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FeedbackCommunityMember
Inspiring
July 13, 2011
Released

P: Don't understand the undo/redo system

  • July 13, 2011
  • 81 replies
  • 5319 views

Unlike most modern apps, Photoshop only has a single "undo". If you press command-z a second time, Photoshop will redo the change instead of continuing to undo. Not even Illustrator or InDesign works this way at this point.

To work around this issue, I customize my keyboard shortcuts to use "step backward" (command-z) and "step forward" (command-shift-z). For the most part this works great and I've been very happy with it.

But it brings up a new problem: if I change the selected layer, then press command-z ("step backward") then the layer change is undone as well. This is a constant frustration for me, and it seems there's no solution to get both the behaviors I want.

To me, there are two possible ways to fix this problem:
• Adopt a standard undo/redo system with multiple levels of undo/redo
• Make layer selection a separate step in the history

Personally I don't care that much, I'd be happy with either. But adopting a standard undo/redo system makes more sense to me, for consistency amongst the CS apps (as well as other apps). Perhaps it could be an option if there's disagreement over what works best for people.

    81 replies

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    DermotPower
    Participating Frequently
    June 17, 2015
    Gosh Kris you must be delighted Adobe have given the rest of us the special powers you have in your photoshop!!!!! Where is your sarcastic post about it?
    Smoothjunk
    Smoothjunk
    Participant
    June 16, 2015
    This is amazing! This update will save me so much time per project. I will actually have to adjust my current workflow to adjust to this update -- adjust for the better, of course!
    A
    Allen_W
    Known Participant
    June 16, 2015
    i'm happy this will finally get fixed. but i wonder why it took so long--was it really that hard to fix?

    btw, can we get an update to also fix it for Photoshop CS6? many of us are not ready to go CC yet.
    D
    DermotPower
    Participating Frequently
    June 16, 2015
    iPhone thumb fumble meant a limited reaction from me earlier... really happy that photoshop made this change - will make my life a lot easier from now on. Might have deserved a bit more fanfare!
    fruityth1ng
    fruityth1ng
    Inspiring
    June 16, 2015
    Jeffrey, we've known each other for years through this topic. I for one will raise a glass tonight to this super-welcome feature. Thank you! 🙂 !
    D
    DermotPower
    Participating Frequently
    June 16, 2015
    At last!!!?
    J
    J453
    Legend
    June 16, 2015

    See: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/undo-history.html

     

    In Photoshop CC (2015) update, step backwards shouldn't change the layer selection.

     

     

    F
    FeedbackCommunityMemberAuthor
    Inspiring
    April 9, 2015


    Why does stepping backwards change what layer you're working on? Say I'm editing layer 2 and then switch to layer 3. Then I make two brush strokes on layer 3, and realize I don't like them. If I "step backward" twice, I'll be back on layer 2, even though I want to be working on layer 3. At best I have to annoyingly reselect layer 3, and at worst I might accidentally do work on the wrong layer. "Undo" is useless here because it bafflingly only ping-pongs between your last change.

    Why on earth would it work this way? Why, at the very least, do we not have more options for either keeping layer selection immune from any changes or adding a layer change to history, so that in my above example, I'd have to "step backward" 3 times to be back on layer 2?
    A
    Allen_W
    Known Participant
    December 10, 2014
    this problem is one of the big reasons why photoshop is not a drawing-friendly program.
    Smoothjunk
    Smoothjunk
    Participant
    December 9, 2014


    Not unlike most folks posting in this community, I use Photoshop more than any other program and have used it for going on 20 years, give or take a year.
    There is one hangup I have that I constantly run into that bugs and frustrates me that I wish could be addressed. It seems to be a simple issue on the surface.
    I tend to use dozens and dozens of layers when creating illustrations. If I select a layer to edit, make an edit to that layer then Step Backward (that is, I undo the change I made), Photoshop undoes the change and takes me back to the layer I was on before making the change. If I want to continue to work in the layer I selected, I have to find it again and, as most of you know, finding the layer again can be a bit time-consuming.
    When I Step Backwards, I expect to undo the change I've made to the layer I am on and NOT undo the change *and* take me back to the previously-selected layer.
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