Mdthbs

I'm slowly going insane. All other image editing programs have issues, so I switched to GIMP, that at least seemed to have all the features I need. But whenever I try to actually do something with it, it behaves in all kinds of crazy ways.

One example: I open an image, choose the "rectangle select tool", make my selection, then click drag from the middle of that selection and instead of moving the selected region's pixels, I instead move the region itself, the rectangle. Ok, that's unexpected, but there's a "move tool", so I try that. I activate that tool and click drag from the middle of the selection again and finally the pixels move… but also everything around it. It just moves the entire image, completely ignoring my selection. I usually get it working at some point by spamming Ctrl+C and Ctrl+X and then pressing Ctrl+V, but even then it often just randomly disappears later when I copy a different selection. I've also heard to right click and select "Select"->"Float", which is weird, but sometimes works, until it completely disappears again once I do the same with the next selection.

A basic thing like moving a rectangular selection should usually be easy, but I just can't do it. And this theme continues throughout all features of GIMP, for example I can't manage to draw half-transparent pixels, there just is no transparency slider in the color selection (even if the layer has transparency activated).

Do I understand something wrong about the concept of GIMP? Or is there a secret setting somewhere labeled "turn off insanity mode"? Do I have to hold down Ctrl, Shift, Super, AltGr, Fn and Caps Lock while dragging? Is there some "GIMP for dummies" tutorial?

I run my GIMP installation in a non english version. I hope the names, hotkeys still make sense.

• Make a rectangle selection


• Cut and paste selection (Ctrl+X and Ctrl+V)


• On the layer pane (Ctrl+L), right click the "new floating layer" usually on top of the layer list, and select "(convert) to new layer".


• Now you have created a new layer with your selection which you can move.


• Move the inserted layer, with the move tool (M) make sure you clicked/selected the correct layer in the layer pane, first (Ctrl+L)


• When selecting the move tool (by pressing M) you see the move properties below the toolbox icons. You can choose to move the "whole layer" or just a "selection" or by "path".

good luck.

i havent used gimp in quite some time but usually there are modifiers for every tool in the toolbox window. among these modifiers used to be one to move a selection instead of a layer if i recall right. spamming cut and paste and then move will work because if your set to move layers your pasted pixels are pasted as a floating layer... which then can be moved