P: Don't understand the undo/redo system

That's what I said. Switch layers (not create a layer), paint a mark, hit undo or go back in history... it does not switch me to the previous layer. No plug-ins installed to make it behave that way.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2TBAW...

I can send you a screen recording of what happens if you send me a direct email address. I don't think you can post mov files to the forums?

Thanks for this detailed description . I wasn't sure of the exact details- e.g. I figured it was happening when I create a new layer , make a mark, then undo. (as opposed to select a layer, make a mark, undo). I put up with it for years because I used Painter entirely for painting and photoshop for tweaking. But Painter's screen redraw is so bad compared to PSDs, as well as the brush improvements in PSD that I now paint exclusively in PSD and am much more sensitive to the problem.

Check Rory Lutter's detailed description above - a detail that I didn't notice is that it's the 'selection' of a layer + stroke followed by undo that brings you back two steps. Not the 'creation' of a layer + stroke. Either way it is a common occurrence that I've just solved with Jeffery's script. But recreated using the menu's undo command instead of the keyboard shortcut (which I have assigned to the script).

Could be... I just tried it in CS6, and it doesn't do it there, either.

I followed Sergey Kritskiy's advice on using the script linked to by Jeffery above and that seems to have solved it for me. So thanks to both! As for Kris's comment below; maybe it didn't happen in CS4- it's a long time since I used that version. Early versions of software often have features that are better than later ones. (painter 6 for example)

That's because they don't understand how photoshop works.

That's funny... I don't know what you all are talking about, since switching layers, painting a mark and hitting undo (or step backward) does not switch layers for me. I'm using CS4.

Nothing changed between cs2 and cs5.

CS6 and we are still complaining about this topic. I got in to an extended thread on this a few years back which ended up with us all being patronised by an Adobe employee about the difference between undo and history states. I constantly face the problem outlined by numerous posters above. The latest infuriating example 10 mins ago had me trawling for solutions in the hope that CS6 might bring one. I am very grateful for the scripts posted but am a bit nervous about implementing them and think it's a bit nuts that Photoshop don't sort this problem themselves. Maybe if we emphasise that 'undoing' is not the same as 'mistake correction' it might be a more effective argument. I typically throw down a mark then instantly change my mind, undo, and throw down another one.. I might keep doing that until it looks right. I have no idea how often as I don't pay attention to it any more than I paid attention to how often I dipped my brush in water when painting with real materials back in the day. It's part of my process. But if I happen to have made a new layer and then made a mark (which is as common an event as dipping a brush in paint) and then hit the 'undo' then ....well you all know the rest. Just spent ten mins painting on the background layer without realising it. Not a big deal- I try to work with as little layers as possible anyway- but irritating. And a swarm of little irritations ends up being a massive annoyance. And don't get me started on brush folders... I waste so much time trying to find custom brushes - but hey, we've got darker IU in CS6; it was worth the wait!