CBT Cafe > Fireworks > Selections & Masking

Fireworks MX 2004: Cloning to a Selected Area (placing one image into another image)

Version: Fireworks MX 2004, MX, 4
Level: Easy
Objectives: To learn how to combine the Marquee selection tools with the Rubber Stamp tool to copy an area from one image into a constrained area of another image
Tools & Techniques: Rubber Stamp tool, cloning, selections, bitmap selections, sampling across images, saving bitmap selection, restoring bitmap selection,
Posting Date: 04.15.2004

Fireworks is great. It just is. While the preferred way of working with selections and masking is with vectors, Fireworks can more than accommodate people more familiar with working in bitmap mode.

In this lesson, we'll take a look at using the Rubber Stamp tool to "sample" one area of an image and place it into another image. More specifically, we'll clone to a bitmap selection on another image.

This is helpful because the Rubber Stamp tool, while powerful, is not always the most graceful tool when it comes to precise selections.

Step 1: Getting Started

Select 2 images to work with. In this example, I want to take the image of the beach chairs and umbrella (Image 1) and place it inside the conference board (Image 2).

Step 2: Creating the Bitmap Selection

Since the conference board is rectangular, it's a perfect use for the Polygon Lasso tool.

Select the Polygon Lasso tool
Set the Edge to Anti-alias in the Property inspector
Click and release in one of the 4 corners to set the first point
Continue clicking and releasing in each of the remaining 3 corners
Click and release one more time at the starting point to close the selection. You'll know you're ready to close the selection when a small, black square appears in the bottom right corner of your Polygon Lasso tool.
Save your selection by going up to Select > Save Bitmap Selection. This will save the bitmap selection to the document and we'll be able to bring back the selection if we accidentally deselect it.

Polygon Lasso Tool: Closing the selection

Step 3: Creating a New Bitmap Image

This step is just good form. We don't have to create a new, empty bitmap layer but since we're working with bitmaps, it's recommended you do all you can to not edit the main image.

If your selection is not currently active, click on one of the two images to select it and go to, Select > Restore Bitmap Selection to bring it back. NOTE: This step assumes you saved your Bitmap Selection as instructed in Step 2:6 and you don't have an active selection.
In the Layers panel, click the New Bitmap Image icon. This will create a blank, bitmap layer. By default, this layer gets automatically selected after creating it. In addition whatever we do inside the selection now will occur on this new bitmap layer and not on the main image.
Select the Rubber Stamp tool
Select "Source Aligned" in the Property inspector. Source aligned keeps the source aligned with the cursor so you can release the mouse button when you're clicking and dragging to paint in the selection.
Move the Rubber Stamp tool cursor over the part of Image 1 you want to sample.
Set the Rubber Stamp's painting size in the Property inspector. Since you're painting into a predefined, selected area, you don't have to worry about the Rubber Stamp's size as you normally might. Just don't make the brush too small or it will take you longer to paint in the selection. When painting into a bitmap selection, the Edge softness doesn't have an affect either, so you can leave it set to its current setting. If you wanted soft edges you would have first set your Polygon Lasso tool's edge to Feather.
Select "Use Entire Document" when sampling from one image to another
Alt/Option key click and release over the area in Image 1 you want to copy. After releasing the mouse, you will see a small "crosshair" indicating the source point of where the Rubber Stamp tool will begin sampling
Move the Rubber Stamp cursor over the active bitmap selection and click and drag to "paint" from the first image into the selected area. Continue "painting" until you've filled the entire selection.
Click Escape or Command/Control-D to deselect the selection

NOTE: If you make a mistake or want to use a different part of the first image, simply Alt/Option-click again on the first image to reset the source and repeat the previous steps.

Painting with the Rubber Stamp is trial and error and you may need to try it a couple of times until you get the area you like.

You may find that you need to resize Image 1 to better match the size of the selection you created on Image 2. For example, if my Image 1 were too big, I couldn't fit the chairs and umbrella inside the small selection around the conference board.

Learn More: If you liked this example and are looking for more tips and tricks like these, you should consider our Fireworks MX: Selections and Masking Techniques CDROM. The lessons apply to Fireworks MX 2004 as well.

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