Elliptical Selection Tool

toolselectellipse

This tool, represented by an ellipse with a dashed border, allows you to make Selections of a elliptical area. Simply mouseleft and drag around the section you wish to select.

Important

Most of the behavior of the Elliptical Selection Tool is common to all other selection tools, please make sure to read Selections to learn more about this tool.

Hotkeys and Stickykeys

  • J selects this tool.

  • R sets the selection to ‘replace’ in the tool options, this is the default mode.

  • A sets the selection to ‘add’ in the tool options.

  • S sets the selection to ‘subtract’ in the tool options.

  • mouseleft + Shift constrains the selection to a perfect circle. (Make sure to press mouseleft before Shift)

  • mouseleft + Ctrl makes the selection resize from the center. (Make sure to press mouseleft before Ctrl)

  • mouseleft + Alt allows you to move the selection. (Make sure to press mouseleft before Alt)

  • Shift + mouseleft sets the subsequent selection to ‘add’. You can release the Shift key while dragging, but it will still be set to ‘add’. Same for the others.

  • Alt + mouseleft sets the subsequent selection to ‘subtract’.

  • Ctrl + mouseleft sets the subsequent selection to ‘replace’.

  • Shift + Alt + mouseleft sets the subsequent selection to ‘intersect’.

    New in version 4.2:

  • Hovering your cursor over the dashed line of the selection, or marching ants as it is commonly called, turns the cursor into the move tool icon, which you mouseleft and drag to move the selection.

  • mouseright will open up a selection quick menu with amongst others the ability to edit the selection.

Menu of elliptical selection

Hint

To subtract a perfect circle, you can follow two different methods:

  1. Press S to subtract then mouseleft to select and press Shift while dragging to constrain to a perfect circle.

  2. Press Alt + mouseleft, then release the Alt key while dragging and press Shift to constrain.

Tip

You can switch the behavior of the Alt key to use the Ctrl key instead by toggling the switch in the General Settings.

Tool Options

Elliptical selection options
Mode

This option is explained in the Pixel and Vector Selection Types section.

Action

This option is explained in the Pixel and Vector Selection Types section.

Anti-aliasing

This toggles whether or not to give selections feathered edges. Some people prefer hard-jagged edges for their selections.

Note

Anti-aliasing is only available on Pixel Selection Mode.

Width

Shows you the current width while you are creating the selection. You can manually type the value and use the ‘Lock Width’ for your next selection to have the selected value.

Lock Width

Forces the next selection to have the current width.

Height

Shows you the current height while you are creating the selection. You can manually type the value and use the ‘Lock Height’ for your next selection to have the selected value.

Lock Height

Forces the next selection to have the current height.

Ratio

Shows the ratio between height and width of the selection. Similar to Height, and Width, you can manually type the value and use the ‘Lock Ratio’ for your next selection to have the selected value.

Lock Ratio

Forces the next selection to have the current ratio.

Hint

If you want your selection to be of specific size:

  1. Type the width and height.

  2. Press the Lock Width and Lock Height buttons.

  3. mouseleft where you want your selection to be.