Filling Areas

[stinky666]

Hi all,

for some reason in PSP X4, when I create a new layer and put it below another layer that has something on, if I then use the Flood Fill Tool and click to fill, but I have clicked "on" an existing image, it wont fill the whole selection or layer..
For example.. I have created a document that has 2 layers (for the sake of showing what I mean).
On the top layer, I have made a simple square and filled it, then inside that another. Both fills are different colours.

Now, if I click anywhere (on the bottom blank layer) in those squares it will JUST fill those parts..
If I click outside of those pixels, it wont fill those parts..

Look at the layer thumbnails for better understanding.
(I just found out it also does it on top layers, too)

http://i43.tinypic.com/b67twj.png

I think that I may have accidentally hit some shortkey, maybe, or something. I am really not sure.

[flagpole]

do you have use all layers checked in the flood fill tool bar?

[LindaSue]

It looks like you've got transparency locked for both layers. That would be what's keeping you from filling the background around the squares.

[stinky666]

Thanks for replying both of you.
flagpole - I do have that option selected =) It's selected by default because it is set to RGB.

LindaSue - How does one unlock the transparency for a layer?

[flagpole]

i was actually suggesting you uncheck it, though i confess freely to not really understanding your problem.

[LeviFiction]

"Use all layers" forces the Flood Fill tool to look at the image as though it were merged together. So when you click on an area that contains a color, as you show in your, it matches the area you selected only and fills the currently selected layer within those boundries. So what you're seeing is the Flood Fill tool actually see three areas. The middle block, the larger middle block, and the transparent areas. When you click on the bigger middle block it matches that area only so it doesn't fill in where the smaller middle block is and it doesn't leave the area of the big middle block.

When you click in the transparent area it stops at the big middle block because, once again, the color changes.

If you turn off "Use all Layers" it'll ignore the other layers and only worry about the layer you're working on.

As for unlocking transparency, you'll notice on your layers palette there is a gold padlock that is closed. This will either be open or closed depending on the layer you're working on and whether or not that layer has its transparency locked. If you click on a layer and the click this lock it'll either lock or unlock.

[LindaSue]

I wonder how your transparency got locked if you didn't do it. Unlocked is the default setting.