Photoshop annoyances - DPChallenge Forums

Olympus 7-14mm f/4.0 Zuiko Digital Zoom

08/25/2008 11:03:57 AM · #1

A few photoshop issues that have been annoying me forever. I would love (and greatly appreciate) some solutions.

1)
When using some selection tool (like the Magic Lasso), sometimes I want to start selecting in a straight line (often at the edge of a document). If I push the alt button (pc), I can switch to the free-handed lasso tool for a time â�� but I donâ��t want to free hand â�� I want to force a straight line. Is there some way to temporarily switch to the lasso tool but force it to create a straight selection path? (Damn, that was wordy!)

2)
I have a dual monitor setup. My image is always opened on the right monitor and takes up all available space. I always have to drag that image window to the full size of one monitor (not maximize though which would span my monitors). I would like to size the window and tell photoshop to REMEMBER that setting.

3)
I have always had clone-stamp issues. And it is such a vital tool! I am safe so long as I sample a group of pixels to clone, and then stamp one time - and then re-sample. If I donâ��t continually resample (if I click several times to stamp, or if I do paint strokes with the stamp brush) â�� I start picking up item around the area on which I am pasting. This doesnâ��t make sense to me. If, for example, I sample from a big empty field of color (and insure that the size/softness of my brush would not pick up any detail) it seems that when I click repeatedly to stamp or if I hold the button and dragâ�¦ I should only be adding the solid color.

Good karma to ya

one2one

Olympus E-5

08/25/2008 11:22:00 AM · #2

2) What are you using to manage your dualview monitor setup? If it's Nvidia, go to your display properties and uncheck Horizontal Span and use Dualview instead. Let me know what happens then.

Olympus 7-14mm f/4.0 Zuiko Digital Zoom

08/25/2008 11:37:41 AM · #3

Jac,

Thanks, but I don't want to change my display properties. I like horizontal span. I would simply like photoshop to remember that window sizing on exit.

one2one

Olympus E-5

08/25/2008 11:52:48 AM · #4

Originally posted by Bernard_Marx:

Jac,

Thanks, but I don't want to change my display properties. I like horizontal span. I would simply like photoshop to remember that window sizing on exit.

Has ps always spanned both screens?

Patrick_R

Canon EOS-60D

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM

08/25/2008 12:54:39 PM · #5

Use the patch tool instead of the clone tool. I jsut started using it and am loving it.

I like patch better than clone and healing brush

08/25/2008 01:09:32 PM · #6

Originally posted by Jac:

Originally posted by Bernard_Marx:
Jac,

Thanks, but I don't want to change my display properties. I like horizontal span. I would simply like photoshop to remember that window sizing on exit.

Has ps always spanned both screens?

Yes. And that is as it should be. The app spans the monitors. On one monitor I keep the tools open. On the other I keep my image. It's a small issue really... when I open an image it opens in a window on my left monitor. After opening an image I resize the window to take up all of the space on the left monitor. When I close that image and open another I again have to resize the window. Photoshop isn't currently remembering my window size (which is a common feature of good applications ).

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

08/25/2008 01:10:25 PM · #7

Originally posted by Patrick_R:

Use the patch tool instead of the clone tool. I jsut started using it and am loving it.

I like patch better than clone and healing brush

I'd like to use each of them.

FireBird

08/25/2008 01:48:48 PM · #8

Originally posted by Bernard_Marx:

1)
When using some selection tool (like the Magic Lasso), sometimes I want to start selecting in a straight line (often at the edge of a document). If I push the alt button (pc), I can switch to the free-handed lasso tool for a time â�� but I donâ��t want to free hand â�� I want to force a straight line. Is there some way to temporarily switch to the lasso tool but force it to create a straight selection path? (Damn, that was wordy!)

I use the method you're talking about with the alt key to make straight lines. I hold down the alt key, click where I want to start the line and click again on the end point. A click with the alt key up puts me back into the magnetic lasso mode.

Simms

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

08/25/2008 01:54:26 PM · #9

Not sure if you have tried it (or if it would help you), but Click on "Window -> Workspace -> Save Workspace"

jeger

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

08/25/2008 01:58:35 PM · #10

Originally posted by Bernard_Marx:

3)
I have always had clone-stamp issues. And it is such a vital tool! I am safe so long as I sample a group of pixels to clone, and then stamp one time - and then re-sample. If I donâ��t continually resample (if I click several times to stamp, or if I do paint strokes with the stamp brush) â�� I start picking up item around the area on which I am pasting. This doesnâ��t make sense to me. If, for example, I sample from a big empty field of color (and insure that the size/softness of my brush would not pick up any detail) it seems that when I click repeatedly to stamp or if I hold the button and dragâ�¦ I should only be adding the solid color.

