# Selection & transform

> Selecting in CrowDraw (Automatic, Freehand, Rectangle and Ellipse, with add, subtract, invert, feather and saved selections), copy and paste, and Transform: Freeform, Uniform, Distort and Warp with Magnetics, flips and rotation.

Source: https://crow.sg/apps/crowdraw/docs/selection-and-transform/

Select part of a layer to paint inside it, fill it, copy it or move it. Then use Transform to move, scale, rotate, distort or warp the layer or the selection.

## Making a selection

Tap **Selection** in the top bar. Pick a mode in the bar at the bottom:

| Mode | How it works |
|---|---|
| Automatic | Tap an area to select it by colour, like a magic wand. Keep holding and slide left or right to change the threshold. |
| Freehand | Draw around what you want, or tap to place points and tap the first point to close the shape. Undo removes the last point. The default. |
| Rectangle | Drag a rectangle. |
| Ellipse | Drag an ellipse. |

While a selection is active, painting, smudging, erasing, fills and adjustments only change what's inside it. The area outside is dimmed; turn off **Dim outside selection** in the Selection panel if you prefer.

### Automatic selection

In the Selection panel, use **Sample** to choose whether Automatic looks at the active **Layer** or the whole **Canvas** (the default), and set a starting **Threshold**. If a layer is set to **Reference**, automatic selection follows its lines.

## Adding, subtracting and more

The combine menu in the bottom bar decides what a new shape does to the selection you already have: **New**, **Add** (the default), **Subtract** or **Intersect**.

- **Invert** selects everything that wasn't selected.
- **Feather** softens the edge: set the **Amount** (up to 120 px) and tap **Apply**.
- **Save & load** keeps selections to reuse later (see [saved selections](https://crow.sg/apps/crowdraw/docs/selection-and-transform/#saved)).
- **Colour fill** fills the selection with the current colour.
- **Clear** removes the selection.

The Selection panel also has **Dim outside selection**, **Select all**, **Select layer content** (everything painted on the active layer), **Invert** and **Clear selection**.

### Saved selections

Tap **Save & load** in the bottom bar, then **+** to save the current selection. Saved selections are kept with the artwork, so they are still there after you close and reopen it, and they travel inside a **CrowDraw** export.

- Tap a saved selection to load it.
- Touch and hold it for **Rename**, **Move earlier**, **Move later** and **Delete**.
- New ones are called Selection 1, Selection 2 and so on. Saving, renaming, moving and deleting can each be undone.

## Copy and paste

Tap **Copy & paste** in the Selection bar, or swipe down with three fingers anywhere:

- **Cut** and **Copy** take the selection from the active layer (or the whole layer, if nothing is selected).
- **Copy all** copies the whole picture, all layers merged.
- **Duplicate** copies the selection to a new layer right above.
- **Cut & paste** moves the selection to a new layer in one step.
- **Paste** adds what you copied as a new layer, in its original position, and opens Transform so you can place it.

What you copy is shared with other apps too, and you can paste images copied in other apps: they arrive centred and scaled down to fit if needed. Copies also carry between your CrowDraw canvases.

## Transform

Tap **Transform** in the top bar. It moves the selection if there is one, or everything on the active layer. Drag inside the box to move, drag the corner and edge handles to scale, and use the handle above the box to rotate. Pick a mode in the bottom bar:

- **Uniform** (the default) keeps the proportions as you scale.
- **Freeform** stretches width and height separately.
- **Distort** moves each corner on its own, for perspective.
- **Warp** bends the content with a mesh, like fabric.

The rest of the bar:

| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Magnetics | Snap rotation to 15° steps and edges to the canvas. On by default. |
| Flip H, Flip V | Flip horizontally or vertically. |
| Rotate 45° | Turn by 45°. |
| Fit | Scale and centre the content to fit the canvas. |
| Interpolation | Nearest (crisp pixels, good for pixel art), Bilinear (the default) or Bicubic (smoothest). |
| Reset | Start the transform again. |
| Cancel, Done | Throw the transform away, or apply it. |

The panel shows the size in pixels and the angle as you go.

If **Magnetics** is on, the box shows guide lines as it snaps to the canvas's edges and centre. The Transform panel (tap **Transform** again) has **Magnetics** and **Interpolation** too.

> [!NOTE]
> Inserted photos and pasted images open in Transform straight away. Text layers stay editable in Transform: you can move, rotate and scale them evenly (Uniform). To distort, warp or flip text, or to select inside it or fill it, rasterise it first (layer options › **Rasterise**).