Photoshop CS4 transform selection bug?

KB
Posted By
Kevin_Balderston
Feb 10, 2009
Views
674
Replies
22
Status
Closed
Hello.

<rant>First off a minor rant about these forums. I already had a Adobe ID which doubles for a forum login ONLY ON FORMER MACROMEDIA FORUMS! I have to have a completely different login for original Adobe software forums. Jeez WTF? </rant>

Ok so if I make a selection in Photoshop CS4 Extended, then go to transform selection and transform the selection, the resulting selection has a 1-2 pixel semi transparent edge. I have double checked my settings so make sure there is no feathering applied. It only happens when I use select>transform selection. It is driving me nuts as I use this method for making pricise selections in my regular workflow. I find it easier to make a close selection then resize with transform. But now when I go to paste it into a new layer/document there’s now a "feathered" edge for lack of a better term. So now I have to either use add/subtract from the selection or make a precise selection in the option bar.

has anyone else noticed this in their PS CS4? I never noticed it in CS3. I’m contemplating going back to CS3 as the "tabbed" interface is balls as is app frame. And yes I know I can turn it off which I have, but still have to deal with inadvertent document tabbing when moving windows around.

Thanks.

How to Improve Photoshop Performance

Learn how to optimize Photoshop for maximum speed, troubleshoot common issues, and keep your projects organized so that you can work faster than ever before!

P
pfigen
Feb 10, 2009
I agree that the tabbing completely sucks, but after turning it off in preferences (and it should be turned off by default) I’ve never had a document tabbing itself, and a huge percentage of my work involves many open documents that I’m moving around and dragging on top of one another.
KB
Kevin_Balderston
Feb 10, 2009
Well thats not my major gripe atm, its the selection "bug". But I do have tabs off and if I’m dragging a window from say my Macbook Pro screen to my external and accidentally let go over another window it get added as a tab. hate it. The window will highlight when another window is over it. EDIT: had missed the 2nd option to turn off floating window docking in interface options.

But anyways, I’m more concerned with the selection issue I’m having.
R
Ram
Feb 10, 2009
Kevin,

Rather than rant at you for not giving us details about your machine and video card specs ;), I’ll just suggest that you turn off OpenGL in Preferences > Performance, re-launch Photoshop and see if your issue goes away. If it does, the graphic cards or its video driver might be involved.

BTW, is your laptop your only machine? Does it happen in other machines? (I could not reproduce the problem but I’m on a PPC box running Tiger 10.4.11.)
KB
Kevin_Balderston
Feb 10, 2009
OMG, bad poster! so sorry. I’m running a late 2008 Macbook Pro 2.53GHz Core2 Duo, Nvidia 9600 M GPU w/ 512mb vram. Yes my MBP is my main computer. And it is the only Mac in the house. I’m running Leopard 10.5.6. Have all updates installed. I’ll try turning off OpenGL to see if that fixes the issue.
KB
Kevin_Balderston
Feb 10, 2009
Ok, I seem to have found the culprit. Under the GPU settings> advanced settings>Advanced drawing was checked. After unclicking that the transform issue is gone. Whew! That was driving me nuts! lol.

Thanks Ramon!
R
Ram
Feb 10, 2009
πŸ™‚ You’re welcome, Kevin.
P
Phosphor
Feb 10, 2009
It sure will be nice when they (READ: hardware and software manufacturers in consort) get all (or a super-large majority) of the GPU issues sorted out.

The cake is still out in the rain on this issue.
KB
Kevin_Balderston
Feb 11, 2009
I spoke too soon. If I have OpenGL enabled I still get the weird semi-transparent area on each side I transform. REALLY ABSURD. So now I have to command-k turn off OpenGL, transform, command-k turn on OpenGL. grrr.
R
Ram
Feb 12, 2009
So now I have to command-k turn off OpenGL, transform, command-k turn on OpenGL. grrr.

