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Inspiring
April 4, 2012
Released

P: Free Transform - ability to set Maintain Aspect Ratio as default

  • April 4, 2012
  • 181 replies
  • 7264 views

In Photoshop, it would be nice when "free transforming" a layer that the "maintain aspect ratio" lock button would maintain the previous setting, or some other way to set the default mode. I'm frustrated that I have to click it each time I'm resizing a bunch of items individually. Thanks.

    181 replies

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    stevec97593016
    stevec97593016
    Participating Frequently
    October 16, 2018
    You're right, Iulian Art. It's all those things. It messes with the "Shift Constrains Proportions" thing that has been consistent across all graphics software forever. And, like you and others have pointed out, having the constrain proportions be default is not only inconsistent with what we have always known, but it also is inconsistent with the other Adobe apps and within the Photoshop itself in other areas.
    Again, the good news is that with that text file, we can get things back to the way they used to be. For those who need this, check out earlier in this thread and you'll see how to set it up how you like it.

    As Collin said above, "It should be a preference that you can toggle in settings; not a default behavior whether you like it or not.So you can set it according to your workflow preferences." So, although there is an extra step or two involved beyond just setting it in your preferences through the application itself, at least we can set that preference to our liking.

    It's quite amazing how much something small like that can disrupt one's workflow, so it's important to have as must customization to one's work habits as is possible.
    stevec97593016
    stevec97593016
    Participating Frequently
    October 16, 2018
    You're right, Iulian Art. It's all those things. It messes with the "Shift Constrains Proportions" thing that has been consistent across all graphics software forever. And, like you and others have pointed out, having the constrain proportions be default is not only inconsistent with what we have always known, but it also is inconsistent with the other Adobe apps and within the Photoshop itself in other areas.
    Again, the good news is that with that text file, we can get things back to the way they used to be. For those who need this, check out earlier in this thread and you'll see how to set it up how you like it.

    As Collin said above, "It should be a preference that you can toggle in settings; not a default behavior whether you like it or not.So you can set it according to your workflow preferences." So, although there is an extra step or two involved beyond just setting it in your preferences through the application itself, at least we can set that preference to our liking.

    It's quite amazing how much something small like that can disrupt one's workflow, so it's important to have as must customization to one's work habits as is possible.
    J
    jull1ano
    Participant
    October 16, 2018

    @Kukurykus the confusion goes even further, because we all are using more than PS from Adobe Suite, so it should be some consistency across all apps, for instance in AI, layers do not transform proportionally.
    Moreover, for God`s sake, this menu itself is called "Free Transform" and not "Proportionally Transform" to justify the default lock behavior.
    Yet another bug about this: after you engage the "Free Transform" tool on a text, for example, and you unclick the lock aspect ratio icon from toolbar menu, it doesn`t obey the command.

    Kukurykus
    Kukurykus
    Legend
    October 16, 2018
    If you look at few posts back, you'll see the real hero is: KY
    Kukurykus
    Kukurykus
    Legend
    October 16, 2018
    The solution you found is posted also in the same subtheard, but few posts higher 😉
    S
    Serge Malevanny
    Known Participant
    October 16, 2018
    Iulian Art  you're my hero! 😃 Thank you, the fix works!
    Kukurykus
    Kukurykus
    Legend
    October 16, 2018
    If that default behaviour doesn't behave the same for vector layers so I agree it makes confusion as it's not consitent then. And that one situation you found seems to be bug.
    J
    jull1ano
    Participant
    October 16, 2018
    Hello again! 😄
    I found the FIX on Adobe website:

    To revert to the legacy transform behavior, do the following:

    1. Use Notepad (Windows) or a text editor on Mac OS to create a plain text file (.txt).
    2. Type the text below in the text file:

      TransformProportionalScale 0

    3. Save the file as "PSUserConfig.txt" to your Photoshop settings folder:
      • Windows: [Installation Drive]:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2019\Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 Settings\
      • macOS: //Users/[User Name]/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 Settings/

    J
    jull1ano
    Participant
    October 16, 2018
    Hi Hannah!
    How can we uncheck this in preferences so that proportional transform would not be a default behavior?
    On groups or on texts it proportionally transforms without shift key, but on vector layers, it doesn`t. So this not be an overall behavior in PS, does more harm than good, especially, if we work on PS for years and using shortcut keys became second nature for us.
    Can we simply toggle this off in Preferences, please?
    J
    jod-zeee
    Inspiring
    October 15, 2018
    Collin, really?! Then no, it hasn't been fixed. Did someone change the title of this post/idea somewhere along the way? The URL is:

    photoshop_numeric_free_transform_maintain_aspect_ratio_button

    Which is what we've been asking for.

    The title says:
    Free Transform - ability to set Maintain Aspect Ratio as default

    Hannah/Adobe, please don't mark this topic as implemented and change the title to what it originally was.
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