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  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
  2. <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
  3. <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
  4.   <head>
  5.     <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />
  6.     <title>10.21.¬† Add Layer Mask</title>
  7.     <link rel="stylesheet" href="gimp-help-plain.css" type="text/css" />
  8.     <link rel="stylesheet" href="gimp-help-screen.css" type="text/css" />
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  12.     <link rel="start" href="index.html" title="GNU Image Manipulation Program" />
  13.     <link rel="up" href="gimp-layer-menu.html" title="10.¬† The ‚ÄúLayers‚Äù Menu" />
  14.     <link rel="prev" href="gimp-layer-mask-menu.html" title="10.20.¬† The ‚ÄúMask‚Äù Submenu" />
  15.     <link rel="next" href="gimp-layer-mask-apply.html" title="10.22.¬† Apply Layer Mask" />
  16.   </head>
  17.   <body>
  18.     <div class="navheader">
  19.       <table width="100%" summary="Navigation header">
  20.         <tr>
  21.           <th colspan="3" align="center">10.21.¬†
  22.     <span lang="en" xml:lang="en">Add Layer Mask</span>
  23.   </th>
  24.         </tr>
  25.         <tr>
  26.           <td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="gimp-layer-mask-menu.html"><img src="../images/prev.png" alt="Prev" /></a>¬†</td>
  27.           <th width="60%" align="center">10.¬†
  28.     <span lang="en" xml:lang="en">The ‚Äú<span class="quote">Layers</span>‚Äù Menu</span>
  29.   </th>
  30.           <td width="20%" align="right">¬†<a accesskey="n" href="gimp-layer-mask-apply.html"><img src="../images/next.png" alt="Next" /></a></td>
  31.         </tr>
  32.       </table>
  33.       <hr />
  34.     </div>
  35.     <div class="sect2" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
  36.       <div class="titlepage">
  37.         <div>
  38.           <div>
  39.             <h3 class="title"><a id="gimp-layer-mask-add"></a>10.21.¬†
  40.     <span lang="en" xml:lang="en">Add Layer Mask</span>
  41.   </h3>
  42.           </div>
  43.           <div>
  44.             <div class="revhistory">
  45.               <table border="1" width="100%" summary="Revision history">
  46.                 <tr>
  47.                   <th align="left" valign="top" colspan="3">
  48.                     <b>Revision History</b>
  49.                   </th>
  50.                 </tr>
  51.                 <tr>
  52.                   <td align="left">Revision $Revision: 2424 $</td>
  53.                   <td align="left">2007-09-30</td>
  54.                   <td align="left">scb</td>
  55.                 </tr>
  56.               </table>
  57.             </div>
  58.           </div>
  59.         </div>
  60.       </div>
  61.       <a id="id2708404" class="indexterm"></a>
  62.       <a id="id2708422" class="indexterm"></a>
  63.       <a id="id2708440" class="indexterm"></a>
  64.       <p>
  65.     The <span class="guimenuitem">Add Layer Mask</span> command adds a layer mask
  66.     to the active layer. It displays a dialog in which you can set the
  67.     initial properties of the mask. If the layer already has a layer mask,
  68.     or if it cannot have one because it does not have an alpha channel, the
  69.     menu entry is insensitive and grayed out.
  70.   </p>
  71.       <p>
  72.     A layer mask lets you define which parts of the layer are opaque,
  73.     semi-transparent or transparent.
  74.     See the <a class="link" href="gimp-dialogs-structure.html#gimp-layer-mask" title="2.1.3.¬† Layer masks">Layer Mask</a>
  75.     section for more information.
