Anyone Know How To Preserve/reapply A Selection?

[SneaksieDave]

One tutorial I've never been able to find, and I have to believe there's a way to do it (maybe even a simple way): how does one preserve/apply/load/save a selection? Understand that I don't mean select an area and save it. I mean, how do I store this big-complex-multi-area-done-by-hand-with-polygon-tool-and-don't-ever-want-to-have-to-build-that-selection-again shape so I can simply apply it to a texture again? That's still not the best description. Okay. You have a black and white grid. Because you didn't know how to select, you selected all the white squares by hand. Now you want to preserve that selection shape, so you can come back later, or to a different image, and simply pull up that selection shape again.

 

How is that done?

[OrbWeaver]

Can you convert your selection into a black-and-white mask, and save this mask as a layer for later conversion back to a selection?

 

I don't have PS but this method would work in the GIMP.

[SneaksieDave]

Good idea, I'll try it (though I'm very sketchy when it comes to layers and masks ). In fact, I'm almost positive that will work.

[SneaksieDave]

Seems there are helpers to assist in doing this (save it as a channel on a image and reload from that). Thanks, I guess putting it into words here, helped put it into words for the sake of refining a search.

[Springheel]

Isn't there just a "save selection" option in the 'select' dropdown menu? I know there is in PS7 and I thought 5.5 had it too. Or is that not what you mean?

[SneaksieDave]

Yep, that gives me a white on black masky-type thing I can save out and reload.