Subsections
3.1 The Basic Selection Tools
There are two types of selection tools.
The first type works by drawing lines that separate the selection
subject from its background. The second type makes a selection by
specifying a representative seed pixel from the subject. The
selection is then made automatically by including other pixels in the
image that are sufficiently similar to the seed in color.
A goal of this chapter is to explain how to decide which type of
selection tool should be applied. Often it is some combination that
is the most effective. The decision is partially based on evaluating
the characteristics of the subject that best differentiate it from the
background. These could be a combination of its color, shape, value,
or saturation (for more on the characteristics of color, value, and
saturation, see Chapter
5). For difficult
selections it is often necessary to experiment in order to discover
the most effective approach.
In this section we start to develop our skills by reviewing the GIMP's
basic selection tools and by exploring their underlying strengths and
weaknesses. To begin, we discuss the six selection tools found in the
GIMP Toolbox, shown in Figure
3.1. They
consist of the Rectangle Select,
Figure 3.1:
Toolbox Selection Tools
 |
the
Ellipse Select, the
Free-Hand Select (also known as
the
Lasso), the
Fuzzy Select (known as the
Magic
Wand), the
Bezier Path tool, and the
Intelligent
Scissors. Of these, the
Bezier Path and the
Lasso are
the most useful.
Rectangle Select is also of some use. Of less
use are the
Magic Wand and
Ellipse Select tools. Finally,
although the
Intelligent Scissors
has an intriguing name, there is nothing this tool can do that can't
be done better and more efficiently using other tools.