I hope this is what you were referring to...

If you click on the clone tool, at the top of the page, there is an "Aligned" option you can check on or off.

If "Aligned" is selected, when cloning using multiple clicks, the sampling area will be offset the same distance as your strokes.
If "Aligned" is not selected, when cloning using multiple clicks, the sampling area will be exactly the same each time.

Art Roflmao

Canon EOS-6D Mark II

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

08/25/2008 02:02:22 PM · #11

4) Since upgrading from CS to CS3, UNDO now switches back to the previously active layer if you were on a different one before the step you are undoing. This is the most annoying thing to me. Maybe it's a pref - I haven't looked - I like feeling aggravated and annoyed while editing - gives my final result more gritty emotion.

Mick

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

08/25/2008 02:09:36 PM · #12

Originally posted by Bernard_Marx:

Originally posted by Jac:

Originally posted by Bernard_Marx:
Jac,

Thanks, but I don't want to change my display properties. I like horizontal span. I would simply like photoshop to remember that window sizing on exit.

Has ps always spanned both screens?

Yes. And that is as it should be. The app spans the monitors. On one monitor I keep the tools open. On the other I keep my image. It's a small issue really... when I open an image it opens in a window on my left monitor. After opening an image I resize the window to take up all of the space on the left monitor. When I close that image and open another I again have to resize the window. Photoshop isn't currently remembering my window size (which is a common feature of good applications ).

I think you're talking about the image window, not the application window. Is that right? On my system, the application and pallet window locations are saved and restored. Document (image) windows are always opened with the upper-left corner near the upper-left of the application window's client area. The size of document windows is based on the dimensions of the image and the zoom level. For instance, if I open a 3000 x 3000 pixel image, the zoom level will be 25%, and the document window's client area will be 750 X 750 pixels. This allows the entire document window to be displayed on screen. If I open an 800 x 800 pixel image, the zoom level is 100%, and the window's client area is also 800 x 800 pixels. Basically, the application scales both the zoom level and the window size to fit the available screen space. There may be a way to change this behavior. I don't know. If there's no built-in way, then you might be able to script it. In fact, someone else may already have created a script for this. It might be worthwhile to google it.

08/25/2008 02:30:27 PM · #13

Originally posted by fir3bird:

Originally posted by Bernard_Marx:

1)
When using some selection tool (like the Magic Lasso), sometimes I want to start selecting in a straight line (often at the edge of a document). If I push the alt button (pc), I can switch to the free-handed lasso tool for a time â�� but I donâ��t want to free hand â�� I want to force a straight line. Is there some way to temporarily switch to the lasso tool but force it to create a straight selection path? (Damn, that was wordy!)

I use the method you're talking about with the alt key to make straight lines. I hold down the alt key, click where I want to start the line and click again on the end point. A click with the alt key up puts me back into the magnetic lasso mode.

Thanks

fir3bird, that was simple. The only thing I needed to do was let go of the mouse button after clicking the alt key - I can't believe it never happened by chance!

08/25/2008 02:33:24 PM · #14

Originally posted by Simms:

Not sure if you have tried it (or if it would help you), but Click on "Window -> Workspace -> Save Workspace"

Simms - That sounded very reasonable... but didn't help. I guess the image window size is not included in the pallet locations.

08/25/2008 02:38:09 PM · #15

Originally posted by jeger:

Originally posted by Bernard_Marx:

3)
I have always had clone-stamp issues. And it is such a vital tool! I am safe so long as I sample a group of pixels to clone, and then stamp one time - and then re-sample. If I donâ��t continually resample (if I click several times to stamp, or if I do paint strokes with the stamp brush) â�� I start picking up item around the area on which I am pasting. This doesnâ��t make sense to me. If, for example, I sample from a big empty field of color (and insure that the size/softness of my brush would not pick up any detail) it seems that when I click repeatedly to stamp or if I hold the button and dragâ�¦ I should only be adding the solid color.

I hope this is what you were referring to...

If you click on the clone tool, at the top of the page, there is an "Aligned" option you can check on or off.

If "Aligned" is selected, when cloning using multiple clicks, the sampling area will be offset the same distance as your strokes.
If "Aligned" is not selected, when cloning using multiple clicks, the sampling area will be exactly the same each time.

