Selection Brush Tool
The Selection Brush Tool allows you to quickly make a selection, but it also allows you to switch from a selection made with another selection tool, to see the selection with a colored highlight, instead of the "marching ants". That is similar to Quick Mask mode.
For a complete list and description of all Selection Tools, see Selection Tools Summary.
Selection Brush Tool Options
Detailed descriptions of each tool option
Tool Presets
You can create and save a Tool Preset for any tool. This will remember settings that you choose. Presets for brushes are much more useful than for some tools. If you wish to use presets, you have the option of either creating a tool preset or a brush preset. Right click on the Tool Presets button to reset the tool to default settings.
Add or Subtract to Selection
When painting with the Selection Brush, choose whether to add or subtract from the selection.
An alternative to selecting the Subtract option, is to press and hold the Alt key, which will temporarily transform the tool into the Subtract option, while the Alt key is pressed. When released, the brush will revert to the Add option.
Opacity
When you make a selection at 100% opacity, the selected area will be visible at 100% opacity if you add a Layer Mask, or it will 100% deleted if you press the Delete key.
At 60% opacity, only 60% will be visible if you add a Layer Mask or 60% will be deleted if you press the Delete key (40% would be visible).
Brush Size and Hardness
Set the brush size and hardness.
Overlay Option
Choose the color for the overlay, which shows the area you have selected.
How to use the Selection Brush Tool
Step 1
I am not going to select the whole building, as this is not the best tool for the job. I'm just selecting the leftmost part of the building, to illustrate how to make a selection with this tool.
This selection was made at 60% opacity.
Painting with the Selection Brush takes care and accuracy and for many subjects, such as this one of Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire, UK, it's just not suitable. There is usually a selection tool that will do a better job and do it a lot more quickly.
Step 2
This is the selection, as indicated by the "marching ants". This doesn't give any indication of the opacity of the selection, or the detail of the edges.
Step 3
I have applied a Layer Mask, to illustrate how the selection looks at 60% opacity.
Step 4
I have now made the same selection, but at 100% opacity.
Step 5
This is the result of the selection being made at 100% opacity.
Step 6
This time I have made the selection with the Object Selection Tool, which automatically selected the area highlighted in a semi-opaque magenta.
Step 7
This is the exact same selection as the previous step, but shown as "marching ants".
Step 8
Select the Selection Brush Tool to see the selection highlighted in the semi-opaque magenta color (or a color of your choice).
Step 9
This is the result of adding a Layer Mask to the selection.
Summary of the Selection Brush Tool
The Selection Brush Tool is quite a basic selection tool and mostly not good enough for most selections. However, when you have made a selection with a selection tool, such as the Object Selection tool, the Quick Selection tool or the Magic Wand, it's quite useful to see the selection clearly before you either delete pixels or apply a Layer Mask.
Applying a Layer Mask is editing non-destructively, which is better.
