"magic button"

[DeannaB]

okay, I know there's not a magic button for what I need but I'm sure it's almost as easy, I just can't find it....
it's sad but i don't even know what this function is called...
I want to take a portion of an image, outline it, copy it and move only it to a new image/background...
Please help... am a self taught user of photo paint...

 

[javabearSTL]

Part of your problem might be your terminology - since you're not using terms that the progam uses you're probably missing it because you don't know the correct names/terms. You're wanting to MASK an area (not outline) and create a new OBJECT from the mask. There are various mask tools you can use from the Mask flyout tool - you'll want to experiment with the various tools to see which one best suits your needs. Once an area is masked off, you can ctrl-uparrow and it will convert the masked area into a new floating object (layer).

 

[DeannaB]

i've tried to mask but it seems to never work right... so i assumed that I was not using the right tool. I will apply myself more to that tool now that I know it's the right one...Any suggestions on using the mask tool that will make it simpler to use?
How do i apply the masked object to a new page or a different background?

 

[javabearSTL]

Well, I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "a new page or a different background." Are you talking photos, some other application, or what?

 

[DeannaB]

for example... i take a picture (jpg) of a car sitting in a parking lot...i want the same car..just the car...sitting on the beach in a new jpg file.

 

[javabearSTL]

Ah, well, first, NEVER work in JPG. JPG is a lossy format and every time you hit "save" you will degrade the image quality. If you are given a JPG to work with, save it/export it to a CPT file first and work w/in Photopaint's native format. It's a nonlossy format and you can do more things. Now you can't make a "masked image" go anywhere else, really - you'll need to create a new object from the mask, then you can copy/paste the object. Remember, in CPT format, your objects will remain as floating objects - JPG cannot support masks/objects/layers. You can always save-as/export out to the JPG format when you are done with your manipulations.