For some reason I can't get the G'MIC filter split objects to work. I did everything correctly and when I ran it, the first layer was blank and only the second layer could be erased. Did I miss something? Has G'MIC been updated? I have version 1.6.3.1. I use windows 64 bit.

If you're talking about "Testing/Garagecoder/Split objects", it works okay for me (G'MIC-1.6.3.1, Gimp-2.8.14, Ubuntu 14.04).

But I think that filter has been largely superseded by "Contours/Extract foreground [interactive]" now anyway.

I recently made several changes to that filter but that shouldn't stop it from working the usual way. It's quite possible I made a mistake somewhere though!

If you could tell me any error messages and whether your main image had an alpha (opacity) channel that would perhaps help me

What I can say is it works for me with 1.6.3.1 after doing a filters update, here are the steps:

Open an image
Add a new transparent layer
Draw on that new layer: use max green pencil for foreground, red for background
Go to filters > G'MIC, set layers to "All" (Active & Below works if you select layers carefully)
Click OK

I didn't receive any errors and my main image didn't have the alpha channel. I tried all of the steps and I still got the same result. A blank transparent layer on top and only the actual image itself on the bottom. The bottom later is the only one that can be modified.

OK I'm completely confused... it all works normally for me. My gimp is a bit old (2.8.10), I'm also on 64bit with G'MIC 1.6.3.1. I tried removing all my custom local commands in case I had stuff missing from the default filters but it still works.

The only way I can get anything like what you describe is by only marking the foreground and don't use any red. What really puzzles me though is this bit:

"The bottom later is the only one that can be modified"

Are you saying after running the filter you can't even edit the top layer? That sounds incredibly odd! Do you have an area selected in gimp perhaps?

Hopefully somebody else can reproduce this, sorry but I'm totally lost

I did exactly what the filter says. 2 layers, the background red, objects green. I did active and below for input layers and my result was a blank transparent top layer and only the actual image (bottom layer) could be modified. I couldn't even edit the top one if i tried. No area was selected.

That's really frustrating, I need to figure out how to get mine to do the same. Until I do the only other choice I have is to revert to my earlier version (which has bugs with grow alpha/blur alpha).

There are significant changes happening to the filters at the moment so I'll need to be careful before I do it though.

I agree with jontait2: for now the "Contours/Extract foreground [interactive]" should do a very similar job and is perhaps better in other ways too.

I found the old thread about split objects here in case anyone else wants to try and help me by trying it: split objects discussion

@mackenzieh
Does this happen with all images you try to run the filter on, or is it just one particular image?
Large or small images ? With/without alpha ?
If you save the resultant image as XCF and then reopen it, can you then edit the upper layers ?

I've tried it with 2 different images and I still get the same result every time. They are without alpha since I create a new transparent layer and color it before opening the filter.

In G'MIC, try setting "Output mode..." to "New layer(s)" and also set "Output messages.." to "Verbose (layer name)".

I tried it and when it split the layers, I again got the top layer blank and the bottom layer, is the actual image and unfortunately, the bottom layer is the only layer that can be altered.