P: Lasso Tool

[cdScott]

I'm hoping that the Adobe developers are monitoring this forum, because it would be a huge help to me, if there were a lasso tool (magnetic and polygonal) in Lightroom, to select areas for broad adjustments, such as those available with the adjustment brush.  Sometimes, it's just too tedious to use brush strokes, and a lasso would make selecting the area to be affected so much easier.

[richardplondon]

Agreed, this might be useful (not least as a way to redact / for special purposes, besides dealing with straight edged image content).

But as an alternative tip, and one that continues useful IMO despite other recently introduced clever forms of selection:

you can make natural use of the hard or soft edged features seen in the photo, directly, when making a brush selection. This method has the advantage that the varying character of those edges, also any items projecting across (say) a bright window area, are automatically made use of.

A geometrically defined polygon, even if with a feathered edge, could be a bit of a blunt tool (aesthetically speaking) by comparison.

The "automask" option of Brush mask admittedly does not give great results when a brush is dragged to paint or erase.

But it does work very well when a larger radius brush is simply clicked (repeatedly). The central crosshair indicator of the brush circle denotes the sampled colour / tone that guides the selection of other areas within the radius of this brush, each time you "dab" to accumulate your selection from the inside, or else to refine it back down from the outside (holding Alt to erase). MUCH more complicated to explain, than it is to do!

Hence a very nice selection can be rapidly made - the selectivity of this usage of Automask being sufficiently good, that a large feather value is not necessary. Any unwanted areas incidentally selected as well, can be erased out at the end.

[richardc57400584]

I have asked for this feature for over five years, along with a polygonal brush feature in Photoshop and Lightroom. You get the idea that those writing the programs have never used them.

[madeinlisboa]

"A geometrically defined polygon, even if with a feathered edge, could be a bit of a blunt tool (aesthetically speaking) by comparison."

I don't agree. It wouldn't be different of the radial tool

[richardplondon]

A polygonal selection being no different than the radial grad - absolutely! I did agree that this would be a worthwhile addition just as those other kinds of geometrically defined selection are.

While also pointing out: these kinds of masking task are already possible to complete via other, less "mechanistic" means instead - which are not necessarily any more work to execute: and may be more direct, quicker, or merely more enjoyable!

[Jeff5D11]

The current set of tools for masking in Adobe Lightroom Classic is getting better with the object detection and the brush tool. However, object detection is hit or miss and the brush tool is well...round. That makes it difficult for selecting things like windows, which are angular.

Can you please add a polygonal lasso and freeform lasso tool to create masks like in Photoshop? That will give us more control AND accuracy. And then being able to feather those lasso selections would be great. Thanks!

[Edgar Zambrano]

Hello everyone! Noobie here 🙂 

I love masking tool but many times I've encounter the need of creating a mask of a different shape other than a round mask. Is there a way to create a  mask with a shape other than a circle? Eg. Triangle, rectangle or any polygone really. Do you know if it's in the scope of future features in Lr ? 

Thanks! 

[dj_paige]

No one knows what future features will be coming. Adobe doesn't tell us.

You can easily mask areas that have straight line edges using the brush and then checking the "Auto Mask" option.

[Rob_Cullen]

Masking (Selecting) with the "Object" function is easy- just paint the cursor over and about the 'object'.

As @dj_paige states- Selecting a straight line with the Brush is-  Click once (start of 'line') > Hold [Shift] > Click again (end of 'line').

Holding down the [Shift] key you can draw multiple continuous straight lines for squares, rectangles, etc.

[dj_paige]

As @dj_paige states- Selecting a straight line with the Brush is-  Click once (start of 'line') > Hold [Shift] > Click again (end of 'line').

By @Rob_Cullen

Well,  I didn't say anything like that. But I agree with your general message, its easy to mask triangles and other shapes with straight outlines.

[johnrellis]

Moderators, @Rikk Flohr: Photography, please merge with this existing Idea:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-ideas/p-lasso-tool/idi-p/10196505

[chavie.m]

Can we get lasso selection tools in Lightroom for precise masking? Or at the very least, create masks in photoshop and it can be imported back to Lightroom with the mask for more precise editing.

[Fernando35436819506j]

When refining masks, I deeply miss a lasso tool. And no, object selection -a solution proposed elsewhere by an Adobe staff member- doesn't usually work. I find it ridiculous to have to brush over and over to fill an already contoured area (BTW, the color overlay is very optimistic in terms of uniformity; once you change to image on white or black, brush strokes become much more evident)

[alexg22501758]

Feature request: For fine art architecture in black and white, it would be beneficial to have rectangular masks and marquees equipped with multiple edit points, allowing for the application of multidirectional linear gradients within them.

This feature would enable the use of single masks on rectangular structures with straight lines, and with multiple edit points, the rectangular marquee could be transformed into a polygonal shape. The goal is to create masks with straight edges and apply multidirectional lighting and shadow gradients within them.

Thank you.

[johnrellis]

Moderators, @Rikk Flohr: Photography, please merge with this Idea:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-ideas/p-lasso-tool/idi-p/10196505

[JJPEG]

I absolutely love the masking features in Lightroom but I think they would benefit from a lasso/pen tool type selection option. There are times when I am trying to mask a very specific part of am image but the brush tool takes too long & struggles to make sharp corners. A marquee selection tool with featherable edges could be great for the remove feature as well!

Just a thought I had to share. Thank you for your consideration. 🙏