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Question

Flummoxed: Can Paths Disappear or Be Hidden?

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
February 14, 2019
3 replies
3281 views

Hi, via FTP i downloaded 8 very similar PSD and JPG CMYK files from a customer. I opened them in Photoshop and saw that one file contained a complicated path that I badly needed. I don't remember which one.

But later the path seemed gone, i.e. the Paths panel was empty – as if I had deleted the path (which is very unlikely). I re-downloaded the files and still there was no path to be seen. (I tried with panel options set to large, small + no thumbnails. I tried after a PS restart. Oodles of RAM.) No chance to undo something or to step back in History panel.

I am very sure that I have seen that path on initial file inspection, in the panel and as a blue outline in the displayed image file; i remember my relief about seeing that important path there. And I downloaded all the original files (not zipped) again. So now I wonder:

Is there a situation when Photoshop suddenly does not show existing paths in the Paths panel?
Is there a way to detect paths in a PSD or JPG file apart from checking the Paths panel in PS? If yes, how could an existing, but somehow hidden path be made usable again?

Thanks!

path

This topic has been closed for replies.

jane-e

Community Expert

Henrik2000 wrote
And I downloaded all the original files (not zipped) again. So now I wonder:
Is there a situation when Photoshop suddenly does not show existing paths in the Paths panel?

As I recall, it used to be that a work path did not get saved with the file. A test shows that it does now. A work path would disappear if you started a new path, but that would trigger a save and it would also be in the original freshly downloaded files.

I don’t think this is it, but am throwing it out just in case. It is one situation where a path can “disappear”.

~Jane

H

Henrik2000Author

Known Participant

schrieb
wrote
And I downloaded all the original files (not zipped) again. So now I wonder:
Is there a situation when Photoshop suddenly does not show existing paths in the Paths panel?
As I recall, it used to be that a work path did not get saved with the file. A test shows that it does now. A work path would disappear if you started a new path, but that would trigger a save and it would also be in the original freshly downloaded files.
I don’t think this is it, but am throwing it out just in case. It is one situation where a path can “disappear”.
~Jane

Jane, thanks, indeed it's not it.

Bojan Živković11378569

Community Expert

Here are my $0.02. It happens to me all the time: if path in Paths panel is selected and you hit Delete or Backspace on your keyboard, path will be deleted without any notification. Sadly, if you haven't realize what happen immediately or before saving/closing file path is gone forever, you must redraw it.

H

Henrik2000Author

Known Participant

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Bojan+%C5%BDivkovi%C4%87 schrieb
Here are my $0.02. It happens to me all the time: if path in Paths panel is selected and you hit Delete or Backspace on your keyboard, path will be deleted without any notification. Sadly, if you haven't realize what happen immediately or before saving/closing file path is gone forever, you must redraw it.

Bojan, thanks. But once you close the image with the deleted path, Photoshop will ask if you want to save that image sans path (i just tried with a test image). In my case, i hadn't had any intention to change the images upon first inspection, so any request to save the images would have made me alert (as said above) and i would have clicked "No". But i don't remember any file saving question after inspecting and then closing the images.

Btw, now when testing i note that the path is thin + gray. But when i (supposedly) saw the path i'm after, it was clearly thick and blue. Could anyone say what that means?

melissapiccone

Community Expert

Henrik2000 wrote
Btw, now when testing i note that the path is thin + gray. But when i (supposedly) saw the path i'm after, it was clearly thick and blue. Could anyone say what that means?

There are settings for how the path will appear

Melissa Piccone | Adobe Trainer | Online Courses Author | Fine Artist

c.pfaffenbichler

Community Expert

Is the file layered?

If so the Path could be a Vector Mask and only appear in the Paths Panel if the Layer is selected.

H

Henrik2000Author

Known Participant

C.P., thanks for a good suggestion!

But it doesn't help in this situation: I checked the PSDs again and some were layered indeed (with simple Background copies) - but no individual layer contained any vector mask. I also checked the "View | Show" submenu and didn't see any hint to a solution there.

As a sidenote: I had opened the files for a first look, seen a path to my relief and closed them. Upon closing, I don't remember any PS question asking me to save any changed files - which would have made me very suspicious. It seems that i closed the files unchanged after first inspection.

So my initial question remains open: Can paths suddenly disappear or be hidden other than by deleting them?

c.pfaffenbichler

Community Expert

Can paths suddenly disappear or be hidden other than by deleting them?

Practically no.

One can suppress the display of Paths on the Canvas (View > Extras), but they would still be indicated in the Paths Panel.

Can you provide the file or at least a screenshot with the pertinent Panels (Layers, Paths, …)?

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