If you don’t have to re-launch Photoshop in between those steps, count your blessings!
KB
Kevin_Balderston
Feb 12, 2009
I don’t thankfully :). I’m guessing its due to Apples not so stellar Nvidia drivers more grrr, lol. If they would only update the drivers more often or as a trade off write better quality ones.
R
Ram
Feb 12, 2009
Do a forum search on the 9600 card. I believe there are known issues with it.
KB
Kevin_Balderston
Mar 1, 2009
I did and all that came up was this post and 2 others for the ATI 9600 which is another beast. I’m still experiencing the same bug/driver issue. If I turn off OpenGL completely it still manifests itself. I still don’t know if it is more a issue with the Late 2008 Macbook Pro Nvidia 9600 drivers or with Photoshop CS4. I have downloaded and applied the 11.01 update without any change. I don’t know if it is a corrupted preference file or bad Photoshop installation either. I always hate trashing the preference file as I end up having to spend time getting everything back the way I like it.
R
Ram
Mar 1, 2009
Β…the ATI 9600 which is another beast

My bad. πŸ™

I always hate trashing the preference file as I end up having to spend time getting everything back the way I like it.

Kevin, you won’t lose your workspaces, just the settings from the Preferences menu item and your Color Settings. But, here’s a tip: next time you have to re-set them, just record yourself in an action as you’re doing it. Next time all you have to do is run the action. πŸ™‚

Oh, and you don’t have to trash any file(s) manually. Just hold down Command Option Shift as you launch Photoshop.
KB
Kevin_Balderston
Mar 1, 2009
Good tip about the action. i have my workspace set up with all my palettes…nay panels on my mbp screen with my canvas on my external, those settings are kept with any custom workspaces I’ve setup correct?
R
Ram
Mar 1, 2009
Yes, correct, if you saved said workspaces.
KB
Kevin_Balderston
Mar 1, 2009
I reset the preferences and still am getting the transform bug with or without OpenGL enabled. The selection will be off between 1/4 – 1/2 a pixel and then when committed will be semi-transparent. Quite annoying!
R
Ram
Mar 1, 2009
with or without OpenGL enabled

One last question: are you quitting and relaunching Photoshop after disabling OpenGL?
KB
Kevin_Balderston
Mar 1, 2009
Yes.

I’m going to try a re-install tomorrow after work to see if that fixes things. One other thing I had renamed some of the application folders (mainly removing the unnecessary Adobe prefix). This I’ve discovered was a bad idea. Adobe has the default names somewhat hard coded. When looking for and applying some updates this can present an problem.
R
Ram
Mar 1, 2009
One other thing I had renamed some of the application folders

Ouch!
KB
Kevin_Balderston
Mar 2, 2009
Yeah, the updater expects the app folders to have the default names. everything else was fine, but I renamed everything back to normal.

I reinstalled Photoshop which seemed to make things kinda better. I only get the distortion when free transforming and not transforming a selection.

I have screenshots but don’t know how to post them on here.
NK
Neil_Keller
Mar 3, 2009
Kevin,

If you don’t have a server to link to, you can always use the free pixentral.com. Follow their instructions to properly link back here.

Neil
KB
Kevin_Balderston
Mar 20, 2009
Hello,

I have seemed to excise the transform demon. I did a full uninstall/reinstall of CS4. I was getting weird issues with Adobe Update not correctly applying updates and not showing the various apps as have being updated so I figured a resinstall was needed. After testing Photoshop after the reinstall the free transform/transform selection bug I was seeing is gone. Yay!

So I think the lesson I learned from this whole ordeal is DON’T EVER RENAME ADOBE APPLICATION FOLDERS!

How to Master Sharpening in Photoshop

Give your photos a professional finish with sharpening in Photoshop. Learn to enhance details, create contrast, and prepare your images for print, web, and social media.

Related Discussion Topics

Nice and short text about related topics in discussion sections