Use the Area Selection tools to isolate specific areas within a photo. Selected areas can then be cut, copied, and pasted into other photos, other areas of the same photo, or into other Windows applications. You can also restrict paint operations to selected areas only.

To find the tools:

  1. Click the Photos button on the Navigation panel.

  2. Click the Edit Photo icon located below the buttons.

  3. Find the Elliptical Selection tool on the Toolbar. Click the tool and a flyout of area selection tools is displayed.

Area Selection tools

Select by:

Ellipse / Circle

Rectangle / Square

Freehand

Magic Wand

Edge Finder

 

 

 

To select an elliptical or circular area:

  1. Click the Elliptical Selection tool on the Toolbar. If you do not see the tool, click and hold the area selection tool that is currently visible, and select the Elliptical Selection tool from the flyout displayed.

  2. Define the selection area using the mouse.

    To select an elliptical area:

    1. Click and hold the left mouse button at one imaginary "corner" of the elliptical area you wish to select.

    2. Drag the mouse to its diagonally opposite "corner" to define the area.

      Note: Press the [Ctrl] key as you drag the mouse to define an elliptical area from its origin instead of from corner to corner.

    3. Release the mouse button to complete the selection. If you wish to erase the selection, press [Esc], or click once outside the selected area.

    To select a circular area:

    1. Click and hold the left mouse button at one imaginary "corner" of the circular area you wish to select.

    2. Press the [Shift] key.

    3. Drag the mouse to its diagonally opposite "corner" to define the area.

      Note: Press the [Ctrl] key as you drag the mouse to define a circular area from its origin instead of from corner to corner.

    4. Release the mouse button to complete the selection. If you wish to erase the selection, press [Esc], or click once outside the selected area.

  3. Click once inside the selected area to display its bounding box. Use the handles at the corners and sides of the box to resize the selected area if you wish. Use the one handle residing inside the bounding box to rotate the selected area.

  4. To move the selected area, first click and hold the left mouse button inside the selected area. Drag the selected area to another location in the photo, or use the Clipboard to transfer the selection to another photo or Windows application.

  5. When you are satisfied with the size and position of the selected area, click once outside the area to anchor it.

    Note: Use the Undo tool on the Command Bar to restore the photo if you paste a selection accidentally.

    Note: You can add to or subtract from the selected area to customize its shape. For more information, see Adding to / Subtracting from the selected area.

To select a rectangular or square area:

  1. Click the Rectangular Selection tool on the Toolbar. If you do not see the tool, click and hold the area selection tool that is currently visible, and select the Rectangular Selection tool from the flyout displayed.

  2. Define the selection area using the mouse.

    To select a rectangular area:

    1. Click and hold the left mouse button at one imaginary "corner" of the rectangular area you wish to select.

    2. Drag the mouse to its diagonally opposite "corner" to define the area.

      Note: Press the [Ctrl] key as you drag the mouse to define a rectangular area from its center instead of from corner to corner.

    3. Release the mouse button to complete the selection. If you wish to erase the selection, press [Esc], or click once outside the selected area.

    To select a square area:

    1. Click and hold the left mouse button at one imaginary "corner" of the square area you wish to select.

    2. Press the [Shift] key.

    3. Drag the mouse to its diagonally opposite "corner" to define the area.

      Note: Press the [Ctrl] key as you drag the mouse to define a square area from its center instead of from corner to corner.

    4. Release the mouse button to complete the selection. If you wish to erase the selection, press [Esc], or click once outside the selected area.

  3. Click once inside the selected area to display its bounding box. Use the handles at the corners and sides of the box to resize the selected area if you wish. Use the one handle residing inside the bounding box to rotate the selected area.

  4. To move the selected area, first click and hold the left mouse button inside the selected area. Drag the selected area to another location in the photo, or use the Clipboard to transfer the selection to another photo or Windows application.

  5. When you are satisfied with the size and position of the selected area, click once outside the area to anchor it.

    Note: Use the Undo tool on the Command Bar to restore the photo if you paste a selection accidentally.

    Note: You can add to or subtract from the selected area to customize its shape. For more information, see Adding to / Subtracting from the selected area.

To select an irregularly shaped area:

  1. Click the Freehand Selection tool on the Toolbar. If you do not see the tool, click and hold the area selection tool that is currently visible, and select the Freehand Selection tool from the flyout displayed.

  2. To enclose and select an area with a polygon (a series of straight, connected lines), move the mouse and click at locations defining the endpoints of each line. To enclose and select an area with a smooth polyline, hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse to define the shape.

    Note: As you define the polygon or smooth polyline, you can constrain the mouse pointer to continue along a straight line, without deviating from it, by pressing the [Shift] key. To change direction, simply release the key and continue dragging the mouse.

  3. To close the selected area, double-click the mouse at a point outside the area. To erase the selection, press [Esc], or click once outside the selected area. To back out of the operation, line by line, press [Backspace].

  4. Click once inside the selected area to display its bounding box. Use the handles at the corners and sides of the box to resize the selected area. Use the one handle residing inside the bounding box to rotate the selected area.

  5. To move the selected area, first click and hold the left mouse button inside the selected area. Drag the selected area to another location in the photo, or use the Clipboard to transfer the selection to another photo or Windows application.

  6. When you are satisfied with the size and position of the selected area, click once outside the area to anchor it.

    Note: Use the Undo tool on the Command Bar to restore the photo if you paste a selection accidentally.

    Note: You can add to or subtract from the selected area to customize its shape. For more information, see Adding to / Subtracting from the selected area.

To select an area using the Magic Wand:

  1. Click the Magic Wand tool on the Toolbar to target areas of similar color. If you do not see the tool, click and hold the area selection tool that is currently visible, and select the Magic Wand tool from the flyout displayed.

  2. Move the wand to the area of the photo you wish to select.

  3. Hold down the left mouse button, and scribble over a portion of the area.

  4. Release the mouse button to select the area.

For example, you can isolate a cloud in a landscape photo by scribbling over part of the cloud's surface with the Magic Wand. When you release the mouse button, the entire cloud will be selected provided the cloud color is fairly uniform. Areas lighter or darker than the part scribbled upon may not be selected. To increase the range of colors selected, scribble over a larger area.

To select an area using the Edge Finder:

  1. Click the Edge Finder tool to select an area according to its edges. This tool works best if significant contrast exists between the area you wish to select and the areas of the photo that surround it. If you do not see the tool, click and hold the area selection tool that is currently visible, and select the Edge Finder tool from the flyout displayed.

  2. Click at a point along the edge of the area in the photo you wish to select. A selection rectangle is displayed.

  3. Position the rectangle such that it encloses a portion of the area's edge, and click the left mouse button. The portion of the edge captured is identified by a contrasting color.

  4. Continue positioning the rectangle and capturing more of the area's edge. Use the Trace Width control in the Settings area to adjust the width of the selection rectangle, hence the degree of selection tolerance.

  5. To close the selected area, double-click the mouse at a point outside the area. To erase the selection, press [Esc], or click once outside the selected area.

  6. Click once inside the selected area to display its bounding box. Use the handles at the corners and sides of the box to resize the selected area. Use the one handle residing inside the bounding box to rotate the selected area.

  7. To move the selected area, first click and hold the left mouse button inside the selected area. Drag the selected area to another location in the photo, or use the Clipboard to transfer the selection to another photo or Windows application. Note that you can click the Undo icon on the Command Bar to reset the photo if you paste a selection accidentally.

Adding to / subtracting from a selection area:

You can add to, or subtract from, an already defined selection area to customize its shape.

Procedure

  1. Define the first selection area using any of the tools mentioned above.

  2. Click the desired area selection tool on the Toolbar. You are not restricted to the same tool used to define the first selection area.

  3. Press the [Shift] key to add to a selection area; press the [Ctrl] key to subtract from a selection area. A small plus or minus sign is displayed attached to the pointer depending on the key pressed.

  4. Define another selection area making sure that the second area intersects the first.

  5. Click outside the second selection area to anchor it. The second area is joined or subtracted from the first as the case may be.