Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
3.
Click in the photo and drag to make a selection around the object you want to
move
.
This selection doesn't have to be very precise, but if there's a nearby detail you really
don't want to include, try to avoid it when making your selection. For instance, if
you're moving or duplicating a flag from one spot on a roof to another, including
some of the sky is no big deal, but you want to be careful around the roofline, since if
you drag a piece of the roof along with the flag, it may not match the roofline in the
flag's new home.
The Tool Options area includes the usual squares for adding to and subtracting from
selections (
Controlling the Selection Tools
)
, but you probably won't need to use them
much. Be aware, however, that if you create a selection with this tool and then click in
your photo
outside
the selection, you lose the selection you had and start a new one.
(Press Ctrl+Z/
⌘
-Z if you do this by mistake.)
4.
Once you see the marching ants around your object, drag it to its new home
.
It may take a minute to see the final result because Elements has some work to do: it
analyzes the area where the object
was
and does its best to seamlessly blend the
moved object into the new area. If you aren't satisfied with the location, you can keep
dragging the selection around as long as you see the marching ants.
If you selected the Move option in step 2 above, Elements also creates new material
to fill in the area where the object used to be.
5.
If necessary, use the Healing slider to adjust Elements' handiwork
.
The Tool Option area's Healing slider tells Elements how much area to consider when
blending the object into its new home and filling the spot where it was originally. If
Elements picks up too much detail from around the object, move this slider to the left.
If Elements doesn't include enough detail from the surrounding material, move this
slider to the right.
If you're using the tool's Move mode, as you move this slider, be sure to watch both
the area around the moved object
and
the area where it came from. (With Extend
mode, pay more attention to the object you're moving.)
The one disadvantage to this tool is that, once you drag the object, as soon as you let go of
your mouse button, your moved object merges into the photo. You don't get an opportunity
to resize it or flip the object if, for instance, you need to duplicate an eye in a damaged photo.
