Trimming or cropping a part of the image canvas

[dv986]

Hi everyone!

Does anyone know how do I do this? What I have is an area in the image canvas that I would like to remove. It is somewhere in the middle of the document, stretching form left to right, so bein able to trim that out would be great... Or at least cropping out the part of the document I want. It seems kinda messy without some sort of a marquee tool.

I know I can trim and crop (subtract and intersect) a single layer (that is.. umm.. shape?), but how do I do that when there's a lot of em on the same place? If i could only ISOLATE that entire middle part somehow, it would be easy to delete it, and then isolate the bottom part and move it to the top part.. if ya know what i mean

So, whado I do?

[handrawn]

Hi

if I understand you right, and if xtreme 5 has soft group option [I have xtreme pro 5] then

make your layer stack a soft group [which keeps them on their layers intact]

use the freehand tool to trace round the area you wish to remove making a closed shape on the top layer

select both soft group and closed shape and subtract shapes [ctrl+2]

you can then ungroup the soft group and all your layers should be subtracted

I'd advise you try on a copy file, in case it goes wrong

[dv986]

Hey thanks!

Well it almost worked the only problem is that, after I cut out that part, I lose the ability to ungroup the soft group (the option is grayed out). Any clue?

[steve.ledger]

Just a thought - but have you first selected the soft group?
Works fine here as explained by Steve.

[handrawn]

right this is why we do it on a copy file

[soft groups is a relatively new feature]

try it again - and after the ctrl+2 operation remove the softgroup whilst the objects are still selected and take care not to move it first

does this work?

[dv986]

Ok, heres what I do:

1. I unlock any object that was locked
2. CTRL+A to select all stuff in there
3. I apply the soft group
4. I make a big rectangle in the middle of the document.
5. I shift+click the soft group, so it is now selected togethers with the rectangle
6. CTRL+2
7. ...ummmm... oops... wait. It works!! hahaha!

Ah now I get it! The first time when I did CTRL+2 i unselected what was left, and then selected again. That way I lost the option to remove the soft group.

Thank you very much!

Btw, isnt that a bug or somethin?

[handrawn]

always glad to help

don't know if its a bug - as I say soft groups is new in ver 5 [and in my case worth the upgrade alone ]

I shall have to update my notes here

An 'interesting' thing - if the soft group is left in place and deselected after the boolean [ctrl+2] operation, and then moved, objects within the soft group start to displace.......

[dv986]

Ya, I think thats what happened to me. However, if i rightclicked on the softgroup, I would still have all the indications that this in fact IS a softgroup, but no way to ungroup it.

Once again, thanks for helpin out

[handrawn]

pleasure - I learnt a few things too along the way...