Hi, first of all I think CS4 has some great features and improvements, and the reason Im posting is because I want to use it. Theres a few things im trying to do though that i used to in CS3, and havnt found how. Already went though a few CS4 online training videos and none. So if you know please HELP, if you know if CS4 doesnt allow it anymore. Please let me know. many thanks!
1. In curves, I use to toggle from one point in the curve to another with control + tab, how can I do this with CS4?
2. In CS3 i turned off to have a white default mask with every adjustement layer. With CS4 i followed the same step to do this in the panel opstions, but they still keep appearing. They wont go!!
3. In CS3 I used a lot to drag the cursor over the image and know where in the curve I will be affecting. In CS4 I cant seem to be able to do that but by turning on that new feature to drag the adjustement curve from the image (which is nice) but if its the only way to do this (not sure of this) how can I leave that new feature on by default? and not have to turn it on with every curve i create.
I will leave it here in the meanwhile.
Many thanks and your responses will be greatly appreciate it!
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In point 2 I mean that when I create an adjustment layer it automatically appears with the white mask by default, right? The white square icon next to the adjustment layer icon in the layers pallet. I dont want it to show up. I want just the adjustment layer. No mask by default. In CS3 I went to panel options and turned them off. In CS4 I did the same thing/procedure but they still show up. Sorry for not making myself clear, and hopefully I did it this time.
"No mask by default’ – unfortunately photoshop has behaved this way since about Photoshop 7 – every time you add an adjustment layer you get a blank mask.
I’ve never agreed with this, I don’t think you should be compelled to add a mask to every adjustment layer you create. Try not to get discouraged that its making a patronising statement like "did you REALISE! you can add layer masks to adjustment layers!"
I seem to remember when this behaviour was introduced Jeff defending it like he thought of the idea. Almost Adobes answer to Microsofts paperclip, it set a dangerous precident, the begining what I like to refer to as the ‘spoonfeeding’ trend.
On CS3 I went to the layers pallete, and under pallete options I unchecked the "Use Default masks on adjustements". But now on CS4 it has a different option and no way that I can find to get rid of those darn white/blank masks.
Is this option somewhere else? Or Adobe got rid of it and Im stuck to those masks or having to delete them by the dozen?
I see CS4 now has "Use Default masks on Fill Layers" (slight re-wording I guess). This is something I never used in the past — would the main advantage be neater, easier-to-read layers?
I seem to remember when this behaviour was introduced Jeff defending it like he thought of the idea.
The purpose of "Adjustment Layers" is to be able to apply local adjustments and not have to apply the adjustment globally. The odds are pretty good that while adjusting one area to make an improvement, another area will be less goodhence the ability to use a mask.
Masks that are ALL white or black compress down to virtually nothing, so it ain’t like you are saving a lot of files size by having an empty mask and who knows, you may learn to use them.
Many thanks for your responses, but so far my question remains unanswered. And that was the purpose of this post, not anything else.
I do use masks a lot. But most of the time, thats 90% of it, I use them in group sets, not the adjustment layer itself. I prefer it this way, and this is the way I worked on CS3.
I recently printed 110 prints for Magnum that is being exhibit in Germany, and Im currently working on the retouching for a Phaidon photo book. So its not like I started Photoshop last week. Although almost every day I learn something new. And Id like to have my adjustment layer masks on the group sets like in CS3. Nothing out of this world. Is it possible with CS4 like CS3 or not? If it is, how? If not, darn, but I’ll survive. Those are my questions if anyone please.
Sorry Alex – I just looked into this, the layers panel preference in CS4 isn’t working, seems to be a bug. There is no workaround other than option clicking to delete the masks or making an action that strips them off.
Seems they forgot to look into when introducing the new, at the moment dubiously useful ‘masks’ panel. I’m speculating that at some point in the future this panel will probably have more functionality, but they didn’t have time in this development cycle to pull off.
"The purpose of "Adjustment Layers" is to be able to apply local adjustments and not have to apply the adjustment globally." -I have to disagree there Jeff, the purpose of adjustment layers is also for overall correction. For example in color correction workflows, overall non-destructive corrections are a must.
And "you may learn to use them" thanks for patronising me, I appreciate it.
Do you know by any chance if that bug is something that might get fixed in a CS4 update? Or I’ll have to either live with those diabolic white squares till CS5, or exterminate them as you suggest?
Yes normally these kind of glitches are ironed out in upgrades, hopefully this one will too. I got an upcoming list of other glitches I am noticing too, that I will post eventually in another thread.
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