Why does clone stamp work only intermittently?

TM
Posted By
Theresa Mesa
Nov 4, 2008
Views
568
Replies
22
Status
Closed
I’m cleaning up a photo before I optimize it and put it onto the web. This is a JPEG. I’ve created an action for a specific size using just the selection tool. Then I adjust the levels, the color sometimes, and the brightness. Then I click on the clone tool, sample the area I want to clone with the option key, release the option key, and try to place the clone. I see every indication that I’m creating a clone, but when I go to place it, nothing happens.

Keep in mind that this is intermittent. In fact, I was working on a photo a few minutes ago, and I was able to clone something, then I sampled another area to clean up something close to it, and it just stopped cloning!

I’ve tried duplicating the background layer where the photo resides and working on the duplicate. Nothing. I’ve tried deleting the locked layer. Nothing. The "Aligned" box is checked. Opacity and flow are at 100%. Mode is normal. Airbrush is not being used. Nothing.

I’ve tried closing the document and reopening it. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn’t.

I’ll futz with it a while and then it might just start working again. But this time, when it stopped working on the photo after it had just worked, I knew it probably wasn’t user error. Or is it? I didn’t do anything different except to sample a different layer. Heck, I even unplugged my Wacom tablet.

Any thoughts? Please?

I’m on a MacPro running 10.5.5. I let Adobe do its updates, so I’m running 10.0.1 for PS. I do not run Version Cue, but I do use Bridge (love it in CS3). I have 4G of RAM. I hope I’ve given you enough info.
Related Tags
clone stamp work

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R
Ram
Nov 4, 2008
Are you 100% certain you were targeting a pixel layer (as opposed to an adjustment layer)?

Reset the Clone Tool or Trash your preferences. See the FAQs if you don’t know how.
TM
Theresa Mesa
Nov 4, 2008
Yes. As I said, it was working and then stopped working. I cloned, then it stopped cloning. All I did differently was move to another area to clean up. Press the option key, sample, release the option key, clone. Except it just stopped cloning. No different keystrokes. I even looked at my hand to make sure I was pressing the option key and not the command key.

I’ll try to reset the clone tool. I know how to trash my preferences, but I’d prefer not to, since I don’t want to have to set my workspace up again.

Thank you.
TM
Theresa Mesa
Nov 4, 2008
Well, I can’t figure out how to reset the clone tool. Searched the Adobe knowledgebase. Even searched Google. Nada.
B
Buko
Nov 4, 2008
you can’t clone if you have a selection made in another part of the image.
TM
Theresa Mesa
Nov 4, 2008
Well, I have to select (sample) another part of the image that doesn’t have the schmutz to clone onto the schmutzy area. I did trash my preferences (not the plist), did not lose my workspace (brilliant, Adobe! – you separated the different preferences!!), and it’s working again, using the same method I tried when it wasn’t working. Hence, my confusion – "But it was working just a second ago!!"
R
Ram
Nov 4, 2008
it was working just a second ago

Β…is always a sign you need to trsh your preferences, or at least reset the tool.

With the tool selected, look in the option bar for the Reset Tool dropdown.
TM
Theresa Mesa
Nov 4, 2008
You know, in the back of my head, I knew that I needed to trash the preferences, but panic took over, especially at the thought of losing my workspace (what a hassle to recreate in every program in CS3). After considerable drilling into the tool bar, I did find the option for resetting the tool. Thanks! One more thing learned. Actually, a few more things. I could use this program until I do a faceplant on my keyboard from old age (I’m 50) and still not know everything in it, let alone everything in each new version.
B
Buko
Nov 4, 2008
Trashing prefs will not delete the workspace
WZ
Wade_Zimmerman
Nov 4, 2008
Can PS 10.0.1 run on Leopard? If so, there is another thread where someone is trying the same on an older G4 and is having problems. If you have CS3 why do use CS3 instead?
TM
Theresa Mesa
Nov 4, 2008
Photoshop 10.0.1 *IS* the latest CS3 version of Photoshop (got it from the "About Photoshop" option on the Photoshop drop-down menu). Yes, it does run on Leopard. It’s designed to run on Leopard and on Intel Macs.

Problem is resolved anyway. It was a corrupt preference file.

Thank you, though.
R
Ram
Nov 4, 2008
It’s designed to run on Leopard Β…

Actually, Adobe didn’t even had a working copy of Leopard by the time CS3 shipped.
WZ
Wade_Zimmerman
Nov 4, 2008
Oh I am sorry I was thinking of I was on a different forum. You are of course correct.

My mistake. It should not be happening and resetting the preferences should work but if it does not then perhaps we can help find out what is wrong.

My apologies.
B
Buko
Nov 4, 2008
It’s designed to run on Leopard and on Intel Macs.

CS3 was written to run on Intel Macs not Leopard, that’s why there were so many with CS3.
OO
Omke_Oudeman
Nov 4, 2008
especially at the thought of losing my workspace (what a hassle to recreate in every program in CS3).

Theresa, you can save many of your own created workspaces, resetting preferences does not remove this settings, after refresh preferences reset the prefs again to your wishes (restart CS again in case of altered RAM and scratch disk settings) and select the previous saved workspace and you are back in business again πŸ™‚
TM
Theresa Mesa
Nov 4, 2008
I stand corrected on the Leopard issue. Thank you to all who corrected me.

As for the workspace, I’ve already mentioned that it did *not* affect my workspace after all because Adobe has so brilliantly separated out the different kinds of preferences. Very often when you trash the preferences, you lose all kinds of customized settings. I know I have run into this problem in the past with Adobe products. Apparently they have made great strides.

I discovered that in the Adobe Photoshop preferences folder, there are several different preferences that control various aspects of the program. I took out the one that looked like it would do the trick, placing it on my desktop just in case. I relaunched Photoshop, knowing that doing so would recreate the missing preference file, and it resolved the issue.

* ***My issue has been resolved completely to my satisfaction at this time.**** I could not be happier!
R
Ram
Nov 4, 2008
Theresa,

Next time you need to trash your preferences, record an action when you re-do all your settings. That way you can be prepared to re-do them the following time with a single mouse click. πŸ™‚
TM
Theresa Mesa
Nov 5, 2008
That’s going to be one freakishly big action…LOL!
R
Ram
Nov 5, 2008
Should take you about two minutes max, Theresa.
JJ
John Joslin
Nov 5, 2008
Can’t you just save a copy of the relevant folder(s) from a known good set of preferences so they’re available to copy back in the case of a reset being necessary?

(Excuse me if this can’t be done on a Mac.)
R
Ram
Nov 5, 2008
It can be done, of course, and some folks do it. I’m fundamentally against that practice. It takes a couple of minutes to re-set your preferences and, if you record an action, you can then do it automatically with a single mouse click.

Preferences are all over the place, not in a single folder. You just risk forgetting where everything goes.

See: <http://www.adobe.com/go/kb401600>
JJ
John Joslin
Nov 5, 2008
Hmmmm… as far as the ones that get reset with the 3-finger salute, they don’t look too scattered to me.
R
Ram
Nov 5, 2008
Another reason that militates against it is that you would then keep having to update that stored folder and that is more trouble than doing it from scratch.

MacBook Pro 16” Mockups πŸ”₯

– in 4 materials (clay versions included)

– 12 scenes

– 48 MacBook Pro 16″ mockups

– 6000 x 4500 px

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