Help cookie cutter wanted

[Legacy_Tarot Redhand]

               While the need is not immediate (working on half doz. things at once), I could really use what I call a cookie cutter tool in a pixel (as opposed to a vector) graphics program. I will describe the action that I want to be able to achieve. This tool will make use of the currently selected brush (somewhat like gimp's clone tool) to copy an area of another picture to the clipboard (unlike the clone tool). The copied graphic while retaining the shape of the brush would be made up to produce a square/rectangular image, with transparent pixels. So you could for example take a picture of a field full of flowers and by using this tool in conjunction with the common or garden circular brush create a round vignette showing just a part of the original.

I am hoping that someone knows either of such a tool as an add on for a particular graphics program or a graphics program that actually has such a tool built in.

Thanks in advance.

TR
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Borden Haelven]

               Can be done in paintshop pro by adding a new layer to picture,



drawing the shape you want in the new layer using a single colour.
 


then using magig wand set to 0 tolerance select the colour,



Delete the layer and copy shape. you will have a shaped copy of an area the original.
 


paste as new image... job done.


               
               

               

                     Modifié par Borden Haelven, 17 mars 2013 - 01:16 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Tarot Redhand]

               Thank you Borden Haelven. Alas, I fear I have not made myself clear enough on this. I only used the circular brush as a quick and easy illustration of what I am looking for. The strength of what I am after is that there are literally thousnads of differently shaped brushes out there. Brushes that have had all the shape kinks ironed out of them. While I know that by using the pen tool I could for example create a 23 point star-shaped picture, there is every likelihood that, as I have all the artistic talent (at least drawing wise) of a brick, the arms of said star-shape would not be regular. Also it would be very difficult, by eye alone, to create one of a precise size. That is why I am looking for a "cookie cutter". But thank you for your interest.

TR
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Tarot Redhand, 17 mars 2013 - 11:30 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Borden Haelven]

               If you select the paint brush you want, set the size and use that to paint the shape I think that will give the required result. Also you will be able to move it around by moving the layer.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Borden Haelven, 17 mars 2013 - 02:34 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_painofdungeoneternal]

               What you want to do is already done in different ways depending on the program.

The closest tool that works the way you describe is Painter, which literally already does what you describe in numerous ways, but is probably set up more like what you are thinking, and is a bit more different than what is found in other programs. ( not to mention it does illustration like no other graphics app can do, however it's not so good at retouching and production work. The image hose feature is actually a lot better for painting a realistic field of flowers and there is no equivalent feature in any other program. )

The actual way i would do it with other programs is with a layer mask ( how to do it is here ), using photoshop it's a separate channel which you can paint into which shows transparency, which is to the right of the actual layer. You can make this entire channel white or black, and the image shows or does not show, then you can use any of the brushes to make the image appear. It basically allows you to non-destructively erase a layer, allowing you to use any of photoshops tools to set the transparency of that layer )

While the description is of compositing, if you have a single image, set up as a separate layer ( and not as a background ), and hit add layer mask, then paint into the mask with either white or black and the image disappears. If you make the entire mask black, then start painting with white, it should behave like what you are asking for.

You can also i believe clone from one document to another, cloning can be done using a given brush.

( I think other cheaper programs have similar features, layer masks have been around for a long time and you probably can just google that term with your program of choice )
               
               

               

                     Modifié par painofdungeoneternal, 17 mars 2013 - 04:13 .