invisible masks

JD
Posted By
JC Dill
Jul 11, 2004
Views
635
Replies
7
Status
Closed
I don’t know how my masks have ended up invisible (no color overlay), but they have. When I view mask properties, it shows that the masks are red and have 50% transparency, but I can’t ever GET my mask overlays to show (although the mask effects show just fine). This, obviously, makes it really hard to edit my masks. I’ve RT’d the FM but can’t find out what I’ve done that caused this to happen. I’m using PS7 on WinXP. If anyone has any idea how to change this back, I’m all ears!

Thanks,

jc

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D
dplank
Jul 11, 2004
Masks are actually channels. Try this.

Click on the layer where you have a mask

In the panel where layers show, click on the tab for Channels

This will change the panel and show RGB or CMYK depending on the color Mode of the file

Click on the mask channel so that it is visible

If you go back to layers you will see the mask as red

JC Dill wrote:

I don’t know how my masks have ended up invisible (no color overlay), but they have. When I view mask properties, it shows that the masks are red and have 50% transparency, but I can’t ever GET my mask overlays to show (although the mask effects show just fine). This, obviously, makes it really hard to edit my masks. I’ve RT’d the FM but can’t find out what I’ve done that caused this to happen. I’m using PS7 on WinXP. If anyone has any idea how to change this back, I’m all ears!
Thanks,

jc

JD
JC Dill
Jul 11, 2004
JC Dill wrote:

I don’t know how my masks have ended up invisible (no color overlay), but they have. When I view mask properties, it shows that the masks are red and have 50% transparency, but I can’t ever GET my mask overlays to show (although the mask effects show just fine). This, obviously, makes it really hard to edit my masks. I’ve RT’d the FM but can’t find out what I’ve done that caused this to happen. I’m using PS7 on WinXP. If anyone has any idea how to change this back, I’m all ears!

D.Plank wrote:
Masks are actually channels. Try this.

Click on the layer where you have a mask

In the panel where layers show, click on the tab for Channels
This will change the panel and show RGB or CMYK depending on the color Mode of the file

Click on the mask channel so that it is visible

If you go back to layers you will see the mask as red

Thanks, that helps (in that I can now make my masks visible to edit them) but it doesn’t fix the bigger problem.

It used to be that when I clicked on the layer thumbnail, I saw the image and when I clicked on the layer mask thumbnail I saw the mask overlaying the image (the mask being red, 50% opacity). Now I have to go to the channels tab each time to turn the mask visibility on and off. How do I get it to go on automatically when I click on the layer mask thumbnail, and to go off when I click on the layer thumbnail?

jc
E
edjh
Jul 11, 2004
JC Dill wrote:
JC Dill wrote:

I don’t know how my masks have ended up invisible (no color overlay), but they have. When I view mask properties, it shows that the masks are red and have 50% transparency, but I can’t ever GET my mask overlays to show (although the mask effects show just fine). This, obviously, makes it really hard to edit my masks. I’ve RT’d the FM but can’t find out what I’ve done that caused this to happen. I’m using PS7 on WinXP. If anyone has any idea how to change this back, I’m all ears!

D.Plank wrote:
Masks are actually channels. Try this.

Click on the layer where you have a mask

In the panel where layers show, click on the tab for Channels
This will change the panel and show RGB or CMYK depending on the color Mode of the file

Click on the mask channel so that it is visible

If you go back to layers you will see the /snip/mask as red

Thanks, that helps (in that I can now make my masks visible to edit them) but it doesn’t fix the bigger problem.

It used to be that when I clicked on the layer thumbnail, I saw the image and when I clicked on the layer mask thumbnail I saw the mask overlaying the image (the mask being red, 50% opacity). Now I have to go to the channels tab each time to turn the mask visibility on and off. How do I get it to go on automatically when I click on the layer mask thumbnail, and to go off when I click on the layer thumbnail?
jc
Try Alt-Shift click on the mask, then Shift-click on it.


Comic book sketches and artwork:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/edjh.html
Comics art for sale:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/batsale.html
JD
JC Dill
Jul 12, 2004
edjh wrote:

Try Alt-Shift click on the mask,

Ah, that works much better!

Now, why don’t my masks start *out* visible?

jc
E
edjh
Jul 12, 2004
JC Dill wrote:
edjh wrote:

Try Alt-Shift click on the mask,

Ah, that works much better!

Now, why don’t my masks start *out* visible?

jc
I think in most cases users would not want that. They just want to see the reults in the image. I rarely need to see tha image with the mask overlaid except in the case of a Quickmask.


Comic book sketches and artwork:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/edjh.html
Comics art for sale:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/batsale.html
JD
JC Dill
Jul 12, 2004
edjh wrote:

JC Dill wrote:

edjh wrote:

Try Alt-Shift click on the mask,

Ah, that works much better!

Now, why don’t my masks start *out* visible?
I think in most cases users would not want that. They just want to see the reults in the image. I rarely need to see tha image with the mask overlaid except in the case of a Quickmask.

I’m creating the mask custom for each image, therefore I need to see the mask as I’m creating it (to make sure there aren’t any holes etc.

It used to be that when I created a mask for the first time and clicked on the mask thumbnail that the mask itself would be visible (red) on the image. I want that functionality back, but I don’t know what I changed to lose it!

jc
E
edjh
Jul 12, 2004
JC Dill wrote:
edjh wrote:

JC Dill wrote:

edjh wrote:

Try Alt-Shift click on the mask,

Ah, that works much better!

Now, why don’t my masks start *out* visible?
I think in most cases users would not want that. They just want to see the reults in the image. I rarely need to see tha image with the mask overlaid except in the case of a Quickmask.

I’m creating the mask custom for each image, therefore I need to see the mask as I’m creating it (to make sure there aren’t any holes etc.
It used to be that when I created a mask for the first time and clicked on the mask thumbnail that the mask itself would be visible (red) on the image. I want that functionality back, but I don’t know what I changed to lose it!

I don’t recall that behavior in any version (4 and after) on either platform.


Comic book sketches and artwork:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/edjh.html
Comics art for sale:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/batsale.html

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