4 rounded corners. (Tony W & Brush). Maybe there are settings somewhere I can't find??

Here's another catch: I still have PE 4.0, so tried that and lo-and-behold, feathering no longer works like it did pre-6.0!! :confused:. What's going on? I wonder if there is a global glitch in the XP system caused by PE 6.0?

I too have done some of the tutorials referenced in this thread, where feathering is the "way to go". This glitch was one I was planning to post, but noted it here first.

DennyD
new forum member

[TonyW]

I think you must have remembered wrong - feathering a rectangular selection has always given rounded corners if the selection didn't touch the edge of the canvas. The difference is when the selection touches the edge of the canvas feather now rounds the corners (which it didn't before) but feathering with refine edge doesn't.

Tony

[DennyD]

Thanks, Tony, for your prompt response.
It seems I was just lucky in a few previous goes at PE 4.0 because I happened to place the selection box right at the edge. In the tutorials, or in the help files so far, I haven't seen them point out this important little difference when selecting an adjustment area.

I have a couple more burning issues/needs that I will post later.

DD

[Jeff Perry]

One very easy work around is to temporarily expand the size of your canvas by several inches, then draw you selection using the new canvas are to take the hit on the rounded corners. When your done, just crop out the extended canvas area.

Jeff

[ljameso1]

Jeff, Great suggestion. Have made note of it. Will be useful in future. It's neat how different minds work. This site always has good ideas for work arounds.