California Career and Technical Education Standards

• AME.A.A2.1 Analyze the way in which technical design (e.g., color theory, lighting, graphic...
• AME.A.A2.2 Know the component steps and skills required to design, edit, and produce a prod...
• AME.A.A2.3 Use technology to create a variety of audio, visual, written, and electronic pro...
• AME.FS.10.10 Use technical applications in the creative process, where appropriate.
• AME.FS.4.2 Understand the use of technological resources to access, manipulate, and produce...
• AME.FS.4.4 Understand digital applications appropriate to specific media and projects.
• AME.FS.4.5 Know the key technological skills appropriate for occupations in the arts industry.
• AME.FS.4.6 Know how technology and the arts are interrelated in the development of presenta...
• AME.FS.4.7 Understand how technology can reinforce, enhance, or alter products and performa...
• AME.FS.5.2 Understand the universal, systematic problem-solving model that incorporates inp...
• AME.FS.5.3 Use critical thinking skills to make informed decisions and solve problems.

California Academic Content Standards (Reinforced)

• ELA.9-10.R.CAGT.2.6 Demonstrate use of sophisticated learning tools by following technical direction...2

• Anticipatory Set & Discussion - Hooks / Set

  Show an object that has defined edges, but is no particular shape.

  How are we going to select this to move it into our digital composite?
• Lecturing - Lecture

  Look at the images you saved for your digital composite project.

  • How are we going to move the animals, buildings, people, equipment and vehicles to your selected background?
  • Do they have a solid background?
  • Are they a solid color?
  • Are they round or square?
  • Does it have a defined edge?

  These are the questions you need to answer to choose the correct selection tool to move the individual images to your digital composition.

  There are various selection techniques we can use: Marquee Tools, Lasso Tools, Color Range, Magic Wand and Quick Selection Tool.

  Today we are going to learn how to make selections using the Magnetic Lasso tool.  This tool works well when an object has a defined edge, but doesn’t have to be particular shape. 
• Vocabulary - Other

  Anti-alias-The smoothness of the selection, achieved by softening the color transition between edge and background pixels.

  Contrast- Contrast defines the tool’s sensitivity.  This setting can be a value between 1 percent and 100 percent; higher values detect high contrast edges.

  Fastening Point- An anchor along your selection. A very small circle appears on the pointer, indicating you have reached a starting point.

  Feather-The amount of blur between the selection and the surrounding pixels.  This setting is measured in pixels and can be a value between 0 and 250.

  Frequency- The rate at which fastening points are applied.  This setting can be a value between 0 and 100; higher values insert more fastening points.

  Width- The interior width, achieved by detecting and edge from the pointer.  This setting is measured in pixels and can have a value from 1 to 40.
• Demonstration/Modeling - Demo / Modeling

  Watch video to see detailed demonstration.

  • Lasso Tools [ Watch Video ] [ Download Original Video ] Video
• Guided Practice - Guided Practice

  We are going to open the "Hill with Sun" image that we worked on last lesson.  We are going to add a barn to our image using the Magnetic Lasso Tool.

  1. Open the "Hill with Sun" image that we worked on last lesson.  We are going to add a barn to our image using the Magnetic Lasso tool.
  2. I went to morguefile.com and downloaded a barn that will work with for our picture.
  3. Open the barn image in PhotoShop.
  4. Click the Lasso Tool on the Tools Panel; right click to select the Magnetic Lasso.
  5. Select around the outside of the barn using the magnetic lasso tool. Use the following settings: Feather 0 px Ant-alias, Width 20 px, Contrast 10 %, Frequency 57.
  6. Drag around the outside of the image being careful to include everything you want to transfer. Add extra anchor point if needed. It is better to select more than less.  You can touch up later.
  7. Take your time and zoom in on image as needed.  If you are not happy with your selection, double click, and deselect from select menu.
  8. Once you are done selecting all the way around your image, double click your mouse, and a marquee will appear around the object.
  9. If you are satisfied with your selection, use the move tool or copy and paste to move your selection to your background image.
  10. It will be on a new layer.  Turn off your background. Cleanup you image as needed using the eraser and marquee tools.
  11. For the doors in the barn. I use the rectangular marquee tool and cut out the old grass and allowed for the grass from my background to show through the doors.
  12. Click the Edit Menu, select Transform and Scale.  Scale image to fit proportionate to other objects on your background.
  13. Select the Move Tool on the Tools Panel and move to chosen location.
  14. Name new layer: Barn
  15. Save your image with new name. For example Hills with sun and barn.
  • Hill with Sun [ View Image ] [ Download Original ] Background
  • Barn [ View Image ] [ Download Original ] Barn image
  • Hills with sun and barn [ View Image ] [ Download Original ] Combined image
• Independent Practice - Independent Practice

  1.     Have students open their images that they have saved for there digital composite project.

  2.     Find an image that has a defined edge.  It doesn’t need to be any particular shape.

  3.     Click the Lasso Tool on the Tools Panel; right click to select the Magnetic Lasso.

  4.     Select around the outside of the barn using the magnetic lasso tool. Use the following settings: Feather 0 px Ant-alias, Width 20 px Contrast 10 %, Frequency 57.

  5.     Drag around the outside of the image being careful to include everything you want to transfer. Add extra anchor points, if needed, by clicking the mouse.

  6.     It is better to select more than less.  You can touch up later.  Take your time and zoom in on image as needed.  If you are not happy with your selection, double click, and deselect from select menu.

  7.     Once you are done selecting all the way around your image, double click your mouse, and a marquee will appear around the object.

  8.     If you are satisfied with your selection, use the move tool or copy and paste to move your selection to your background image.

  9.      If you are not satisfied with your selection, click select menu and deselect. 

  10.   Once you are satisfied with your selection. Click copy, open your background image, and paste on new layer or use the Move Tool to Drop and Drag to your background image.

  11.   Click the Edit Menu, select Transform and Scale. Scale image to fit proportionate to other objects on your background.

  12.   Select the Move Tool on the Tools Panel and move to chosen location.

  13.   Name new layer.

  14.   Turn off the background layer and touch up image, as needed.  Use the marquee tools to cut parts you don’t want to remain.  Use the eraser tools to remove unwanted areas.

  15.   Save you image with new file name.
• Closure Activity - Closure

  Have students answer the following:

  a.     What challenges did they overcome when selecting their object?

  b.     Did they have any trouble getting their anchors to attach?

  c.     How many times did they select the object before they were satisfied with their selection?

  d.     What items did they remove after their image was moved?

  e.      What tools did they use?

  You can do this activity as a group discussion, pair share or written assignment.