Picture Background

[Keithmj]

Hi..I was thinking about upgrading but had a question. Is there a way to remove the background from behind an object that you want to have in the picture only? Or can you remove just the object by itself? Or what would you recommend? Thanks for any info...Cheers..Keithmj

[molucca]

You can draw an object and extract the part of the image you want to use. I prefer Xtreme because I save my images to PNG, and now can apply bitmap feathering to a PNG. Rich

[sallybode]

Or you can work the other way, you can copy a bitmap, and then by applying clipview, you can feather the edge, pasting over the top of the area you want to remove an item from the background. This also works if you change the bitmap to editable shapes, then you can edit the edge just like a shape, feather it, apply transparency. So working with these methods you can actually separate objects from their backgrounds and move the objects around for composition sake or even to do animations. Then you can give the background any effect as a whole or you can isolate parts of it in clipviews or bitmaps changed to editable shapes, unique filters applied to portions, just as you could apply some effects to selections in Photoshop. The advantage this way, is that no matter what, you have complete editability.

[gwpriester]

Hello Keith

There is a new filter in the new Live Effects Tool group called Medhi Eraser Classic. This filter lets you specify a color and then remove that specific color. I applied it to Rich's photo to drop out the black background.

This filter works best with solid colored backgrounds. Otherwise, as suggested, the best way is to use Xara's drawing tools to create an outline around the object and either apply a clip view or combine shapes > intersect shapes.

Gary

[John Rayner]

You still have to watch the lighting of the objects in any construct tho... I learned the hard way... Sliced a tree, down to individual leaves, with the lighting on the left and placed it in a drawing with the lighting on the right. To say the least, it looked like poo...

Durn frustrated that day...

[Ron Duke]

John,
Do a horizontal flip of the tree.
ron

[John Rayner]

Thanks ron!

That would work, if I still had the tree/picture. That exercise in frustration happened with corel Xara I think... Many, many years ago. but I haven't forgotten that lesson. Watch your lighting before ya slice and dice.