Using the eraser

forficula · Post by **forficula** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 8:00 am

Hi, it does not appear possible to use the eraser tool on most images. A message appears saying an image object should first be selected; this does not appear possible to. I can select and cut parts of images and then use the eraser, but if I just open, for example a JPEG, it does not appear possible to use the eraser.

I would also like to say that I am having the same problem as others with the smart download.

Thanks.

heinz-oz · Post by **heinz-oz** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 10:17 pm

Version?

The smart download does not work in many cases. It just ain't smart enough.

Just do as others did, download it directly.

To come back to your question: If you open an image, and as it is the default setting, have preserve base image selected, you will not be able to use the eraser. In "Selection" or whatever your particular version gives you as a menu choice, click select all and make sure "Preserve base image" is not selected. Now it should work.

forficula · Post by **forficula** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 10:37 pm

Thanks for this - it is version 11 and unchecking preserve base image followed by selecting all does not work. I did, however, find that selecting all followed by convert to object worked once. I now find that, when I do this, I kind of draw selection lines with the eraser, but do not erase.

heinz-oz · Post by **heinz-oz** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:52 am

I'm not yet familiar with PI 11, I use PI 10. What exactly is it that you are trying to do? Personally, I do not use the eraser at all. Maybe it's because I do not want to alter my original files. What I personally find much easier to use is the mask tool. You have an overlay matte on your image, semi-transparent, and using either black or white color painting tools you erase or restore the matte. You can use transparency and soft edge settings to your liking and, when you are done, convert the selection, created when you switch off the matte, to an object. Copy that object to the clip board and paste into another image as an object or as a new image. Works perfectly for me.

forficula · Post by **forficula** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 7:54 am

Thanks for this. Yes, I can use the other tools; I even find the remove scratch useful to remove unwanted information, but there are occasions when I would like to simply erase something. I can do this in Fireworks, but would prefer not to have to change applications to do this.

JenT · Post by **JenT** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 9:41 am

Unless things have changed in PIv11, the Object Eraser does not work on a base image (ie a photograph itself or any kind of "merged" base), only on image objects.

If you want to remove parts of your image, Heinz had a good suggestion of creating a precise selection with the Mask Tool. Then, with white or whatever color you want as the background, hit the DELETE key and the part you selected will be "erased".

forficula · Post by **forficula** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 10:52 am

Thanks for the advice.

d