Wonderful - that's it! That is really going to be helpful

jeger!

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

08/25/2008 02:40:59 PM · #16

Originally posted by Mick:

Originally posted by Bernard_Marx:

Originally posted by Jac:

Originally posted by Bernard_Marx:
Jac,

Thanks, but I don't want to change my display properties. I like horizontal span. I would simply like photoshop to remember that window sizing on exit.

Has ps always spanned both screens?

Yes. And that is as it should be. The app spans the monitors. On one monitor I keep the tools open. On the other I keep my image. It's a small issue really... when I open an image it opens in a window on my left monitor. After opening an image I resize the window to take up all of the space on the left monitor. When I close that image and open another I again have to resize the window. Photoshop isn't currently remembering my window size (which is a common feature of good applications ).

I think you're talking about the image window, not the application window. Is that right? On my system, the application and pallet window locations are saved and restored. Document (image) windows are always opened with the upper-left corner near the upper-left of the application window's client area. The size of document windows is based on the dimensions of the image and the zoom level. For instance, if I open a 3000 x 3000 pixel image, the zoom level will be 25%, and the document window's client area will be 750 X 750 pixels. This allows the entire document window to be displayed on screen. If I open an 800 x 800 pixel image, the zoom level is 100%, and the window's client area is also 800 x 800 pixels. Basically, the application scales both the zoom level and the window size to fit the available screen space. There may be a way to change this behavior. I don't know. If there's no built-in way, then you might be able to script it. In fact, someone else may already have created a script for this. It might be worthwhile to google it.

Mick - that is exactly what I am talking about. I want the image window to always open the last size and NOT according to the image size and zoom level. But it is a small thing really - the other two issues were much more serious.

jeger

Canon EOS-5D

08/25/2008 02:41:25 PM · #17

Originally posted by Bernard_Marx:

Jac,

Thanks, but I don't want to change my display properties. I like horizontal span. I would simply like photoshop to remember that window sizing on exit.

I'd have to agree with Jac,

Changing the video display properties so that Photoshop opens on one screen only, will pretty much get you what you want. All you have to do is press "F" or "Control + 0" to maximize the photograph into the workspace. This is how I have it set up at work. You can still drag photos and menus to either screen, so I'm not sure what you gain with the horizontal span.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

08/25/2008 02:41:43 PM · #18

OK - the two important issues have been solved! Thanks for speaking up!

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

08/25/2008 03:07:37 PM · #19

I have a dual monitor setup. Photoshop is on the right monitor. Sometimes when I open an image, it opens "detached-from-Photoshop" as a new window over on the left monitor. Sometimes it opens as a sub-window (i.e. part of Photoshop) on the right monitor. It's about half and half. Sometimes it opens one way, sometimes the other. I can find no rhyme or reason to which one it chooses.

I really prefer to keep it all together on one screen - the right screen. That is the screen that is color calibrated. Plus, I like having my tools "close to the image" rather than on a completely separate monitor. So my preference is for Photoshop to keep itself all on a single monitor. Dual monitor support does not good for me.

This is with CS3.

Any tips on how to fix it?

one2one

Olympus E-5

Olympus 7-14mm f/4.0 Zuiko Digital Zoom

08/25/2008 03:14:02 PM · #20

Originally posted by dwterry:

It may depend on how you close PS. If you leave a window open on your left monitor and PS opens on your right one, this may be causing the problem. Just a guess. I'm sure you saved your workspace so it should always open up the same way. If it doesn't save your workspace once more and restart PS.

My PS starts up on the left (main) monitor and its tools are all on the right monitor. When I open a file it opens up on my main monitor always without exception. But I never leave a window open on my right monitor before closing PS though. I hope this helps in some way.

Message edited by author 2008-08-25 15:14:54.

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

08/25/2008 03:19:06 PM · #21

I'll try re-saving my workspace to see if that makes a difference.

However, this isn't an issue of sometimes "starting" one way or the other. Photoshop is already open and running on the right monitor. It's the act of opening a new file that sometimes the file appears on the left and sometimes on the right monitor. It seems like once it starts opening on the left, it gets stuck in that mode and always opens on the left (but only during that session of photoshop, restarting PS usually cures it).

plugsnpixels

08/26/2008 03:45:54 AM · #22

You need to add your annoyances to this website, which has Adobe's attention (//blogs.adobe.com/jnack/2008/08/dear_adobe.html):

//dearadobe.com/top_rated.php