GIMP Version: 2.6.11
Operating System: Windows
OS Version: XP - SP3
GIMP Experience: Beginner Level

---

how do i add the bird in a cage?i don't see how a mask would help in this instance.

Pirate has been trying this tutorial http://youtu.be/ZaMdzX7-dVE.
I think that's the best approach in this case too. But if anyone has a better idea...

You need to erase over the bird where the cage would be visible if the bird was in it.

Thank you ,i will follow your link
I will let you know(tomorrow) how I did,because i am going to bed now
Goodnight and thank You again

I had a crack at this...my result...hope I can absorb it.

Looked like a good place for some parrots

.

He wants to learn how to do it though, because he's new to gimp. We had a few posts about it on youtube but it's hard to communicate properly there so I pointed him here hoping that you guys could help out. It might be nice if you told him how you did it.

Open each of your images in layers bird/s and cage.
Place the bird layer on top.
Make the cage layer invisible (click the eye next to the layer)
Give each layer a alpha channel right click each layer add alpha channel.
Make sure white is your foreground color.
Select the bird layer
What i did was using the fuzzy eraser at a low opacity say 45.Erase around the bird image until you have a pretty good layer with just the bird.(take your time) - unless you know how to render with the paths tool.
Now make the cage layer visible again (click the eye again)
Now place the bird wherever you want it in the cage.
Locate all the bars that should be in FRONT of the bird/s - We need to paint in the bars in front of them.
Using the pencil tool (set to the width of your cage bars), and the shift key (for straight white lines) from the top to the bottom click the top of the bar (left mouse button) - release the button - press the shift key and drag your mouse pointer where the line ends.If you hold ctrl key too, you get perfect 15% angle lines. (straight up and down)
Of course that means your cage image better be perfectly up and down or it will be off. Which i found it was.So i didn't use the ctrl key just the shift key.
Keep doing the bars until they are all in front of the bird

That's it

Rod,Thank You,and Thank You Jolie for helping
I will try it today,hopefully my morning coffee will help

Yes, a masks helps a lot... because you have to make transparent all that background between the bars.

I'll assume you have a nicely cut out bird (ie, bird surrounded by transparency). Otherwise, you'll find plenty of tutorials for that.

What we will be doing is stack:
- cage image in the bac,
- the bird
- the bars of the cage that should appear in the front

At that point the first two are already done. So, to get the front bars and remove the rest, we will take advantage of the fact that the cage is an almost perfect white and that's the only white thing... so:

- duplicate the cage layer, and move the duplicate to the top
- Layer/Transparency/Add layer mask, and initialize the mask with the grayscale copy of the layer.
- At that point you are already in layer edition mode
- Colors/Threshold and use a high threshold (looking at the histogram, you'll see that you can pick any value between 175 and 240). This make everything in the image disappear, except
the cage bars.
- Apply the layer mask
- The delicate part of the process: you have to remove in that layer the bars in the back that should be hidden by the bird.
- To make sure you erase only where necessary, make a selection on the bird: select the bird layer, and Layer/Transparency/Alpha to selection
- Remove the bars in the back from the top layer with the eraser, that will act only within the bird shape.

Done.

I'd just like to point out that one of the advantages of creating a mask (selection or path) of the front of the cage is that you can then move the bird layer around until it's placed exactly where you wish it. (ie, you aren't locked into only one position)

and if this was an animation where there was movement that would really be the best way to do this.

Bird? What bird?

Got your PM; lol

Already accused of loosing my marbles (another forum then here), so why not my head too.

that is so funny..... Is that really you Lyle? Good job ofnuts.....

Yeah; that's really me Molly. lol

You remind me of Sir Elton John with the crazy glasses. woo hoo.

Just wish I had 10% of his dough Molly. lol

me too, and his talent....

THANK YOU ALL SOOOO MUCH!!!
YOU ARE THE BEST (FUNNY TOO)

HI y'all
thank you for your help,it took me patience and God knows i don't have much of it,but i did it.now if i can find out how to attach my result,i will gladly post it

Lyle wanna cracker? LOL!