TEXT TOOL SELECTED COLOR NOT APPEARING IN TEMPLATE CONTENT

[freestuffaddict]

Hello,

Having a confusing time here wondering where my text tool's color-select function went awry.

I created multiple images which included use of the text-tool with various colors, filters, etc.
Until yesterday everything worked fine. Now, my selected color appears, as selected, in the pallet window, and the toolbox window, but in the actual image window the text appears in the default color of black no matter what. Is this eventual crapping-out of the text-tool's color-select function a known bug - is there a known fix/patch ? I reinstalled Gimp over the previous install, to no improvement. I then UNinstalled GIMP completely. Ran a discsweep/clean utility and etc then rebooted then REINSTALLED fresh... and still this problem persists.

Any helpful feedback replies welcome.

Thank you.
-best wishes-


PS - I am running Windows XP (SP3 with latest updates) and have just realized one thing I have not done so far is try using System Restore. but I don't really want to do that if at all unnecessary because restoring back to that restore point will restore more than just this (fix) alone if you catch my meaning..I don't really look fwd to the extra unwanted restored baggage. thanks again..

[gimpeRaven]

Text tool and the color select are two separate tools (correct me if I'm wrong). With text tool, it can add text with modifiable font, color, size, style, etc. Once it is not a text layer anymore(because of merging, flattening or others), these values will become "stamped" to that layer and text tool can make no change anymore. As for the color picker, maybe the active layer is different so it reads no or other color than what you intend to get. Sorry if I can't understand your problem a little.

[gimpeRaven]

Oh, the selection line (marching ants) may also be not visible so it restricts of what you can access on the layers it covers / uncovers.

[Arzoroc]

May you show us a screenshot of your problem? I'm not sure which color selection you're talking about.

[gimpeRaven]

If the text is still black and text tool can't change its color, manual coloring may be done like fill or from color filter.

[freestuffaddict]

You are correct GimpeRaven and I was referring to your first instance, of using the text-tool with the color-select option (perhaps my verbage was misappropriate, my apologies).

Shortly after that post I realized I had also failed to mention that the image in question had been saved as a .gif file. I went and recreated that image from scratch, which wasn't too difficult as it had simply been a logo template background, from which I had been experimenting with varying simple text logo ideas.

Once I recreated the said background image, identically, except saved as a .jpg I closed then reopened the file, and voila - text layered onto the background layer displayed as per any specified color I selected.

I wasn't aware before this that images saved as .gif extensions (in this case- nonanimated) are prone to this slight inconvenience, minor though it turns out to be.


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I am still learning Gimp. I tried to find out if there is a universal save extension such as .xcf I can save any image as and reopen later as either an image, layer, or template. I have been trying to master this for days now. I understand that saved templates are able to be recalled when creating new ones. I want to save specific individual objects. In Gimp those are referred to as Layers I believe.

As I understand it, it appears that in Gimp this is accomplished by saving individual objects as the image atop a transparent background, and then reopened as a layer to be pasted onto other 'layers'. I am having a huge problem when pasting these layers on top of other layers with resizing the newly pasted layer and positioning the image (object) where and how I want it to appear. That, I believe is better addressed in a seperate post though.

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Thanks all for all replies
-Best Wishes-

[Arzoroc]

Problems with different layers in one image? Well, there's no true recipe for this, it's pretty much learning by doing.
But here's some general tips about layer problems:
First, an explanation of layers:
Imagine you had to design a logo. Also, you had some transparencies (the things you write on when you make a presentation ) and on every one of these transparencies you had some part of your logo. For example on the first one you drew the outline, on the second one you drew some letters and on the last one you painted a background. By layering all these transparencies on top of each other, you get your final logo. These transparencies are the layers in Gimp. But in Gimp, you have some features you don't have with real transparencies, for example you can lower the opacity of one layer, making it semi-opaque. But you will find these things out pretty soon
You mostly want to work with layers because if you mess something up really badly while making the background, you dont have to start anew, but instead you can just delete the background layer and redo it without affecting the text or the outline. Or for example if you want to resize your text in your logo, but you don't want to rezise anything else (the border, the texture, anything), it's a lot easier if you have your own text-layer. You just resize the layer, reposition it and everythingelse is untouched.
Also, as a side note, every photo/image/whatever consists of 1 layer. Once you save your XCF files as, for example, JPGs, all the layers are flattened to one single image layer. You cannot edit your single layers after you flattened them to one big image. That's why the "universal save extension" XCF (as you called it ) is always best to use if you didn't yet finish your work and you would like to further edit your image later on.

Back to your problem with resizing and positioning when opening new layers... It's kind of tricky in Gimp, but I'll try to explain:
The first layer you open up in gimp determins the canvas size (the "visible part" of your image). If the first layer is 500x500 pixels, the canvas will have the same size. If you now add a second layer to your first one (for example if you want to add a logo on top of an image and you add your logo-layer to your image) and the second layer is BIGGER than your first one (in pixel dimensions), the canvas itself will not resize, thus giving you a 500x500 "window" of your bigger image. It's easier to explain with images:
1) My first layer, some plasma background layer, 500 by 500 pixels:







Let's say I wanted to use this as a background for my photo-album. Thus, I want to add a photo on top of it. As an example, I'll take some photo I shot in my last Math lecture:
2)







This one is a LOT bigger than my background (it's 4288 by 3216 pixels), scaled down to 12.5% to fit my screen size. If I now open up my image 1), and then I add my second layer on top of it, this comes up:









This is a 500 by 500 pixel window of my big image. I would have to scale the new layer down a lot to fit into my background.


Maybe this didn't quite get your problem, but this is one of the problems some people have when working with layers for the first time.
Anyway, if you have got specific questions about layers, everyone here will be able to help you Just don't hesitate to ask.

Arzo

[gimpeRaven]

Layers are easy to work with. Learning it requires time though. Think of it as a cake with different layers. You can put a hole in some and see it through from the top but what you see from the bottom depends on what the layers covering above it are. When working with layers, the layers dialog / tab is used for managing them. You can try making a new image, add a layer then paint it blank. Change its transparency and you can see through. More layers means more editable parts. (You could also view only one or all with the eye icon).

[freestuffaddict]

i read both posts, quickly, i need to take care of something urgent.
will re-read later, arzo's especially.
thanks to both.

-best
FSA

[Rod]

Glad to see you got help with this.

Layer>Autocrop Layer may also help you when re-loading saved layers/images for later use.
There is also a script out there in Gimpland that autocrops linked layers so you can crop many at once.
If you can not find it just search Ofnuts gimp path scripts.
This command (autocrop layers) tells Gimp to find the smallest boundaries around the layer content IF it is just an object over transparency.Then it creates a boundary just around the content.This is useful for keeping objects at their actual size, and for precise rotation of objects.
Remember also that GIF images open in Gimp as INDEXED so most of Gimps filters will not work on them.
If you run into this problem go to Image>Mode>and select RGB.
The filters will then no longer be grayed out, and will be usable on the image/layer.