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Inspiring
November 9, 2011
Open for Voting

P: Ability to apply masks to individual Smart Filters

  • November 9, 2011
  • 24 replies
  • 3419 views

If this hasn't been asked for already I am flummoxed!!

At present the only way of applying filters with different masks to a smart object (say a sharpening followed by a background blur) is to apply the sharpening (with a mask) to the smart object, convert this to a smart object and apply the blur (with a mask) to this smart object. Not only does this make the workflow confusing (since some of the edits are hidden) but it also increases the size of the file considerably.

If masks could be applied to individual filters this really messy situation would disappear.

PLEASE INCLUDE THIS SOON!! Smart objects are a great idea ... but you seem to have done an initial cut and now you are doing nothing to make it into a more useful and mature feature.

    24 replies

    Ivan Zajats
    Ivan Zajats
    Inspiring
    June 9, 2023

    just curious if we see it in the upcoming autumn update or Adobe thinks we should wait another 12 years... LOL 🙂 

      D Fosse
      Community Expert
      D FosseCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      May 27, 2023

      I would have to agree with this one on principle. Not a big need for me, but I see the point.

       

      Still, there are other things I would prefer they prioritize, so reluctantly I'm withholding my vote 😉

      Ivan Zajats
      Ivan Zajats
      Inspiring
      May 27, 2023

      That's so funny! Adobe pretending to be progressive with all those fancy AI features, but can't make simple masks for over a decade... LOL 🙂 

      shansipora
      shansipora
      Participant
      May 3, 2023

      Being able to add different masks to individual filters would solve so many problems for me! Currently I'm nesting one smart object after another, not very efficient for my workflow. When I want to edit a certain effect, I have to walk through all these nested SO's in search of the one with the filter I'm looking for. Then walk back through the whole chain to see how the change has effected each of them. And it makes resizing a hassle as well when I've done it too early in the process and want to adjust a cut-out I've made. On top of it all, masks tend to respond unpredictable to resizing and cutting and the nesting certainly doesn't help.

      P
      Popadun
      Known Participant
      January 11, 2023

      I need it too.

        Ivan Zajats
        Ivan Zajats
        Inspiring
        November 23, 2022

        no updates since 2011? omg...

        J
        Jaydude-wb
        Inspiring
        April 6, 2022

        Currently the mask is filtering all Smart Filters of a layer, but I need to mask eacht Filter individuallty.

          roman1961
          roman1961
          Known Participant
          March 9, 2022

          c., I admit perhaps my recent replie's tone was a bit too harsh. But I assure you, it is well deserved.

          For professional users who use this program to make a living, PSD is an invaluable tool which in today's world of graphic, printing and science has no real competitor. Yes, I praise Adobe for continuously providing a tool that is the cutting edge and the only truly reliable graphics program on the planet. But especially because of that, they should do a better job improving existing, well established tools. My experience in general is obviously frustrating. Adobe seems to make needless changes to tools that worked well for decades while tools that desperately need improvements, like allowing unique Mask to the individual Smart Filters stay untouched.

          In general, I love Photoshop and I owe it to my entire successful professional life. I still care, and therefore I continue to point out what I believe needs improvements.

          c.pfaffenbichler
          Community Expert
          c.pfaffenbichlerCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          May 15, 2020
          I sympathise with the frustration but I think you are being unfair to members of the Photoshop Team. 
          They may not have dropped by on this thread but on many others they have provided input, acknowledged bugs etc. 
          Also I somehow have a vague memory that one (possibly Chris Cox way back) elaborated on the problems with this particular request, but that may have been on the general Photoshop Forum. 

          Two other issues: 
          • There’s not just useless gadgets; Photoshop for Linux is probably one of the most-voted Feature Requests so now we got ... Photoshop for iPad! 
          • Alternatives to Photoshop exist and that makes the monopoly-accusation very problematic. 
          roman1961
          roman1961
          Known Participant
          May 14, 2020
          eartho, sadly Photoshop developing team is busy designing mostly useless gadgets to attract new buyers, while well established tools like the one mentioned here, are lacking much needed improvements. So, don't hold your breath. Profits are more important to Adobe than countless cries for improvements from the veteran Photoshop users like you and me.
          Further, so called 'experts', whose job is to convey our suggestions to the team of developers are mostly kids, who have no idea what we are talking about, so only the problems they can comprehend 'make it' for evaluation. For us - long time, professional users, who can greatly contribute in making Photoshop better tool because of our invaluable experience with the program - it is very frustrating to see that for 10 years, none of the Adobe representatives even took a minute to acknowledge our efforts here and many alike. A single 'we don't give a damn' would be better than this ignorance. 
          But hey, that's what having a monopoly affords you. Go Adobe!
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