A way to have select same or below layer easily visible with the Brush too in use?

@jimm7497115 

You have been offered two possible solutions.

1. Install and use the script that c.pfaffenbichler, as a fellow Photoshop user, has taken the time to write for you.

2. Raise a change request as an 'idea' in this forum, stating clearly how you want this to work and the benefits it will bring. Then get as many users as you can to upvote that change request so that it will be raised in priority with Adobe's developers.

Your recent posts break the forum guidelines by personally attacking a community user that has tried to help you. This thread is now locked.

Dave

Have you been able to test the Script? 

sorry for the typos, Adobe has tarred everyone with the same brush, not pun intended, ie. assumed everyone is corrupt and blocked the edit function for anyone except the 'sepcial' few deamed worthy enough. God forbid they should deal with those individuals that have 'abused' the function and maybe addressed the reasons why people feel they need to 'abuse' the function. No, people get treated like cattle as usual. Yes, 'cattle' meaning property, something just to be used an exploited. The users of these apps are the ones that pay the wages of Adobe staff afterall, god forbid you should treat them accordingly. 

I'll give this the answer I think it should have had.
Sorry Jim, Adobe, hasn't realised after 33 years that 2D artists use the Brush tool more than any other tool. Adobe introduced Blending Modes which are great but, doesn't understand that 2D artists will want to take advantage of those Blending Modes when painting, I mean, if you want to select from the Blending Modes rather than guess the colour from the colour palette it would make sense to have that option within the tool you're using. Adobe understands how useful that is in the Stamp tool, Quick Selection tool, Mixer Brush, History Brush, Eraser Tool, Gradient Tool, Blur Tool, Smudge Tool, Sharpen Tool, even introduced this option into the new features of the Healing Brush Tools and I should mention the Eye Dropper tool, I mean it's only an Adobe convention to have that option in Eye Dropper Tool. Adobe could have decided to make selection options a tool in itself that affected everything. There's no reason not to if you aren't going to have it in the Brush tool. I'm really not sure why Adobe doesn't see why having to select the Eye Dropper tool, change the selection mode and then switch back to the Brush tool is a bit frustrating especially if you've found yourself locked in the brush search box and shortcuts are just typing away and doing nothing so you have to hit another key to get yourself out of that box. I probably only use the Eye Dropper tool 99.9% of the time for changing between how the Brush Tool selects. Yeah, the Eye Dropper tool has some useful functions, it's just the one of which that I use the most to change how the Brush tool selects. I can understand why you wouldn't want to waste your time submitting a feature request to Adobe for this, I mean if they haven't listened to how people use Photoshop features in 33 years they probably aren't going to listen to you now. People like me and you that use the Brush tool in Photoshop, you know, for painting, making art, and take advantage of Blending Modes are obviously the tiny minority. Probably not surprising though since having to switch to the Eye Dropper Tool, change the selection mode and back to the Brush tool can get pretty annoying.  Ironic though since the word 'phtoshopped' kind of meant airbrushed for a long time to the 'lay' community. 

The Brush tool doesn't have an option for same / all layers - what exactly are you doing / workflow?? Do you mean when you are using the brush tool you want to sample a color on a different layer but you can't and have to switch to select it in the options bar in the eye dropper tool??? If you set your eye dropper to sample from all layers it should stay that way - options are sticky for all tools in Photosohp. If you have it set to all layers why would need to change it to current layer only??

Please post meaningful screenshots including all pertinent Panels to illustrate your worklow. 

Firstly why is this option not just there by default with the Brush Tool

Because the Brush Tool is not the Eyedropper Tool. 

But feel free to post a Feature Request. 

Selecting the Eyedropper Tool, switching between »Current« and »Current and Below«, selecting the Brush Tool seems Script-able and therefore keyboard shortcut-able. 