  76.   </p>
  77.       <div class="sect3" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
  78.         <div class="titlepage">
  79.           <div>
  80.             <div>
  81.               <h4 class="title"><a id="id2708481"></a>10.21.1.¬†
  82.       <span lang="en" xml:lang="en">Activating the Command</span>
  83.     </h4>
  84.             </div>
  85.           </div>
  86.         </div>
  87.         <div class="itemizedlist">
  88.           <ul type="disc">
  89.             <li>
  90.               <p>
  91.           You can access this command from the image menubar through
  92.           <span class="guimenu"><span class="accel">L</span>ayer</span> ‚Üí <span class="guisubmenu"><span class="accel">M</span>ask</span> ‚Üí <span class="guimenuitem">Add La<span class="accel">y</span>er Mask</span>
  93.         </p>
  94.             </li>
  95.             <li>
  96.               <p>
  97.           or from the pop-up menu you get by right-clicking on the active
  98.           layer in the Layers Dialog.
  99.         </p>
  100.             </li>
  101.           </ul>
  102.         </div>
  103.       </div>
  104.       <div class="sect3" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
  105.         <div class="titlepage">
  106.           <div>
  107.             <div>
  108.               <h4 class="title"><a id="id2708547"></a>10.21.2.¬†
  109.       <span lang="en" xml:lang="en">
  110.         Description of the ‚Äú<span class="quote">Add Layer Mask</span>‚Äù Dialog
  111.       </span>
  112.     </h4>
  113.             </div>
  114.           </div>
  115.         </div>
  116.         <div class="figure">
  117.           <a id="id2708561"></a>
  118.           <p class="title">
  119.             <b>Figure¬†15.113.¬†
  120.         <span lang="en" xml:lang="en">
  121.           The ‚Äú<span class="quote">Add Layer Mask</span>‚Äù dialog
  122.         </span>
  123.       </b>
  124.           </p>
  125.           <div class="figure-contents">
  126.             <div class="mediaobject">
  127.               <img src="../images/dialogs/layer-mask-add.png" alt="The Add Layer Mask dialog" />
  128.             </div>
  129.           </div>
  130.         </div>
  131.         <br class="figure-break" />
  132.         <div class="variablelist">
  133.           <dl>
  134.             <dt>
  135.               <span class="term">Initialize Layer Mask to</span>
  136.             </dt>
  137.             <dd>
  138.               <p>
  139.             This dialog allows you several choices for the initial contents of
  140.             the layer mask:
  141.           </p>
  142.               <div class="variablelist">
  143.                 <dl>
  144.                   <dt>
  145.                     <span class="term">White (full opacity)</span>
  146.                   </dt>
  147.                   <dd>
  148.                     <p>
  149.                   With this option, the layer mask will make all of the
  150.                   layer fully opaque. That means that you will not
  151.                   notice any difference in the appearance of the layer
  152.                   until you paint on the layer mask.
  153.                 </p>
  154.                   </dd>
  155.                   <dt>
  156.                     <span class="term">Black (full transparency)</span>
  157.                   </dt>
  158.                   <dd>
  159.                     <p>
  160.                   With this option, the layer mask will make all of the
  161.                   layer fully transparent. This is represented in the image
  162.                   by a checkered pattern on which you will need to paint
  163.                   to make any part of the layer visible.
  164.                 </p>
  165.                   </dd>
  166.                   <dt>
  167.                     <span class="term">Layer's alpha channel</span>
  168.                   </dt>
  169.                   <dd>
  170.                     <p>
  171.                   With this option, the contents of the alpha channel
  172.                   are used to fill the layer mask. The alpha channel
  173.                   itself is not altered, so the transparency of
  174.                   partially visible areas is increased, leading to
  175.                   a more transparent layer.
  176.                 </p>
  177.                   </dd>
  178.                   <dt>
  179.                     <span class="term">Transfer layer's alpha channel</span>
  180.                   </dt>
  181.                   <dd>
  182.                     <p>
  183.                   This option sets the layer mask as the previous
  184.                   option, but resets the layer's alpha channel to full
  185.                   opacity afterwards. The effect is to transfer the
  186.                   transparency information from the alpha channel to the
  187.                   layer mask, leaving the layer with the same appearance
  188.                   as before. The visibility of the layer is now
  189.                   determined by the layer mask alone and not by the
  190.                   alpha channel. If in doubt, select this option instead
  191.                   of ‚Äú<span class="quote">Layer's alpha channel</span>‚Äù, because it will
  192.                   leave the appearance unaltered.
