Trying to figure out Gimp

[Red Squirrel]

Since I switched to Linux I no longer have Photoshop to work on images so I'm trying to learn Gimp. I managed to find a hack to get 2.8 to install on my distro (not available in the repository) so I can get single window mode. My biggest pet peeve with Gimp was the 394589438 separate little windows it creates instead of having a proper interface, so now that they fixed that I can use it better.

After messing around a bit with it I closed it, I came to use it, and now all the tools are missing. The layer navigator, brushes etc and that whole section on the right is gone. It only shows up if I go back to multi window mode then it vanishes again if I go back in single window. If I go to windows/dockable dialogs I see the options for them, but nothing happens when I click on any of those.

How do I get the tools back?

Another thing, when moving between brushes (when they showed up), there is a huge delay. Any way to fix that?

 

[lxskllr]

Works for me. I actually like the separate windows. When I first switched it got on my nerves, but after trying single windows mode, I find multiple windows more flexible. It leaves more room for your image since you can put the windows on top of the image.

Anyway, you got a screenshot of what you're looking at?

 

[MrColin]

What distro doesn't have GIMP in the repos?

 

[Soulkeeper]

It's like any other tool, you have to get used to it.
The good part is once you figure it out, it's a powerfull tool

 

[Red Squirrel]

What distro doesn't have GIMP in the repos?

Mine has it but it only goes up to 2.6 and 2.8 is the one that has window mode.

I managed to get it to work after opening and closing a few times though lot of the tools shifted around. Like the brush settings to change the size moved to the right portion instead of the left one. Guess I'll just have to keep playing with it to try to make these settings "stick".

One thing I do look forward to playing with is the scripting stuff, I can see that being a powerful tool.

 

[Nothinman]

Works for me. I actually like the separate windows. When I first switched it got on my nerves, but after trying single windows mode, I find multiple windows more flexible. It leaves more room for your image since you can put the windows on top of the image.

Anyway, you got a screenshot of what you're looking at?

And you can put the tools and images on separate monitors. I've never understood the hate for GIMP's layout.

 

[MrColin]

The only problem I've had with the multiwindow is if you use multiple desktops the windows don't necessarily stay together and you endup having to move each of them.

One thing I might have tried in OP's situation is

mv -f ~/.gimp* ~/.somethingelse

and reopen gimp.

 

[Red Squirrel]

The only problem I've had with the multiwindow is if you use multiple desktops the windows don't necessarily stay together and you endup having to move each of them.

That's the big issue I have with multi window mode. Open Gimp, and it's just a puke of mini windows all over the place across my two monitors. I guess I'm a bit OCD, but I like my work interface to be more organized and consistent.

The more I'm messing around with Gimp the more I like it though, I just need to get used to some operations like selecting/moving/transforming which are a bit different than photoshop but overall once I get the hang of it it will be great.

I find some of the stuff like how brushes work is actually better than photoshop actually.

 

[serp]

The only problem I've had with the multiwindow is if you use multiple desktops the windows don't necessarily stay together and you endup having to move each of them.

One thing I might have tried in OP's situation is

mv -f ~/.gimp* ~/.somethingelse

and reopen gimp.

This.

I've had this problem. I think it has to do with either focus or the window locations. That version is still a bit buggy.

 

[ShadowVVL]

should be a single window mode option under windows drop down menu on the top bar.

 

[Red Squirrel]

should be a single window mode option under windows drop down menu on the top bar.

Yeah I have that on but the original issue was all the tools were missing. But it resolved itself, so all is good now.

 

[ShadowVVL]

Yeah I have that on but the original issue was all the tools were missing. But it resolved itself, so all is good now.

that's good to hear.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Another issue I just noticed, is when I try to paste something from the clipboard, such as if I took a screenshot, it just locks up the whole app. I get the circle cursor thing and the whole app just goes frozen. How can I fix this?

 

[lxskllr]

Another issue I just noticed, is when I try to paste something from the clipboard, such as if I took a screenshot, it just locks up the whole app. I get the circle cursor thing and the whole app just goes frozen. How can I fix this?

Works for me. Maybe try saving the pic in your clipboard, and import it instead of pasting. Clipboard's kind of dangerous anyway. I like copies of stuff saved to disk in case something screws up. I keep a temp directory for all my bs stuff.

 

[MrColin]

Another issue I just noticed, is when I try to paste something from the clipboard, such as if I took a screenshot, it just locks up the whole app. I get the circle cursor thing and the whole app just goes frozen. How can I fix this?

SELinux and AppArmour can (and sometimes should) interfere with this sort of thing, do you have either of those enabled?

 

[Red Squirrel]

Hmm know what, I may have selinux enabled. Is it on by default on xubuntu? I know of CentOS and other RH based OSes it is and I usually have to add selinux=0 in the kernel flag, but not sure how it works in Debian based OSes if it's different.

If I save then import it works, but in some cases it's faster to just paste directly.

Also it only seems to do it if it's a screenshot of the entire screen. If I do alt+print screen and only capture the active window, it works fine. it's like if it can't process big images or something, but this is a core i7 machine with 12GB of ram and SSD, no excuse.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Another thing: Layers.

Say I have an image on a layer, I want to cut it, instead of making the cut portion transparent, it just applies the background color. Is there any way around this? I'm trying to photoshop a guy's head into a picture, and I can't even do it because cutting around it just applies the background color instead of letting it be nothing so the next layer is seen. It also seems to always keep the dotted line around it even though I select something else. Seems Gimp does not like when you import stuff from an external source or something and acts all funny.

 

[lxskllr]

If I understand right, try Layer-Transparency-Add alpha channel. Use your magic wand to select areas you want to get rid of, then hit delete.

 

[Red Squirrel]

That seems to work, also noticed it does not always act that way, it's really weird. Seems some pasted content it will leave a border around the original, when it does that, then I need to add alpha channel, if that border does not appear, then it works properly. Guess as long as I can make it work is all that matters.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Another thing I just realized, when using text, you actually have to type in the font name. Is there a place to get a list of all the fonts with a preview of some sort?

 

[MrColin]

Hmm know what, I may have selinux enabled. Is it on by default on xubuntu? I know of CentOS and other RH based OSes it is and I usually have to add selinux=0 in the kernel flag, but not sure how it works in Debian based OSes if it's different.

If I save then import it works, but in some cases it's faster to just paste directly.

Also it only seems to do it if it's a screenshot of the entire screen. If I do alt+print screen and only capture the active window, it works fine. it's like if it can't process big images or something, but this is a core i7 machine with 12GB of ram and SSD, no excuse.

SELinux is turned off in the *buntus, but AppArmour is on by default. You could set it to complain instead of enforce and see if that makes any difference. You'll have to google for the command, I don't know it off the top of my head. I think its "~# aa-something someoption"

 

[lxskllr]

Another thing I just realized, when using text, you actually have to type in the font name. Is there a place to get a list of all the fonts with a preview of some sort?

:^/

 

[Red Squirrel]

Ahh did not see that at first, had to click through the tools where the layers and stuff is. Guess I should maybe start reading some tutorials on Gimp instead of asking every time I run into something.

Also is it just me, or do most fonts in Linux look the same? I guess I can probably find some font packs though. I'll have to google that.

 

[lxskllr]

Also is it just me, or do most fonts in Linux look the same? I guess I can probably find some font packs though. I'll have to google that.

Fonts in general tend to look alike. When viewing small samples, they all look the same, but when doing larger texts, the individual character becomes more apparent. You can get some nice libre fonts from here...

http://openfontlibrary.org/

Edit:
There's also Google Web Fonts. Also libre...

https://www.google.com/webfonts