Convert Selection to Path

[Acorn]

You can right click on the mask and choose copy using mask, than paste it and you will get the shape as a vector path (filled with the bitmap).
if you only want the shape than you can change the type of fill an of course the stroke thickness as you like.
I hope that was useful.

Marco, you beat me to the same approach! When you scale, you do not get the outline jaggies, which improves the overall presentation.

Acorn

[handrawn]

late to the party but yep, way to go, a while since I even thought about magnetic lasso...

be aware that if you use this across an actual shape, rather than just on the transparency boundary you may get artifacts:



I have given a size to the outline [path] of the paste to emphazise this

[Boy]

You can right click on the mask and choose copy using mask, than paste it and you will get the shape as a vector path (filled with the bitmap).
if you only want the shape than you can change the type of fill an of course the stroke thickness as you like.
I hope that was useful.

That was the one I was looking for. Thanks, Marco!

Now I found out there's also an option to 'Mask copy' (as opposed to 'Copy using mask'). This becomes available when you select the mask in the P&L gallery. Pasting the selection in a regular layer produces a shape that can be filled and given an outline to create a perfect vector logo.

This shows once again what a versatile app XDP really is! I wish they'd restart the development of the vector and bitmap tools and make it really the best designer app.

[handrawn]

I wish they'd restart the development of the vector and bitmap tools

ah well, affinity designer beta now has a vector flood fill tool , no more messing about breaking shapes... but xara is going a different way...

[gwpriester]

Amazing. I just tried an with a little editing and cut and paste and a few incantations it works perfectly.

[Acorn]

That was the one I was looking for. Thanks, Marco!
Now I found out there's also an option to 'Mask copy' (as opposed to 'Copy using mask'). This becomes available when you select the mask in the P&L gallery. Pasting the selection in a regular layer produces a shape that can be filled and given an outline to create a perfect vector logo.
This shows once again what a versatile app XDP really is! I wish they'd restart the development of the vector and bitmap tools and make it really the best designer app.

Boy, all Mask Copy is the normal Copy ("using Mask") (Ctrl+C).

If you want the Lasso Line rather than the Fill, use Clock Mask and drag to the MouseOff layer.

The Fill has no Line Width, the Line has one that is 1px.
This is useful as there is no simple way to transform a Line into a Shape or the converse.
(A closed Line does not take a Fill; a Shape with no Fill and a Line Width is not a closed Line).

Acorn

[gwpriester]

It seems to me that this could be modified to create a new vector tool (isn't there always a clamor for new vector tools?) for tracing solid shapes.

I traced the shape, then cut and pasted and the pasted shape was a closed vector path.

[Boy]

Boy, all Mask Copy is the normal Copy ("using Mask") (Ctrl+C).

If you want the Lasso Line rather than the Fill, use Clock Mask and drag to the MouseOff layer.

The Fill has no Line Width, the Line has one that is 1px.
This is useful as there is no simple way to transform a Line into a Shape or the converse.
(A closed Line does not take a Fill; a Shape with no Fill and a Line Width is not a closed Line).

That's XDP for you, Acorn. Always more ways to skin a cat. The important issue here is that highly accurate selection paths can be converted to vector paths, which then can be edited at will. In my case, I managed to create a perfect vector logo from a bitmap.

[Acorn]

That's XDP for you, Acorn. Always more ways to skin a cat. The important issue here is that highly accurate selection paths can be converted to vector paths, which then can be edited at will. In my case, I managed to create a perfect vector logo from a bitmap.

Boy, which is good to hear.

I mistyped 'Clock' instead of Clone.

@Gary, If you use the Region Painter Tool or other masking tool, you create the Mask layer.
Anything can be drawn with these Tools or taken from any other layer and moved into the Mask layer.
When there, any part of the masking shapes that covers your selected object on a normal unlocked layer can be copied, cloned or deleted; treat it as a cookie cutter where the cutting is not removed from the original.
It took me a time to discover holding the Alt key and spinning the mouse wheel adjusted the diameter of the Mask or Region painter tools and Mask and Region were complementary.

The one thing I overlooked just was my Guides layer was unlocked and so I have lots of dashed red lines included in my work.

Acorn

[Boy]

The other nice thing with this tracing method is that, with the the mask shape selected in the P&L gallery, you can refine the selection with the Shape Tool. I noticed that around sharp corners and such this might be necessary.