Edit: 

// select eyedropper tool, change sample, select brush tool;
// 2023, use it at your own risk;
// =======================================================
    var desc221 = new ActionDescriptor();
        var ref1 = new ActionReference();
        ref1.putClass( stringIDToTypeID( "eyedropperTool" ) );
    desc221.putReference( stringIDToTypeID( "null" ), ref1 );
executeAction( stringIDToTypeID( "select" ), desc221, DialogModes.NO );
switchCTO();
// =======================================================
    var desc224 = new ActionDescriptor();
        var ref3 = new ActionReference();
        ref3.putClass( stringIDToTypeID( "paintbrushTool" ) );
    desc224.putReference( stringIDToTypeID( "null" ), ref3 );
executeAction( stringIDToTypeID( "select" ), desc224, DialogModes.NO );
// https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/here-is-a-script-that-switches-toggles-sample-mode-option-for-tools-that-support-it/m-p/12399984#M585302
// by oleos
/*
<javascriptresource>
<name>Switch Sample Mode</name>
<enableinfo>true</enableinfo>
<category>Hirlin Scripts</category>
</javascriptresource>
// Oleksii Hirlin 2021
*/
var includeAllOptions = false; // should be either true or false
// if set to false will switch between 'Current' and 'Current &below' or just switch on / off
// if seet to true will switch between all avaliable variants as well as on / off
// getting currentToolOptions property
function checkCTOoption(charString, isIdTypeString){
    var ref = new ActionReference();
        ref.putProperty(stringIDToTypeID("property"), stringIDToTypeID("currentToolOptions"));
        ref.putEnumerated(stringIDToTypeID("application"), stringIDToTypeID("ordinal"), stringIDToTypeID("targetEnum"));
    if (charString=="eyeDropperSampleSheet"){
        return executeActionGet(ref).getObjectValue(stringIDToTypeID("currentToolOptions")).getInteger(stringIDToTypeID(charString));
    }
    if (isIdTypeString==true){
        return executeActionGet(ref).getObjectValue(stringIDToTypeID("currentToolOptions")).getBoolean(stringIDToTypeID(charString));
    } else {
        return executeActionGet(ref).getObjectValue(stringIDToTypeID("currentToolOptions")).getBoolean(charIDToTypeID(charString));
    }
}
// get current tool options object
function getCTO(){
    var ref = new ActionReference();
        ref.putProperty(stringIDToTypeID("property"), stringIDToTypeID("currentToolOptions"));
        ref.putEnumerated(stringIDToTypeID("application"), stringIDToTypeID("ordinal"), stringIDToTypeID("targetEnum"));
        return executeActionGet(ref).getObjectValue(stringIDToTypeID("currentToolOptions"));
}
// setting currentToolOptions with options array
function setCTO( options, isIdTypeString ){
    var desc = new ActionDescriptor();
        var ref = new ActionReference();
            ref.putClass( stringIDToTypeID( app.currentTool ) );
        desc.putReference( stringIDToTypeID( "target" ), ref );
        // getting current tool options so that they do not get reset
        var ctoObj = getCTO();
            // check if we are setting the eyedropper tool
            if ( app.currentTool=="eyedropperTool" ){
                ctoObj.putInteger( stringIDToTypeID( options[0][0] ), options[0][1] );
            } else {
                // iteration through options array and putting booleans into cto descriptor
                for (var i=0; i < options.length; i++){
                    if (isIdTypeString==true){
                        ctoObj.putBoolean( stringIDToTypeID( options[i][0] ), options[i][1] );
                    } else {
                        ctoObj.putBoolean( charIDToTypeID( options[i][0] ), options[i][1] );
                    }
                }
            }
        desc.putObject( stringIDToTypeID( "to" ), stringIDToTypeID( "currentToolOptions" ), ctoObj );
    executeAction( stringIDToTypeID( "set" ), desc, DialogModes.NO );
}
// switching currentToolOptions if it's one of the tools, ignoring otherwise
function switchCTO (){
    if ( app.currentTool=="magicStampTool" || app.currentTool=="cloneStampTool" ){
        if ( checkCTOoption("StmA")==true && checkCTOoption("StmB")==false && checkCTOoption("StmS")==false ){
