4. Image Management Related Dialogs

4.1. Buffers Dialog

Figure 15.69. The Buffers dialog (as a list)

Buffers are a kind of temporary storage for image data, created when you cut or copy part of a drawable (a layer, layer mask, etc.). The following commands are available from the Edit menu to save an image to a buffer:

Cut Named…

Edit → Buffer → Cut Named… This command cuts the selected part from the current drawable (usually a layer) and places it in a buffer. If there is no selection the whole drawable will be used. You will be asked to give the buffer a name. The image will be removed from the selection after this is done.

Copy Named…

Edit → Buffer → Copy Named… This command copies the selected part from the current drawable (usually a layer) and places it in a buffer. If there is no selection the whole drawable will be used. You will be asked to give the buffer a name.

Copy Visible Named…

Edit → Buffer → Copy Visible Named… This command copies the selected part from all the visible drawables and places it in a buffer. If there is no selection the whole image will be used. You will be asked to give the buffer a name.

Paste Named…

Edit → Buffer → Paste Named… This menu command opens the Buffers Dialog. To actually paste a buffer, choose one of the buttons from this dialog, or the context menu. Both of which will be explained below.

The “Buffers” dialog shows you the contents of all existing named buffers, and allows you to operate on them in several ways. It also shows you, at the top, the contents of the Global Buffer (the contents of the clipboard). This Global Buffer is merely a display: you can’t do anything with it. There is no hard limit on the number of named buffers you can create, except that it will consume a share of your available computer memory.

	Caution
	Named buffers are not saved across sessions: they will be gone when you close GIMP. The only way to save their contents is to paste them into images.

4.1.1. Activating the Dialog

This dialog is a dockable dialog; see the section Section 2.3, “Dialogs and Docking” for help on manipulating it.

You can access it:

• from the main menu: Edit → Buffer → Paste Named…;

• from the main menu: Windows → Dockable Dialogs → Buffers;

• from the Tab menu in any dockable dialog by clicking on and selecting Add Tab → Buffers.

In the Windows menu, there is a list of detached windows which exists only if at least one dialog remains open. In this case, you can raise the “Buffers” dialog from the image-menu: Windows → Buffers.

4.1.2. Using the Buffers dialog

Clicking on a buffer in the display area makes it the active buffer, i.e., the one that will be used for paste commands executed from the Buffers context menu, or the buttons at the bottom of the dialog. Double-clicking on a buffer causes its contents to be pasted to the active image as a floating selection; this is a quick way of executing the “Paste Buffer” command.

At the bottom of the dialog are five buttons. The operations they perform can also be accessed from the Buffers Menu that you get by right clicking on the active buffer.

Figure 15.70. The Buffers dialog (Grid View)

In the Tab menu for the “Buffers” dialog, you can choose between View as Grid and View as List. In Grid mode, the buffers are laid out in a rectangular array. In List mode, they are lined up vertically, with each row showing a thumbnail of the contents of the buffer, its name, and its pixel dimensions.

	Tip
	Ctrl+F opens a search field. See View as List; View as Grid

You can change the size of the buffer previews in the dialog using the “Preview Size” submenu of the dialog’s Tab menu.

4.1.2.1. Buttons at the bottom

At the bottom of the dialog you find a couple of buttons:

Paste Buffer, Paste Buffer In Place

This command pastes the contents of the selected buffer into the active image, as a floating selection. The only difference between this and the ordinary Paste command is that it uses the selected buffer rather than the global clipboard buffer.

With the Shift key pressed, it pastes the buffer at its original location.

Paste Buffer Into The Selection, Paste Buffer Into The Selection In Place

This command pastes the contents of the selected buffer into the active image’s selection, as a floating selection. The only difference between this and the ordinary Paste Into Selection command is that it uses the selected buffer rather than the global clipboard buffer.

With the Shift key pressed, it pastes the buffer into the active selection at its original location.

Paste Buffer as New Layer, Paste Buffer as New Layer in Place

This command creates a new layer in the active image out of the contents of the selected buffer. The only difference between this and the ordinary Paste as New Image command is that it uses the selected buffer rather than the content of the global clipboard buffer.

With the Shift key pressed, it creates the layer at the original location of the buffer.

Paste Buffer as New Image

This command creates a new single-layer image out of the contents of the selected buffer. The only difference between this and the ordinary Paste as New Image command is that it uses the selected buffer rather than the content of the global clipboard buffer.

Delete Buffer

This command deletes the selected named buffer, no questions asked. You cannot delete the Global Buffer.

4.1.2.2. Buffers Dialog Context menu

Figure 15.71. The “Buffers” context menu

These commands are the same as available through the buttons at the bottom of the dialog and are explained there.