Repeat portion of image over and over

[c_bean]

What's the easiest way to repeat a selected portion of an image over and over many times (say 100 times or more)? As an example, let's say I want to make a string of hanging lights. I can't find a quick way of selecting a single bulb and "stamping" it over and over.

I can make a brush from the selection, but I lose the colors in my original selection when I draw using the brush.

I can duplicate the layer, but that requires subsequent moves each time and is WAY slow.

Ideally I'd like to just click to "stamp" a duplicate of the selection and have each of my newly stamped bulbs (or whatever) reside all in the same layer.

Doable?

[Steve]

Make a selection then copy and paste, paste, paste, etc..

Every paste will be on a new layer.

Is that what your looking?

[hawkeye]

Select the object, ctrl+j to copy it to a new layer. Ctrl click the layer to select the object, hold down ctrl+alt and drag to duplicate the object as many times as you need. All the copies will all be on the same layer.

[c_bean]

Thanks for the tips.

Hawkeye, I think your suggestion is the ticket. When I ctrl+alt+click/drag, all of my copies each go onto its own new layer (instead of all on a common layer as you said). But that's not the end of the world. Merging the 100 or so layers once I'm done takes no time at all. Doing the duplication/positioning is where I wanted to minimize keystrokes and clicks and your solution perfect in that respect.

Thanks so much!

[SCTRWD]

Just use Clone Stamp tool.
Select your sample portion's opacity, save selection in the channel. Invert this channel. Define brush from it.

Now go to your target layer, choose Clone Stamp tool, turn off the Aligned mode, Sample all Layers, take your brush you've just made, position it over your sample portion(align it carefully) and Alt+click.

Now you can freely single click on your target layer placing stamps wherever you want.

[c_bean]

Ok, that flew a few inches over my head. I don't know how to:

1) "Select" opacity. All I know how to do is adjust it.
2) Save a selection in a channel
3) Invert a channel
4) Define a brush from a channel

Fortunately though, I can Alt+click like a seasoned pro ha ha.

I've lived almost exclusively in layer land, making only brief visits to the paths tab...and then only as necessary.

Methinks I need to expand my horizons a bit.

[hawkeye]

Thanks for the tips.

Hawkeye, I think your suggestion is the ticket. When I ctrl+alt+click/drag, all of my copies each go onto its own new layer (instead of all on a common layer as you said). But that's not the end of the world. Merging the 100 or so layers once I'm done takes no time at all. Doing the duplication/positioning is where I wanted to minimize keystrokes and clicks and your solution perfect in that respect.

Thanks so much!

You have to select the object (marching ants) then use ctrl+alt. If you don't select it, it will copy each to a new layer.

[c_bean]

Not sure if it's because I'm using CS3 or have some other setting set differently. I still get new layers with each ctrl+alt. Here's precisely what I'm doing:

- activate layer with my little image I want to duplicate
- ctrl+J to dupe this layer (new layer is now active)
- rectangle select tool to select just this little image (in my new layer)
- ants go marching round and round
- ctrl+alt+click

results in new image (as desired), but in a new layer...but that's really no big deal.

If you see something I'm doing wrong that's causing the new layers, please let me know.

Thanks!

[SCTRWD]

OK. Step by step:

1. Place your sample image(and only the sample image! nothing more) in a separate document.
2. Ctrl + click on it's layer in the Layers Panel. You should have the selection, denoting layer's opacity.
3 . Go to Channels panel. Make a new channel from the selection(Save selection as a channel). Turn off the selection(Ctrl-d). Select your new channel.
4. Invert the channel. (Ctrl+i)
5. Go to Edit->Define Brush preset... Save your channel as a brush.
6. Go to your target documentl.
7. Choose Clone Stamp tool, choose the brush you've just created. Turn off the Aligned mode.
8. Place your brush over the sample image in it's document. Align it carefully, brush outlines would help do it(press Caps Lock if you don't see outlines). Press Alt+click.
9. Go to your target document and single click on it wherever you want.

Hope it helps...

[c_bean]

SCTRWD:

Two words for you...

Liquid Sweetness!!!!!!

That's totally amazing. Someday, I'll step back and learn what's really happening in each of those steps. For now, all I know is I'm smiling.

One point of clarification if anyone else wants to duplicate those steps:

In step 8, before you alt+click over the image (that's by itself in its own document), make sure you switch back to the layers panel in that document and make the layer containing the image the active layer. Otherwise, when you "stamp it out", each stamp will probably be all black.

Rock on!