Computer Graphics with Photoshop - Using the Marquee Tool

Author

Using the Marquee Tool

Jethro

2006-07-10, 6:18 pm

A newbie question-

When I use the Marquee Tool to frame a picture segment for copying,
the mouse pointer is a little 'cross'. That's okay, but it is too
faint for my antique eyes. Is there a way to change the pointer and
maybe make it darker (bolder), so as to make it more visible? I have
a hard time distinguishing it when moving the pointer over a frame.

Thanks

Harry Limey

2006-07-10, 6:18 pm

underprocessable

Jethro

2006-07-10, 6:18 pm

On Mon, 19 Jun 2006 14:16:12 +0100, "Harry Limey"
<harry@hackedoff.co.uk> wrote:

>
>"Jethro" <Wilson@somewhere.org> wrote in message
>news:725d92hp25reab7lutaafad06quci02lt7@4ax.com...
>
>From the help file
>
>
> When you select most tools, the pointer matches the tool's icon. The
>marquee pointer appears by default as cross hairs , the text tool pointer
>appears as an I-beam , and painting tools default to the Brush Size icon.
>
> Each default pointer has a different hotspot, where an effect or action in
>the image begins. With most tools, you can switch to precise cursors, which
>appear as cross hairs centered around the hotspot.
>
>To set tool pointer appearance:
>
> 1.. Do one of the following:
> a.. (Photoshop) In Windows, choose Edit > Preferences > Display &
>Cursors.
> b.. (Photoshop) In Mac OS, choose Photoshop > Preferences > Display &
>Cursors.
> c.. (ImageReady) In Windows, choose Edit > Preferences > Cursors.
> d.. (ImageReady) In Mac OS, choose ImageReady > Preferences > Cursors.
> 2.. Choose a tool pointer setting in the Preferences screen:
> a.. Click Standard under Painting Cursors, Other Cursors, or both to
>display pointers as tool icons.
> b.. Click Precise under Painting Cursors, Other Cursors, or both to
>display pointers as cross hairs.
> c.. Click Brush Size under Painting Cursors to display the painting tool
>cursors as brush shapes representing the size of the current brush. Brush
>Size cursors may not display for very large brushes.
> 3.. Click OK.
> The Painting Cursors options control the pointers for the following tools:
>
> a.. (Photoshop) Eraser, Pencil, Paintbrush, Healing Brush, Rubber Stamp,
>Pattern Stamp, Smudge, Blur, Sharpen, Dodge, Burn, and Sponge tools
> b.. (ImageReady) Paintbrush, Pencil, and Eraser tools
> The Other Cursors options control the pointers for the following tools:
>
> a.. (Photoshop) Marquee, Lasso, Polygonal Lasso, Magic Wand, Crop,
>Slice, Patch, Eyedropper, Pen, Gradient, Line, Paint Bucket, Magnetic Lasso,
>Magnetic Pen, Freeform Pen, Measure, and Color Sampler tools
> b.. (ImageReady) Marquee, Lasso, Magic Wand, Eyedropper, Paint Bucket,
>and Slice tools
>

Thank You
J

Jethro

2006-07-10, 6:18 pm

Harry Limey

2006-07-10, 6:18 pm

"Jethro" <Wilson@somewhere.org> wrote in message >>
>
> I looked at all this, and it seems to me that there is NOT a way to
> intensify (darken) the curser as it is made to move over a frames.
> To my tired-old eyes, the cursor fairly well disappears into the image
> itself.
>
> As an aside, how is that my AGENT program handles this post of yours
> so strangely? It seems if I open your post, and then open and look at
> either of your attached gifs, the next time I look at your reply, all
> I can display are either of the two gifs. I never had that happen
> before. I had to remove your post and gifs, then re-load the news
> group's headers to get a clean copy of your post - which worked fine
> until I looked the gifs again.
>
> Thanks
>
> Jethro

Sorry Jethro, there does not seem to be a way to do what you want, maybe a
request to Adobe for the next version??
As for the attachments, that was done unintentionally! I just copied and
pasted the details from the help files!
As an aside, I created a shortcut to the help file from my start menu, so I
can open it without opening Photoshop, so I didn't actually try the effect
myself.

Jethro

2006-07-10, 6:18 pm

On Mon, 19 Jun 2006 17:01:58 +0100, "Harry Limey"
<harry@hackedoff.co.uk> wrote:

>
>"Jethro" <Wilson@somewhere.org> wrote in message >>
>
>Sorry Jethro, there does not seem to be a way to do what you want, maybe a
>request to Adobe for the next version??
>As for the attachments, that was done unintentionally! I just copied and
>pasted the details from the help files!
>As an aside, I created a shortcut to the help file from my start menu, so I
>can open it without opening Photoshop, so I didn't actually try the effect
>myself.
>

Thanks again. The attachment thing really threw me. No problem

Jethro

KatWoman

2006-07-10, 6:18 pm

"Harry Limey" <harry@hackedoff.co.uk> wrote in message
news:4496caae$0$964$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net...
>
> "Jethro" <Wilson@somewhere.org> wrote in message >>
>
> Sorry Jethro, there does not seem to be a way to do what you want, maybe a
> request to Adobe for the next version??
> As for the attachments, that was done unintentionally! I just copied and
> pasted the details from the help files!
> As an aside, I created a shortcut to the help file from my start menu, so
> I can open it without opening Photoshop, so I didn't actually try the
> effect myself.

on a Mac the cursor changes light/dark depending on the background
This feature is not available in Windows due to some OS conflict

Jethro

2006-07-10, 6:18 pm

On Mon, 19 Jun 2006 16:06:17 -0400, "KatWoman"
<JolieXPrincessXKatanaXXX@hotmail.com> wrote:

>
>"Harry Limey" <harry@hackedoff.co.uk> wrote in message
>news:4496caae$0$964$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net...
>
>
>on a Mac the cursor changes light/dark depending on the background
>This feature is not available in Windows due to some OS conflict

That's exactly what I would expect. Oh well...

