x4 copy and paste as new layer irritation

[cornflakes]

I've been using PSP since 7.

Now I'm using x4 and I noticed that when I cut/copy a portion of a pic and then paste it as a new image....then I want to copy and paste that portion back into the original photo using paste as new layer....the icon doesn't change automatically from the lasso/cut tool to the move tool.

It used to do that automatically in psp 7 so that right after I paste as new layer, i can move that portion around right away.

In x4, after you paste as new layer, you can't move that layer around because it hasn't changed automatically to the move tool. I have to manually click on the move tool everytime I want to move the layer around. It's very irritating!

Anybody know if there is a setting I can change to make it automatically change to "move tool" right after pasting a pic as new layer?

[LindaSue]

Paint Shop Pro 7 was the last version to have that feature. They removed it in PSP8.

[LeviFiction]

Yes, it is sad when features you've grown used to have changed or been removed. But there are always workarounds if you're up to using them.

I have two options for you.

1) If you want you can make a script that pastes as new layer and then auto selects the move tool.

Then attach that script to the short-cut key for pasting as new layer. A very easy thing to do.

2) You can use the Paste as New Selection (Ctrl + E) options and this will let you move the layer anywhere you want to. Only issue with this one is you'll have to promote the now floating selection to its own layer afterward. But that's a simple key combo (Ctrl + Shift + P).

Best part is it gives you back the tool you were working with if you intend to keep using that tool after you've made the new layer.

[cornflakes]

How do I make this script? If it's easy enough, could you show me how?
Thanks for the tips.

[LeviFiction]

Oh it's very easy. But my recording options are not working like they used to and I'm still not very good with my worded descriptions.

Oh well. I demonstrate the script binding option in this video on getting Mirror and Flip to work like they used to in X4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83ZG9voprbQ

Attached to this post you'll find a zip file that contains the script. I just went ahead and made it for you since it isn't hard at all. What you need to do is unzip this file and drag the "PasteAndMover.pspscript" file into your "Scripts-Restricted" folder. For X4 this is found:

C:\Users\YourUserName\My Documents\Corel PaintShopPro\14.0\Scripts-Restricted

Next you want to bind the script to an icon.

Go to the View menu and select "Customize".

In the dialog click on the "Scripts" tab. Select the PasteAndMover script from the drop-down list. And select an icon then click the "Bind" button.

Next to change the shortcut key click on the "keyboard" tab. Select "bound scripts" from the list and select the script you want to add a shortcut key to. Then click in the shortcut key text box and type the key combo you want to use. If the keycombo is already assigned it'll tell you which command it is assigned to. If you want to unassign a key combo, go to the command that key combo is assigned to. In the list box it'll list all of the key combos associated with that command. Select the ones you want to unassign and click "Remove" it will unassign the keycombo and you can then assign that key combo to another command.

To add the script to a menu. Just select the script from the list of bound scripts in the "Scripts" tab. Then drag the script into the menu. You can change the text of the script name by right-clicking on it inside the menu and selecting "Button Appearance."

And that's all there is to it. Or you can just manually run the script everytime you want to use it, you don't have to replace the actual Paste As New Layer command if you don't want to.

[LindaSue]

LeviFiction, is it possible to edit the script so that it will run in PSP8? What would I need to change in the code? I too miss this feature and I use PSP8 most of the time.

[LeviFiction]

Just change the host version value from 15 to 8. Right now it's claiming to run from version 15.

That is actually something I forgot to do before I uploaded the script was decrease the version number. PSP gets a little scared when the version is greater than the actual software you're running it in.

[LindaSue]

That works for X2 but not for PSP8 even if I change "PaintShop Pro" to "Paint Shop Pro". In X2, the script was working before I changed the version number but I always got a warning message telling me that it might not work.

[LeviFiction]

Yes, I apologize. That was my foolish mistake. I forgot that PSP8 still used JascApp and did not use Python's own True and False variables.

I have fixed this and tested it in PSP 8 for you. Just download this script and replace the original with this one and it should work for you.

[LindaSue]

Thanks a bunch, LeviFiction!

[LindaSue]

The script works perfectly in PSP8. Binding scripts works completely different in PSP8 but I've figured out how to do it, and added the icon to my toolbar, and that is working great as well.

Thanks again, LeviFiction!

[LindaSue]

LeviFiction, I tried the final version you posted in PSP8, X2 and X4 and it works just fine. However, it won't run in X5. I get a message about it not running in the current program state.

[LeviFiction]

I only get that when the stuff you're trying to paste as new layer won't be pasted as a new layer. The old one should work with X5 though.

[LindaSue]

I only get that when the stuff you're trying to paste as new layer won't be pasted as a new layer. The old one should work with X5 though.

It just hit me why it didn't work in X5, at least not the way that I was trying to do it. The keystroke "Ctrl+C" no longer works in X5 so I wasn't actually putting anything in the clipboard. You have to copy images to the clipboard via "Edit > Copy", "Ctrl+Insert" (which is too awkward), or I assume that it would work from the Copy button on the toolbar but I've removed it so I can't try it. It looks like the Copy button would be a handy one to have on your X5 toolbar now that Ctrl+C doesn't work in that version.

I just ran the #2 version of the script in X5 and it does work if you copy via the Edit menu.

Levi, do you think it's possible to reassign "Ctrl+C" to the Copy command in X5 manually since it doesn't appear to be assigned to any other command? I guess I'll give that a try and see what happens.

[LindaSue]

I've fixed the Ctrl+C keystroke problem. It must have been a glitch that it wasn't working for me. I removed it in the Customize dialog but then it wouldn't let me reassign it. My only option at that point was to Reset All to get it back. Once I did that, the keystroke started working like it should. Luckily I hadn't assigned any others yet.