Using Empty Level Adjustment in CS3

RA
Posted By
Robert_A._Wallace
Aug 18, 2008
Views
429
Replies
4
Status
Closed
Operating System:
Windows XP Professional (Service Pack 3)

Software:
Adobe Design Premium CS3 (10.0.1)
Photoshop Lightroom 4.1 and Lightroom 2.0 – on Trial)

For reasons that I cannot fully explain all my images are now opening as "Smart Objects" rather than "Background Layers" in CS3

I have also lost the capacity to "Dodge" (Multiply blend mode) or "Burn" (Screen blend mode)images with empty "Levels" adjustment layers.

I am able to highlight the respective layer and create the empty “Levels” adjustment layer, change the blend mode to either Multiply or Screen, fill the Layer Mask with Black (Alt & backspace), change the opacity level as desired, select the brush tool and change the foreground colour to white to enable the applicable “Dodge” or “Burn” processes.

Unfortunately, it does not function irrespective of the preferred opacity level. The “Dodge or Burn” feature is static with no effect on the image.

I cannot recall any settings to open all files as “Smart Objects” in Photoshop CS3 but would welcome some help in identifying such a setting if it exists. Alternatively, I would welcome any other suggested methods of correcting the above difficulties.

Are any other users experiencing the same or similar issues or have any suggestions about the settings or possible suggestions to resolve these problems?

Respect to John Beardy for his guidance and suggestions about working differently with the "Smart Objects".

I would, however, welcome some help in regaining the capacity to work effectively with empty "Levels" adjustment layers.

Regards
Bob Wallace

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C
Curvemeister
Aug 18, 2008
Very puzzling indeed. Perhaps someone has a quick answer on common pitfalls that might convert an image to a smart object.

I’d suggest that you start by seeing if you can create an empty image, save it as a psd file, and open it again as a normal "background image. Once you have verified that you can (or cannot) do this, we can start to figure out how your other images were converted to smart objects.

I have also lost the capacity to "Dodge" (Multiply blend mode) or "Burn" (Screen blend mode)images with empty "Levels" adjustment layers.

Did you add the empty "levels" adjustment layers, or did they appear by themselves?
F
Freeagent
Aug 19, 2008
Perhaps someone has a quick answer on common pitfalls that might convert an image to a smart object.

Well, one that comes to mind is "Open as Smart Object" from ACR; maybe Lightroom has a similar option? (I don’t use Lr).
P
PECourtejoie
Aug 19, 2008
Bob:
How are you opening your images? from Photoshop? Bridge? Ligthroom? The empty adj layers technique works normally on top of a smart object, double-checked here.

The normal cure is to re-create your Photoshop Preferences…

Curvemeister: the empty adj layer technique allows you to dodge/burn an image with itself with fewer "weight" in megabytes than using a duplicate of the affected layer.

Pierre
RA
Robert_A._Wallace
Aug 21, 2008
Hi Pierre

I sometime use Lightroom to open the images without any issues. Other times I use a combination of Photoshop CS3 & Bridge. Bridge is set to automatically open with Photoshop and I use it as an image viewer prior to opening with Camera RAW 4.5 , then opened in CS3.

Thanks for the tips………..

Further respect and appreciation to John Beardy for his suggested solutions. He has hit the nail on the head on this occasion. There was a good measure of "Error Code" ID 10 T in there somewhere. I had previously created and saved a "Layer Option" to which I did not give any further consideration!!….this has been corrected.

Regards
Bob Wallace

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