            // if 'Current' set to 'Current and below'
            setCTO( [ ["StmA",true], ["StmB",true], ["StmS",true] ] );
        }
        else if ( checkCTOoption("StmA")==true && checkCTOoption("StmB")==true && checkCTOoption("StmS")==true && includeAllOptions==true ){
            // if 'current & below' set to 'all layers'
            setCTO( [ ["StmA",true], ["StmB",false], ["StmS",true] ] );
        }
        else {
            // otherwise set it to 'Current'
            setCTO( [ ["StmA",true], ["StmB",false], ["StmS",false] ] );
        }
    }
    else if ( app.currentTool=="magicLassoTool" || app.currentTool=="wetBrushTool" || app.currentTool=="recomposeSelection" ){
        if ( checkCTOoption("sampleAllLayers", true)==false ){
            setCTO( [ ["sampleAllLayers", true] ], true );
        } else {
            setCTO( [ ["sampleAllLayers", false] ], true );
        }
    }
    else if ( app.currentTool=="quickSelectTool" ){
        if ( checkCTOoption("quickSelectSampleAllLayers", true)==false ){
            setCTO( [ ["quickSelectSampleAllLayers", true] ], true );
        } else {
            setCTO( [ ["quickSelectSampleAllLayers", false] ], true );
        }
    }
    else if ( app.currentTool=="magicWandTool" ){
        if ( checkCTOoption("windowsSystem", true)==false ){
            setCTO( [ ["windowsSystem", true] ], true );
        } else {
            setCTO( [ ["windowsSystem", false] ], true );
        }
    }
    else if ( app.currentTool=="spotHealingBrushTool" ){
        if (checkCTOoption("StmS")==true){
            setCTO( [ ["StmS",false] ] );
        } else {
            setCTO( [ ["StmS",true] ] );
        }
    }
    else if ( app.currentTool=="patchSelection" && checkCTOoption("contentAware", true)==true ){
        if ( checkCTOoption("sampleAllLayers", true)==false ){
            setCTO( [ ["sampleAllLayers", true] ], true );
        } else {
            setCTO( [ ["sampleAllLayers", false] ], true );
        }
    }
    else if ( app.currentTool=="eyedropperTool" ){
        /* 
        current layer = 1
        cur & below = 3
        all layers = 0
        all layers no adj = 6
        cur & below no adj = 8
        */
        if ( checkCTOoption("eyeDropperSampleSheet")==1 ) {
            setCTO( [ ["eyeDropperSampleSheet", 3] ] );
        } else if ( checkCTOoption("eyeDropperSampleSheet")==3 ) {
            if ( includeAllOptions==true ){
                setCTO( [ ["eyeDropperSampleSheet", 0] ] );
            } else {
                setCTO( [ ["eyeDropperSampleSheet", 1] ] );
            }
        } else if ( checkCTOoption("eyeDropperSampleSheet")==0 ) {
            if ( includeAllOptions==true ){
                setCTO( [ ["eyeDropperSampleSheet", 6] ] );
            } else {
                setCTO( [ ["eyeDropperSampleSheet", 1] ] );
            }
        } else if ( checkCTOoption("eyeDropperSampleSheet")==6 ) {
            if ( includeAllOptions==true ){
                setCTO( [ ["eyeDropperSampleSheet", 8] ] );
            } else {
                setCTO( [ ["eyeDropperSampleSheet", 1] ] );
            }
        } else if ( checkCTOoption("eyeDropperSampleSheet")==8 ) {
                setCTO( [ ["eyeDropperSampleSheet", 1] ] );
        } else {
                setCTO( [ ["eyeDropperSampleSheet", 1] ] );
        }
    }
    else if ( app.currentTool=="bucketTool" || app.currentTool=="magicEraserTool"){
        if (checkCTOoption("BckS")==true){
            setCTO( [ ["BckS",false] ] );
        } else {
            setCTO( [ ["BckS",true] ] );
        }
    }
    else if ( app.currentTool=="blurTool" || app.currentTool=="sharpenTool" ){
        if (checkCTOoption("BlrS")==true){
            setCTO( [ ["BlrS",false] ] );
        } else {
            setCTO( [ ["BlrS",true] ] );
        }
    }
    else if ( app.currentTool=="smudgeTool" ){
        if ( checkCTOoption("smudgeStick", true)==false ){
            setCTO( [ ["smudgeStick", true] ], true );
        } else {
            setCTO( [ ["smudgeStick", false] ], true );
        }
    }
    else {
        // if other tools, do nothing
    }
};