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January 19, 2019

P: How can I disable auto selecting its value inside properties panel?

  • January 19, 2019
  • 16 replies
  • 744 views

Not sure if this is is part of the new 2019 PS 20.0.2 update - it didn't seems to bother me before but now, as i select a color adjustment layer within my Layers panel - i find that one of its properties value is automatically selected within the Properties panel (for instance selecting a Hue/Saturation layer will select its hue value; selecting a Color Balance layer will select its cyan/red value...). To deselect its Properties value i must ESC - before i can, for instance, change its opacity directly with keyboard shortcuts numbers - otherwise it would be modifying its value instead of its opacity... Having to ESC first si really bothering me. Any idea how i can change this preference?

    16 replies

    Playful_Serenade15D5
    Playful_Serenade15D5
    Participant
    May 26, 2025

    You're a life savior! I was going crazy with this!

    Earth Oliver
    Earth Oliver
    Legend
    January 29, 2019
    Hey David, the 'bug' i'm flagging here is that if both the auto-select parameter and auto-select targeted adjustment tool (tat) are active, then in adj layers which have a tat tool available, the parameter will be deselected since Ps is targeting the tat tool instead of the number field.
    David Mohr
    Community Manager
    David MohrCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    January 28, 2019
    Howdy Eartho,

    Thanks for the extra detective work.  I appreciate it.  But I want to make sure that we're talking about the same thing.

    When I do this, Win and Mac behave the same.  If Auto-Select Parameter is checked, then the first input field also automatically gains focus on click.  But when I uncheck, this no longer happens.  I did notice that on Windows, when you uncheck/check, the change isn't reflected in the check state until you go to a new layer and I'm now logging that bug, but otherwise, everything is looking good to me.  I want to confirm that you're not seeing anything else, 'cause it kinda sounds like you are and neither Jeff nor I can repro.

    Thanks!
    David
    Earth Oliver
    Earth Oliver
    Legend
    January 25, 2019
    i'm also able to reproduce in OSX on the black and white adj layer when auto-select tat is active.
    Earth Oliver
    Earth Oliver
    Legend
    January 25, 2019
    Ha! Figured it out... there's a conflict with auto-select targeted adj tool.
    Earth Oliver
    Earth Oliver
    Legend
    January 25, 2019
    David, i went ahead and did a pref wipe and the behavior is still there, but is working as expected a little more often than before. Seems like it misbehaves 100% of the time if i click a normal layer before going to the adj layer, but will work half the time if i go from one adj layer to another.
    What is considered a sidecar app? I don't have a whole lot of crazy stuff installed on this machine... yet.
    David Mohr
    Community Manager
    David MohrCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    January 25, 2019
    Howdy Eartho,

    Wow, that's super weird.  I did a quick test when I wrote earlier, but then I saw your video and got concerned that I missed something.  So, I just did pretty much the same thing you did on my machine here.  Not a hint of a problem for any of those controls, either on creation or on subsequent editing.  Which makes me wonder -- if your system's focus isn't on the control, where is it?  Any ideas?  Perhaps you have some sidecar app running?  A utility?  It could be interfering with app focus.  Otherwise, I'm at a bit of a loss...

    David
    Earth Oliver
    Earth Oliver
    Legend
    January 25, 2019
    Hey David, i'm using a Logitech G403 as my input with no Wacom active in my system. v20 GM is also the only install i've done as this is a brand new machine running the latest win10... which had a system update and restart last night, apparently.
    Here's a screen recording with me going through all the different types of adj layers... both hsl and b&w (missed that one before) have the issue. Looks like there are instances where clicking from a non-adjacent adj layer onto the two which aren't working will make the field active, but it's hit or miss... and you might not be able to see it in the screenrec, but the field does get selected for 1/10 sec before becoming deselected.

    https://www.useloom.com/share/ee6d6fb9e27f403c8b4291fd1dcd3499
    David Mohr
    Community Manager
    David MohrCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    January 25, 2019
    I just tried this on Win10 and it appears to be the same as Mac using 20.0.2 GM.  Eartho, when you say "don't get auto-selected MOST of the time" could you be a little more specific?  Half the time?  How are you selecting the layers?  Cuz switched the setting and immediately, I was seeing auto-selection.  What kind of pointing device are you using?

    Thanks,
    David
    J
    J453
    Legend
    January 25, 2019
    Just Windows acting flakey? I can't repro on Mac. The setting seems to work consistently for me.
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