Convert a path to a marquee selection? - Macromedia Fireworks

[Linda Rathgeber]

You haven't said which version of Fireworks you are using. These
instructions are for FW MX.

Click on the bitmap thumbnail in the layers panel. It's important to
click on the thumbnail itself. Clicking on the sublayer isn't enough.

Once the thumbnail is selected, press CTRL (Control on Macintosh) and
move your cursor over the thumbnail of the path object in the Layers
panel. A cursor cue in the form of a tiny marquee should appear. When
you see the cursor cue, click on the thumbnail of the path object. A
marquee will appear around its edges.

Note that once you've selected an object in this way, there's no way to
adjust the selection the way you can with a mask group.

Remove the path object by deleting it or hiding it.


Best regards,
Linda Rathgeber
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[Stéphane Bergeron]

Peter R :.WIZZO.: wrote:

> Hi,>
>
> I'm trying to convert a selection created with the pen tool (path) to a
> marquee selection.
>
> What I'm trying to do is add effects to different areas of a photograph.
> Specifically, blur the background and sharpen the subject.

You don't need to use a marquee selection to do that. Use your path as a
mask instead. Clone your photograph so you have two copies one on top of
the other and mask the top copy using your Pen tool path. Blur the
bottom copy (or whatever) and add whatever other effect you wish to the
mask group. That way, all elements remain editable and no pixels are
permanently affected. If your path is a simple stroked path with no
fill, you will have to go to the PI after grouping as mask to set the
mask type to path outline.

> I know I can use the polygon lasso tool, but I find the pen soooo

much more

> accurate.

Very true... but now you have to let go of your Photoshop mindset
completely... ;-) Don't use vector paths to create better bitmap
selections... that defeats the purpose. Use the vecotr objects to their
fullest extent instead!

HTH!

Stéphane

[Peter R :.WIZZO.:]

Linda and Stéphane,

Thank you both very much.

I've just had an urgent job come up so I'll have a go with this later.

Sorry I'm on FWmx

Peter R.

[Peter R :.WIZZO.:]

"Peter R :.WIZZO.:" wrote in message ...

Linda and Stéphane,

Thanks again.

I managed both your examples but more importantly I now understand how to
use a mask to do this.

I feel I've just taken a major step. Hey another year at this and I may even
be walking (:o)

Peter R.

[Jeff Cohan]

Linda Rathgeber wrote:

> You haven't said which version of Fireworks you
> are using. These instructions are for FW MX.

Is there a way to do this in FW4?

Jeff C