Table of Contents
How to add a selection to the Selections PaletteRe-ordering selections in the Selections PaletteMoving selections from the Selections Palette to the designUsing selections from one design in anotherHow to convert a selection into a layer / maskHow to convert a selection into a mask layerConverting layers to selections Removing selections from the Selections PaletteOffsetting selectionsSaving selections in to a Document PaletteSelections are a fundamental part of the AVA software. They are required to complete certain functions in the software but they are also extremely useful in helping you achieve exciting design effects. It is important to master using selections in your working methods to make your work flows more effective.
Add to Palette adds the current selection to the Selections Palette. Hold down the command key and press 7 on the keyboard as a short cut for this function.
How to add a selection to the Selections Palette
- Go to Window Menu > Selections Palette or use the keyboard shortcut ⌘⇧A. The Selections Palette will open.
- Select an area of the design.
- Do one of the following:
- Go to Edit Menu > Select > Add to Palette
- Use the keyboard shortcut ⌘7
- Press the + button in the Selections Palette
The selection will appear in the palette with the default name “Selection” followed by a number i.e. Selection 1, Selection 2 and so on.
- Double click on the word Selection and enter a more relevant name for the selection.
- Press the None button or use the keyboard shortcut ⌘D to remove that selection from your file.
- Repeat steps 2 to 5 for other selections and save the design. The selections will be saved with the design if you save as ava4 format.
Tip: If you have a design with several masks, storing them as selections rather than layers is more efficient as only the selected area, rather than the whole layer needs to be saved. The design will therefore require less disk space and will open and save more quickly.
Re-ordering selections in the Selections Palette
Selections can be re-ordered using a simple drag and drop action.
Moving selections from the Selections Palette to the design
- Click on the appropriate selection in the Selections Palette and drag it into the Design Window. The selection will now show on your design.
- Modify the selection. For example, hold down ⇧ (shift key) on your keyboard and draw with a selection tool to add to the selection, or ⌘ (command key) to take away from the selection. Alternatively, use the + and – modes in the Selection Tool Settings Window:
- After editing the selection, you can add it back to the Selections Palette using the keyboard shortcut ⌘7, or pressing the + button in the Selections Palette, and a new selection will be created. It will not replace the original selection.
Tip: To add two or more of your stored selections together, hold down the shift key and click on each of the selections required in the Selections Palette, then drag them back into the design to create a combined selection. Alternatively, to take away one selection from another, hold down the command key as you drag the selection back into the design and it will be taken away from the current selection. This can be done several times if necessary.
You can hide a selection using any of the following methods;
- press the Hide button in the Selections Palette
- use the keyboard shortcut ⌘H. This same shortcut can be used to show the selection again
- go to Edit Menu > Select > Hide. This changes to Edit Menu > Select > Show if a selection is already hidden in your file
Using selections from one design in another
You can take selections from the Selections Palette of one design and use them in another design very easily.
Simply open both designs, and change the Source drop down menu in the Selections Palette to that of the design you want to use the selection from:
This will display the saved selections for that file, which you can now drag into your active design.
How to convert a selection into a layer
You can turn a selection into a layer by dragging it from the design to the Layers Palette. Be careful not to delay too long while in the Design Window as the software will assume you are creating a floating selection rather than copying it to the layers.
The new layer can be positioned anywhere in the layer list, just move your cursor above, below or between existing layers. Once the horizontal line appears, release the mouse or pen to create the new layer.
If the selection is tonal, such as a feathered selection, an 8 bit layer will be created, while a standard selection will create a 1 bit layer. Layers which are created from the Selections Palette are automatically named with the name of the selection.
How to convert a selection into a Mask Layer
Selections in the design or Selections Palette can be turned into Mask Layers by dragging the selection directly onto an image or layer within the Layers Palette and releasing the cursor when it is over the relevant image or layers pencil icon. Whichever image or layer is highlighted by the cursor when you drop the selection will have the selection applied to it as a mask.
Note: Parts of the chosen image or layer will disappear when applying a mask because you are effectively masking them out with the selection. Layers with masks applied to them are distinguished from others by the additional black layer called 'mask' which can be seen when you click on the small disclosure triangle next to the main layer block in the Layers Palette.
All images in AVA have a black disclosure triangle next to them. It is used to access the RGB or CMYK channels of the image as well as any mask layers which are present. When a mask is applied to an image, you will see the image preview update to show only the masked area:
An unwanted mask layers can be removed by dragging them to the Bin.
Converting layers to selections
If you have previously created important layers, they can also be turned into selections. Simply drag the layer block from the Layers Palette to the Selections Palette and a selection will be created with the same name as the layer. If the layer is 8 bit, a tonal selection will be created.
Removing selections from the Selections Palette
Highlight the selection to be removed in the Selections Palette and click the ‘-‘ button. Alternatively, drag it to the Bin in the Dock. To remove several selections at once, hold down ⌘ (command key) on your keyboard and click on each selection to be removed. Once they are all highlighted, simply click the ‘-‘ button and all selected items will be removed at once.
Offsetting selections
Some of the filters do not work correctly across repeat joins when used in the normal way. Therefore it is important to follow this method to make sure the filter works correctly and doesn’t affect the join. Your design must repeat correctly before you do this.
- Open the design you want to filter.
- Go to Window Menu > Selections Palette.
- Press Offset Repeat. If you are not already viewing multiple repeats of your design, AVA will automatically put your design into a 2×2 repeat when you press this. A selection the size of a single repeat will appear in your file, offset to the first repeat, which is framed in blue in the snapshot below.
- Activate the layer / image you wish to filter.
- Open the Filter Browser.
- Apply your desired filter and it will work correctly in repeat, with no obvious repeat joins.
Saving selections in to a Document Palette
When working on a project, it’s nice to keep all the elements of that project in one place, and that is why each file in AVA can contain a Document Palette. It is a convenient place to dump PDF documents such as project briefs, file specific Overprint and Substrate settings, as well as particular filter effects, brushes and selections which have been used in the file.
To add a selection to a Document Palette follow the steps below.
- Make your selection using one of our selection tools.
- Open the Document Palette from File Menu > Show Document Palette…
- With the selection tool still active in the Tools Palette, drag and drop the selection directly into the Document Palette.
- Save the file as .ava4. All elements of your document will now be save with the file.