  193.                 </p>
  194.                   </dd>
  195.                   <dt>
  196.                     <span class="term">Selection</span>
  197.                   </dt>
  198.                   <dd>
  199.                     <p>
  200.                   This option converts the current selection into a layer
  201.                   mask, so that selected areas are opaque, and unselected
  202.                   areas are transparent. If any areas are partially
  203.                   selected, you can click on the
  204.                   <a class="link" href="gimp-image-window-qmask-button.html" title="3.¬† QuickMask">QuickMask
  205.                   button</a> to help you predict what the effects will be.
  206.                 </p>
  207.                   </dd>
  208.                   <dt>
  209.                     <span class="term">Grayscale copy of layer</span>
  210.                   </dt>
  211.                   <dd>
  212.                     <p>
  213.                   This option converts the layer itself into a layer mask.
  214.                   It is particularly useful when you plan to add new
  215.                   contents to the layer afterwards.
  216.                 </p>
  217.                   </dd>
  218.                   <dt>
  219.                     <span class="term">Channel</span>
  220.                   </dt>
  221.                   <dd>
  222.                     <p>
  223.                   With this option the layer mask is initialized with a
  224.                   selection mask you have created before, stored in the
  225.                   Channel dialog.
  226.                 </p>
  227.                   </dd>
  228.                 </dl>
  229.               </div>
  230.             </dd>
  231.             <dt>
  232.               <span class="term">Invert Mask</span>
  233.             </dt>
  234.             <dd>
  235.               <p>
  236.             If you check the <span class="guilabel">Invert Mask</span> box at the
  237.             bottom of the dialog, the resulting mask is inverted, so that
  238.             transparent areas become opaque and vice versa.
  239.           </p>
  240.             </dd>
  241.           </dl>
  242.         </div>
  243.         <p>
  244.       When you click on the <span class="guibutton">OK</span> button, a thumbnail
  245.       of the layer mask appears to the right of the thumbnail of the layer
  246.       in the Layers Dialog.
  247.     </p>
  248.       </div>
  249.     </div>
  250.     <div class="navfooter">
  251.       <hr />
  252.       <table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer">
  253.         <tr>
  254.           <td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="gimp-layer-mask-menu.html"><img src="../images/prev.png" alt="Prev" /></a>¬†</td>
  255.           <td width="20%" align="center">
  256.             <a accesskey="u" href="gimp-layer-menu.html">
  257.               <img src="../images/up.png" alt="Up" />
  258.             </a>
  259.           </td>
  260.           <td width="40%" align="right">¬†<a accesskey="n" href="gimp-layer-mask-apply.html"><img src="../images/next.png" alt="Next" /></a></td>
  261.         </tr>
  262.         <tr>
  263.           <td width="40%" align="left" valign="top"><a accesskey="p" href="gimp-layer-mask-menu.html">10.20.¬†
  264.     <span lang="en" xml:lang="en">The ‚Äú<span class="quote">Mask</span>‚Äù Submenu</span>
  265.   </a>¬†</td>
  266.           <td width="20%" align="center">
  267.             <a accesskey="h" href="index.html">
  268.               <img src="../images/home.png" alt="Home" />
  269.             </a>
  270.           </td>
  271.           <td width="40%" align="right" valign="top">¬†<a accesskey="n" href="gimp-layer-mask-apply.html">10.22.¬†
  272.     <span lang="en" xml:lang="en">Apply Layer Mask</span>
  273.   </a></td>
  274.         </tr>
  275.       </table>
  276.     </div>
  277.   </body>
  278. </html>
  279.