P: Content aware tool not working

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I'm trying to extend an image and when using the crop tool with the content aware box checked, it does nothing. I just used this tool yesterday with no problems. I'm assuming an update bug broke it. Any ideas??

[Joel xo]

Not sure if this is the same issue, but I've caught it misbehaving like that until I changed the Background layer to a regular layer. Only happens sometimes; maybe that's worth a try?

[JohanElzenga]

The Content Aware checkbox is not activated in your screenshot...

[steve13kenny]

I have tried to replicate your issue with no success...but I DID notice that the Content Aware box is NOT checked in your screen capture here...?

[Joel xo]

It just happened to me again. What happens is you check the box, and as soon as you manipulate the crop frame, it unchecks itself. If you don't notice that happening, you get the above results. If you check it again just before you commit, it unchecks itself. Sometimes the check box is greyed out.

It's intermittent and I don't know what causes it. Once it starts I can't stop it by changing tools and changing back to the crop tool, only turning the background layer into layer 0 makes it work again.

[Hannah Nicollet]

Hi Jody,

Do you recall when you started seeing this? What was the last version you recall using of Photoshop where Content-Aware Scale worked? I'm trying to determine the version where it first broke.

Thank you,
Hannah

[Joel xo]

I think I may have figured it out. Seems to happen when there’s multiple layers and a Background layer. Turning the Background into a regular layer makes it work.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Hannah - same problem with me now. Started happening this month. Before, when I used crop tool the content aware button was available whether a smart object or not. Now it's not there. I have two computers - one with Mac OS Catalina (no problems with that) and one with Mojave (where the problems lie). I don't want to update the Mojave due to its issues with other software that won't run on it. So - is it OS that's the problem, or something else? Thanks.

[dennis bishop]

I've been using both Edit>Fill>Content Aware and the Edit>Content Aware Fill approaches with no problem.  Not until just now, that is.  And they both worked fine a few days ago.  When the suggestions offered here didn't work, I decided to bang my head against it with something else.  My selection had been made by Ctrl-clicking an old mask and inverting it.  (I'm reworking an image I'd done probably about five years ago.)  I replaced that selection with one made with the Lasso tool, and Edit>Content Aware Fill worked just like it's supposed to.  Trouble is, I have no idea why.  You'd hope it wouldn't matter how the selection was made.

[Hannah Nicollet]

Thanks for letting us know Paul. I'm looking into it and I'll update when I know more. Offhand I wouldn't think your OS would be related, but thanks for including that information. 

Hannah

[Elijah Richard]

Make sure your layer isn’t locked. 

[Elijah Richard]

Make sure your layer isn’t locked 

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

@Johan_Elzenga

Thanks Johan, I did activated the screenshot for the menu bar, now is working. Great tool.

[Mohit Goyal]

Hi all,

I know that many of you are already familiar with the "Content Aware Fill" tool in Photoshop, but I wanted to share a quick tip to help ensure that you use it correctly. It's important to note that at times the tool may be greyed out due to an incorrect workflow, so I hope this tip will be helpful for all levels of experience.

Quick Tip: https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/quick-tips-how-to-use-content-aware-f...

Hope it helps.

Thanks,

Mohit