P: Masking overlays do not always appear (Mac)

[Sunwoo Kim 1237]

Lightroom overlays do not appear.

The overlays do not appear and no matter how many settings I change, they do not respond at all.

[Geoff Bartlett]

Lately, the last release or or so, the mask color overlays stop showing when mousing over masks or with the "show overlay" option selected.

I've tried changing overlay colors, changing out of develop and back in, but only restarting LR fixes the problem.

LR & System Info

Lightroom Classic version: 14.0.1 [ 202410161356-30922cfc ]
License: Creative Cloud
Language setting: en-AU
Operating system: Mac OS 14
Version: 14.6.1 [23G93]
Application architecture: arm64
Logical processor count: 10
Processor speed: NA
SqLite Version: 3.36.0
Power Source: Plugged In, 100%
Built-in memory: 65,536.0 MB
Dedicated GPU memory used by Lightroom: 13,941.3MB / 49,152.0MB (28%)
Real memory available to Lightroom: 65,536.0 MB
Real memory used by Lightroom: 3,430.7 MB (5.2%)
Virtual memory used by Lightroom: 423,933.9 MB
Memory cache size: 10.1MB
Internal Camera Raw version: 17.0 [ 2043 ]
Maximum thread count used by Camera Raw: 5
Camera Raw SIMD optimization: SSE2
Camera Raw virtual memory: 605MB / 32767MB (1%)
Camera Raw real memory: 861MB / 65536MB (1%)

Cache1:
Final1- RAM:496.0MB, VRAM:12,924.0MB, 20241029_100203__NZ61613.NEF
NT- RAM:496.0MB, VRAM:12,924.0MB, Combined:13,420.0MB

Cache2:
m:10.1MB, n:188.7MB

U-main: 107.0MB

Standard Preview Size: 2880 pixels
Displays: 1) 2560x1440, 2) 3600x2338

Graphics Processor Info:
Metal: Apple M1 Max
Init State: GPU for Export supported by default
User Preference: Auto
Enable HDR in Library: OFF

Application folder: /Applications/Adobe Lightroom Classic
Library Path: /Users/geoffbartlett/Pictures/_00 LR Working/00 LR Working-v14.lrcat
Settings Folder: /Users/geoffbartlett/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom

Installed Plugins:
1) AdobeStock
2) Aperture/iPhoto Importer Plug-in
3) Flickr
4) jb ListView
5) jb: Search+Replace

Config.lua flags:

[moved from bugs to discussions according to the community rules - Mod.]

[Geoff Bartlett]

Attached video of issue.

Moderators, how is this not a bug?

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

"Moderators, how is this not a bug?"
See: https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-bugs/p-do-i-post-in-discussions-or-bugs/idi-p/13691... 

I cannot replicate the failure with the instructions provided. 

[Per Berntsen]

Try resetting the preferences. Method 3 is the simplest way to do it.

https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/help/reset-preferences.html

[precise_future6C12]

I'm also experiencing the same issue. After a few edits, different images, the overlay function stops functioning and the option to select it greys out. Resetting the preferences works but it wipes out everything I've configured. I've also tried some of the other suggestions but the problem continues. The only sure fired method is exiting Lightrom Classic and restarting it.

[Geoff Bartlett]

That doesn't mean it is not a bug.

The only instructions I can provide are to edit many images for a prolonged period using multiple masks on each image with up to twenty object selections in a single mask.

[Geoff Bartlett]

I've done that recently for another bug. It's an incredibly disruptive solution to a problem that shouldn't be happening. And it didn't fix the bug anyway. Thank you, but no.

[shannonb43751399]

100% the same issue. So frustrating.

[Frigatebird]

I'm getting this issue too, fails after a period of editing and won't come back until I close LR and re-open. Once reopened, the earlier selections I've made are nicely overlaid again. QED definitely a bug!

[F. McLion]

Which overlay exactly?

Did you try to hit the 'o' key?

[andyh_73]

Apple MacBook Pro M1 16GB running macOS 15.3.2

1. Load Lr Desktop
2. Select a photo
3. Click on Landscape masking and wait for Lr to detect landscape
4. When complete, hover over the different categories
5. Mask overlays do not show on photo when cursor hovers over categories (Architecture, Sky, Vegetation etc).  Sometimes they do, but for only 1 or 2 categories then it disapears for the rest.
6. Same behaviour is observed using the similar features in the Person masking tool

Thanks 

Andy

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

 A couple of engineers have tried to reproduce this and are unable to see this behavior with the instructions provided. 