Thanks
>

KatWoman

2006-07-10, 6:18 pm

"Jethro" <Wilson@somewhere.org> wrote in message
news:ib4e921m8s3nar5j7iq0g7b2kt6nc6od15@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 19 Jun 2006 16:06:17 -0400, "KatWoman"
> <JolieXPrincessXKatanaXXX@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> That's exactly what I would expect. Oh well...

yeah Adobe is not very respectful of us PC users, they assume Mac OS for
most features, or Bill G won't give them what they need to make it work.
Nothing these days is done for convenience of users or consumers..

Rolex

2006-07-10, 6:18 pm

Thanks for tip

--
Rolex
"May Dragons Fly Ever in your Dreams"

Stephen

2006-07-10, 6:18 pm

On Mon, 19 Jun 2006 21:05:20 GMT, Jethro in comp.graphics.apps.photoshop wrote:

>That's exactly what I would expect. Oh well...

Jethro,

Before you give up, have you experimented with the accessibility
settings in Windows ? On XP-Pro in your control panel, check out these
settings, especially the contrast settings (there are more than a few
options if one selects the "settings" switch). This is under the
"Display" tab.

This may or may not help you. I'm reasonably sure it will help.

Inviato da X-Privat.Org - Registrazione gratuita http://www.x-privat.org/join.php

Stephen

2006-07-10, 6:18 pm

On Tue, 20 Jun 2006 15:29:01 -0400, KatWoman in comp.graphics.apps.photoshop wrote:

>yeah Adobe is not very respectful of us PC users, they assume Mac OS for
>most features, or Bill G won't give them what they need to make it work.
>Nothing these days is done for convenience of users or consumers..

I don't agree -- Adobe sells far more copies of Photoshop to PC users.
The accesiblity options should help with contrast problems vis-a-vis
mouse cursor.

Inviato da X-Privat.Org - Registrazione gratuita http://www.x-privat.org/join.php

KatWoman

2006-07-10, 6:18 pm

"Stephen" <Stephen.D.Allen@XXXXXXXXXX> wrote in message
news:slrne9nmjb.h0.Stephen.D.Allen@sweetpig.dyndns.org...
> On Mon, 19 Jun 2006 21:05:20 GMT, Jethro in comp.graphics.apps.photoshop
> wrote:
>
>
> Jethro,
>
> Before you give up, have you experimented with the accessibility
> settings in Windows ? On XP-Pro in your control panel, check out these
> settings, especially the contrast settings (there are more than a few
> options if one selects the "settings" switch). This is under the
> "Display" tab.
>
> This may or may not help you. I'm reasonably sure it will help.

the problem it no matter how large or small you make the cursor the COLOR of
it is GRAY and on gray backgrounds (My photog almost always uses) and
especially on BW images it does disappear on many areas where there is no
contrast. The Mac somehow knows this and changes it on the fly.
my workaround for this is to make a really whack out levels layer, untick
"use all layers" and then do spotting and correcting and then throw out that
layer

>
> Inviato da X-Privat.Org - Registrazione gratuita
> http://www.x-privat.org/join.php

Peter Wollenberg

2006-07-10, 6:18 pm

Jethro <Wilson@somewhere.org> wrote:

>A newbie question-
>
>When I use the Marquee Tool to frame a picture segment for copying,
>the mouse pointer is a little 'cross'. That's okay, but it is too
>faint for my antique eyes. Is there a way to change the pointer and
>maybe make it darker (bolder), so as to make it more visible? I have
>a hard time distinguishing it when moving the pointer over a frame.
>
>Thanks

Try this: hit the picture at approximately the right starting point,
pull the selection towards the opposite corner, do not release the
mouse button yet! Now you should see those marching ants and if you
missed the proper starting point, press the space bar. As long as the
space bar is held down, mouse movements will move the whole selection.
Displace the selection until the starting point is allright. When you
are done, release the space bar again and adjust the end point of the
selection.
Alternatively, create a duplicate of the picture and use the crop tool
on the copy.

HTH, Peter

KatWoman

2006-07-10, 6:18 pm

"Peter Wollenberg" <jenelisepasceci@web.de> wrote in message
news:44a0819c.2732078@134.96.4.2...
> Jethro <Wilson@somewhere.org> wrote:
>
>
> Try this: hit the picture at approximately the right starting point,
> pull the selection towards the opposite corner, do not release the
> mouse button yet! Now you should see those marching ants and if you
> missed the proper starting point, press the space bar. As long as the
> space bar is held down, mouse movements will move the whole selection.
> Displace the selection until the starting point is allright. When you
> are done, release the space bar again and adjust the end point of the
> selection.
> Alternatively, create a duplicate of the picture and use the crop tool
> on the copy.
>
> HTH, Peter

Aside:
you can hide/see the ants anytime too without de-selecting
control+ H