Marquee selection confusion

[fisaigne]

Hello all. I am pretty new to photoshop and I am learning the program. Tonight I am using the rectangular marquee selection tool. In the training (I am following along in photoshop) the instruction is drawing a rectangle over his selection area, and holding spacebar to move the selection. That I can do just fine. Then he is explaining the effect "shift" has on the rectangle.

He is drawing a rectangle, holding the mouse down, moving with space bar, and holding shift. This is allowing him to move the selection and it is keeping his rectangle straight. It does not allow him to move it side to side with "shift" held down.

When I do it, I think the same, it is changing my rectangle to a square.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[MrToM]

Its actually very simple...

DURING the creation process, ie AS you DRAG out the marquee, this is when the spacebar enables you to move the marquee.

Holding shift DURING creation will constrain it to a square.

After a marquee is created you do not need to use the spacebar to move it as a simple click and drag INSIDE the marquee is all that is needed.

To constrain its movement you first move the marquee THEN hold down shift....it will constrain the movement to whichever direction you were moving it AT the time you held down shift.

Its not that you are doing anything wrong, just not at the right time.

Regards.
MrToM.