Does this happen to just one image or all images?

[andyh_73]

Hi. Most of the images I've tried so far. Either the overlays won't appear after analysing the image, or one or two will appear then the rest won't (like in the video). I assume you are trying to reproduce the issue on the same spec machine? I can confirm this doesn't seem to be an issue with either in LrC  or Camera Raw.

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

I am trying it on 2 different 2022 M1 Macs. Both have more RAM than yours (32 GB and 64 GB).
The other engineer tried it on an M3 or M4 again with more RAM.  

[andyh_73]

Thanks Rick. Could it possibly be a RAM issue then?

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

I would not expect the difference to matter with regard to the behavior. I merely pointed it out as a difference known between your system and ours. 

I would bet on a Preference File reset or a Clean reinstall being needed more than a hardware deficiency. 

This procedure works for both Lightroom Classic and Lightroom Desktop.

If you are using Lightroom Desktop, it can change your local storage location. Please review this setting after resetting preferences. 

Reset Procedure:

1. Close Lightroom.

2. Hold down [Alt/Opt]+[Shift] while restarting Lightroom.

3. Overwrite the Preferences when prompted by the dialog.

4. Close Lightroom.

5. Restart Lightroom.

Clean Lightroom Install Procedure

Close Lightroom

Restart the computer

Use the Adobe Creative Cloud App to uninstall Lightroom

Restart the computer

Install Lightroom via the Creative Cloud App without launching any other programs.

Restart the computer

Launch Lightroom

Wait 5 minutes

[andyh_73]

Hi Rikk.  

Unfortuantely none of these have worked.  In fact, after reinstalling Lightroom I think it's made the situation worse.  I have attached another video for your reference.  Now, not only do the masks occasionally fail to show when hovering over the category, the "Detecting landscape" activity either fails to start, or fails to finish.  I have set my masking overlay to colour overlay with B&W background and you will see when the overlay mask fails to show, the photo will return to full colour.

Sorry, the video is in low resolution due to you 47Mb file limit.

Another bit of information, the original photos are on an external SSD drive, with read/write speeds in excess of 2000MB/s.

Thanks

Andy

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

The next troubleshooting step I would take is to create a test Admin account on your OS, and sign in to your machine using this test account. Attempt to use Lightroom the same way with the new User account This will determine if the current user account is corrupt. 

[AspenHMedia]

I'm having the same issue lately. I'll create a subject mask, hit show overlay and it won't do anything. No matter what I do- I cannot see the mask overlay. I've checked every overlay setting, I've restarted my laptop, uninstalled lightroom, moved to a DIFFERENT laptop and done the same things. No matter what I do I cannot see my mask overlay. In the mask pannel I can see the black and white outline but that's litterally it. I cannot work on my photos.

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

We've thus far been unable to reproduce this failure internally. We do have a bug open to investigate, but it would help us greatly identify the culprit if someone who is afflicted could provide precise, reproducible instructions that our engineers could use to diagnose the problem. 

Thank you for your patience. 

[kevine6750022]

I'm also consistently experiencing this issue while editing photos with masks. It will briefly appear when switching between images before disappearing. Attached is a video demonstrating this odd behavior. 

The only workaround I've found is to close & reopen Lightroom until it happens again. 

I hope this info helps to recreate. I'm happy to help if any additional details can pin this bug down. It's been driving me crazy!

Version: 8.3
Build: 20250414-1406-5ace587
Hardware: Apple Macbook Pro 2021, 14-inch
Chip: Apple M1 Pro
MacOS: 15.4.1 (24E263)

[Another Madala]

Also having a similar issue with masking (not fixed in today's update 8.3.1) with Lightroom.

[Michael30133141uy1s]

I have been getting the exact same issue that other users are mentioning since today. If I open the "masking" section, or change photos while in the "masking" section, the mask overlayed on the photo will show up, but as soon as I move my mouse it vanishes, never to be shown again.

After resetting, un- and reinstalling, and (interestingly) trying an older version of Lightroom, the problem still persists. I'm running an up-to-date Mac Book Pro (M1 Pro chip, 16 GB RAM).

[Michael30133141uy1s]

Edit: after reverting back to Lightroom version 8.2 the problem is gone.

[Rose Waterhause]

How do I revert back to an earlier Lightroom version?  My masking overlays are also disappearing and this is the main tool I use on lightroom.  If it doesn't work, I may as well quit LR completely and find a different editing program.