Skip to main content
W
witkacy
Known Participant
May 3, 2017
Answered

Select and Mask vs. Refine Edge keyboard operation

  • May 3, 2017
  • 2 replies
  • 13192 views

Hello,

I am facing a move from CS6 to CC at work. I've looked into an important part of my day to day which is Refine Edge known as Select and Mask workspace in CC. I would love to embrace the change (if only to deny the thought that I'm really to old for changes).

I can retrain my muscle memory for the new preview shortcuts, I think. Nevertheless, I have encountered problems I can't seem to be able to overcome:

1. Is there a keyboard shortcut to focus the first entry field in the Select and Mask workspace?

2. Relatedly, why isn't there an Auto-Select Parameter option in Select and Mask? Am I missing something?

3. There is a way to get to the old Refine Edge UI (which I would be forced to go back to if pts. 1-2 can't be resolved) by holding a Shift key while selecting Select and Mask from the Select menu. Is there a way to assign a keyboard shortcut to evoke Refine Edge without resorting to using a mouse (Shift+Cmd[Ctrl]+Alt does not work)?

Not being able to use the keyboard slows me down too much.

Thank you.

Regards

m.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Conrad_C

davescm  wrote

On Windows Alt S Shift+K works to get the old refine edge .

I ran some quick tests on a Mac, and it looks like as long as you define a Select and Mask shortcut that includes the Shift key, Refine Edge will come up. Including simply adding the Shift key to the existing shortcut. The shortcut in this screen shot opens Refine Edge.

davescm  wrote

But I don't think that Alt method of steering through menus works on a Mac

Not exactly the same way, but it can be done. On the Mac in System Preferences, there’s a user-configurable system keyboard shortcut, Move Focus to the Menu Bar, that lets you navigate menus with the keyboard.

Once you press that shortcut, you can select menus and commands using a type-ahead feature. To open Refine Edge this way:

  1. Press the Move Focus to the Menu Bar shortcut (Control+F2 by default).
  2. Type "s". This selects the Select menu.
  3. Type "se". This selects the Select and Mask command on the Select menu.
  4. Hold Shift while pressing Return or spacebar. This opens the Select and Mask command with the Shift key, opening Refine Edge.

In practical working terms this means you'd type "Control+F2 s se Shift-Return" as the equivalent of Alt-typing the menu and command in Windows.

But it's a lot faster to simply redefine the Select and Mask keyboard shortcut in Photoshop so that it includes the Shift key, because that's just one shortcut to press.

2 replies

davescm
Community Expert
davescmCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 15, 2017

Hi

On Windows Alt S Shift+K works to get the old refine edge . But I don't think that Alt method of steering through menus works on a Mac

Dave

    Conrad_C
    Community Expert
    Conrad_CCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    July 16, 2017

    davescm  wrote

    On Windows Alt S Shift+K works to get the old refine edge .

    I ran some quick tests on a Mac, and it looks like as long as you define a Select and Mask shortcut that includes the Shift key, Refine Edge will come up. Including simply adding the Shift key to the existing shortcut. The shortcut in this screen shot opens Refine Edge.

    davescm  wrote

    But I don't think that Alt method of steering through menus works on a Mac

    Not exactly the same way, but it can be done. On the Mac in System Preferences, there’s a user-configurable system keyboard shortcut, Move Focus to the Menu Bar, that lets you navigate menus with the keyboard.

    Once you press that shortcut, you can select menus and commands using a type-ahead feature. To open Refine Edge this way:

    1. Press the Move Focus to the Menu Bar shortcut (Control+F2 by default).
    2. Type "s". This selects the Select menu.
    3. Type "se". This selects the Select and Mask command on the Select menu.
    4. Hold Shift while pressing Return or spacebar. This opens the Select and Mask command with the Shift key, opening Refine Edge.

    In practical working terms this means you'd type "Control+F2 s se Shift-Return" as the equivalent of Alt-typing the menu and command in Windows.

    But it's a lot faster to simply redefine the Select and Mask keyboard shortcut in Photoshop so that it includes the Shift key, because that's just one shortcut to press.

      W
      witkacyAuthor
      Known Participant
      July 16, 2017

      https://forums.adobe.com/people/Conrad+C  wrote

      I ran some quick tests on a Mac, and it looks like as long as you define a Select and Mask shortcut that includes the Shift key, Refine Edge will come up.

      Oh, amazing! Thank you, I don’t know how I have missed that!

      Trevor.Dennis​, thanks, I’m aware I can modify shortcuts and save them (incl. as a part of a Workspace). But I can’t see a way to focus the editing fields in Select & Mask workspace using a keyboard (as they are by default in Refine Edge). Also, Auto-select Parameter is missing from Select & Mask and Shift+Enter disastrously commits the changes (it focuses the first editing field in palettes).

      I need that because I’m used to blazing-fast operations in Refine Edge when touching a mouse (or a pen) would slow me down considerably.

      Thanks to Conrad C​’s workaround, I can maintain speed by using an old interface. Hopefully, before access to legacy tool is removed, these new workspace UIs gain Auto-Select Parameter ;-)

      Regards

      m.

      Sahil.Chawla
      Adobe Employee
      Sahil.Chawla
      Adobe Employee
      June 8, 2017

      Hi Witkacy,

      You can still access the old Refine edge feature in Photoshop CC 2017.

      1. Make a selection.

      2. Click on Select on the top menu.
      3. Hold down the shift key on your keyboard and click on Select & Mask and you'll be able to use Refine Edge.

      Regards,

      Sahil

      W
      witkacyAuthor
      Known Participant
      July 15, 2017

      Hi, Sahil,

      Thank you for your response. As noted in my pt. 3, I was already aware of a way to get to the old Refine Edge using a mouse and shift.

      What I would like to do is to get to it using a keyboard shortcut alone. I need this, because the new Select & Mask workspace slows me down too much as I cannot operate it with just a keyboard easily (see pts. 1–2).

      Thank you.

      Regards

      m.

      Trevor.Dennis
      Community Expert
      Trevor.DennisCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      July 15, 2017

      witkacy  wrote

      What I would like to do is to get to it using a keyboard shortcut alone. I need this, because the new Select & Mask workspace slows me down too much as I cannot operate it with just a keyboard easily (see pts. 1–2).

      So just make one.  Are there functions you never use, and from which you could steal the shortcut?  Even iv you use absolutely everything, it won't be on an everyday basis.  CC2017 allows us to customise the Toolbar, and we are able to save custom Toolbars along with custom shortcuts and menus. 

      So what I do is double duty a few shortcuts with my most used workspace, and switch back to Essentials when I need the default shortcuts.  I do this with a single key using the extra keys on a gaming keyboard.  Mine is a Logitech G910 which has 9 G keys that can have three banks of shortcuts (the pink keys in the image below).  Note you can change key colour individually, and this is program context sensitive.  I don't need the colours for Photoshop, but it is super handy for Sketchup where I can never remember which cursor key selects which axis.

      Regular poster JJ Mack takes this step further and has one of these:

      Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
      Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices