Move Tool problem

Hello,

I'm hoping someone might be able to shed some light on this very strange problem.

I've got Photoshop CS as part of Creative Suite 1.0 Premium, running on Win XP SP2.

For some unknown reason, the "live preview" of objects being moved with the move tool (or with ctrl-click) has disappeared. I'll click and hold for a second and then drag the object across the canvas, but nothing visible happens. If I let go of the mouse button, the object will jump to its new location, but the "live preview" of being able to watch it move as I drag has vanished.

At first I thought I was going nuts, and that it never worked that way, but I've since verified with a friend and his DOES provide the preview. So, at least I know I'm not crazy! :)

Any advice or info that someone can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Andy

PS - I've already tried uninstalling and then reinstalling. Same problem. :(

Try increasing the number of levels of histogram cache in preferences.

Hmm... Tried that, didn't seem to have an effect. It was 4, I made it 8, and then tried 10. Do you think that would have been enough? I'm sorry to say I'm pretty clueless as to what that setting does..

Thanks very much for your efforts!

Cheers,
Andy

As far as I am aware, this is one of the functions Photoshop "borrows" from Windows. Have you changed any settings in Windows? Do Explorer windows do the same thing?

Do you mean, if I go to an explorer window, and try to drag a doc or folder from one place to another? The folder certianly does drag...

Though maybe I'm not clear as to my problem, from what you are saying...

If I create a new doc in PS CS, place a rectange and fill it on the background, copy the layer so that the rectange is now also in layer 2, and try to use the Move Tool to move that rectangle by click and dragging, I don't actually see the rectangle move until I let go of the mouse button. It used to provide a live preview of where I was moving it...

This feature is borrowed from Windows?

Thanks VERY much for your help and insight...

Cheers,
Andy

This feature is borrowed from Windows?

Sorry no. I answered before I'd have my first coffee of the morning!! <grin>

I thought you meant you were moving an image window - which of course doesn't involve the move tool.

Try resetting your Preferences file (details in the FAQs) just to eliminate the possibility that has become corrupted. (can cause all sorts of strange problems).

If that doesn't cure it. Try dropping your Hardware Acceleration down a notch or two.

Now where's that coffee pot?!

Chris.

Chris, you may have been right after all.

In My Computer > Properties > Advanced > Performance > Visual Effects there is a check box for "Show window contents while dragging".

I'm a tea only man myself ;)

:)

Well, unfortunately none of that helped.. :) I tried unchecking and rechecking the "Show window contents while dragging" - but, again, I'd be very surprised if Adobe uses the same feature for its internal object dragging capability. But, neither setting works here anyway. :)

Also, tried lowering my Hardware Acceleration - in fact, tried EVERY setting, with no luck.

And, then tried killing my prefs file, again with no luck.

Thanks very much for the suggestions folks!

Any other thoughts would be greatly appreciated...

Thanks again,
A

Andrew, the only thing I can suggest is something I read on one of these forums. Someone said to click in the selection and holding the cursor there for a couple of seconds before moving and then move. I have no idea what this does but apparently it worked for someone. I have no problems here.

Histo cache has always made a difference for me, but I will say that in version CS2, it was WAY more pronounced. It seemed like it had to do with a video update or something like that. Fortunately, when I increased my cache levels (6), it went away. <shrug>

Hi Wesley,

Yeah, that is what I would normally do - old habit from the computers of yesteryear when you had to let them cache the object into memory or something like that.

Click and hold for a few seconds, then drag...

I wish it DID work! :)

Thanks,
A