P: Move tool targeting imprecise

[ulrikg2]

Move Tool annoyance in Photoshop CS6.
I use the move tool alot in my work, with high fidelity mockups for interface design. I rely on precision and predictability in my workflow. In Photoshop CS6 with the move tool set to auto-select layer, i would suspect the move tool to select the excact element im targeting at which it doesn't. it automatically selects nearby elements, which is a HUGE annoyance and disturbance. It ruins the workflow, and it's unpredicable.

Is there at least an option to remove this behaviour and just make it precise as in previous versions of photoshop?

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

@matt shaw - I don't think I want adobe "dethroning" - the creative suite is worth every penny. The only thing I take issue with - is the lack of support having got your money. It makes for a poor experience and then - like yourself - you end up resenting them, wanting to shop elsewhere except we all know you have no choice.

[Mathias17]

[off-topic] hehe right

For the record, I'd hate to see Photoshop "dethroned". It's by a long shot my favorite software - always has been. Been using it since v5. But . . . we all know what a little competition does. Though, for any organization/company to compete with Photoshop, they'd first have to catch up to Photoshop, development-wise. PS is a very evolved program. What . . . GIMP? Haha yeah right!

Nah, it's all good. As with anything else in the digital world, you just take the good with the bad. Computers/software will never be perfect. They're only tools. There will always be headaches. [/off-topic]

[michaelc75400436]

Just adding to the topic with the same frustrating problem. All my illustrations are done in Photoshop and are built of 100's of vector shapes and raster layers small and large and using "auto select" is the only way to work, which you now cannot use very well but worked great in every previous version of Photoshop. Have been using Photoshop since the first Photoshop 6.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Good News:
I thought I should point out that at the top of the feed it now says acknowledged
Bad News:
Now all we need do is wait a further 5 months for a resolution. ;)

Tip:
For all of you finding this a big pain in the behind like me - there is a usable workaround I found. If you just moving or selecting items hit ctrl + H to hide the transform controls you instantly get accurate selection. Not ideal but better than nothing to hold you all over.

On another note:
Does anyone else find that when you have the colour picker open the flick panning doesn't work correctly? - in that you cant flick twice until the first animation is complete... may be hardware specific as this requires gpu support.

[ulrikg2]

Yup, it's reassuring to see the issue being aknowledged officially. Our only hope now is that the when there is some news on whatever might be going on backstage, it will be shared regardless of a long time frame, it's just nice to know what the scope is (This was a friendly plead to you Chris Cox 🙂 )

On your other note:
I just tried the flick panning out, I have the same issue.

[michaelc75400436]

It seems to be okay to me so far. I am using a Mac Pro with OS X 10.7.5 if that is relevant information.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

UPDATE:
Yeah I found out last night that this is windows only it seems... I have added the bug in a separate feed.

http://feedback.photoshop.com/photosh...

[Mathias17]

This issue is comically frustrating for me because I use CS5 (which doesn't exhibit this selection issue) at work, but then go home and use CS6, and when I do I suddenly have to "re-adjust" to the unwanted selection buffer. Always takes me aback the first time it happens - I automatically assume I'm not clicking in the right spot or there's some non-visible pixel I'm clicking by accident.

In other words, my personal experience with this issue well illustrates the uncomfortable disparity in cursor behaviors because unlike most users that just switch from CS5 to CS6 ONCE, I switch back and forth constantly haha.
(My constant switching isn't Adobe's fault of course. And it makes dealing with other changes difficult as well, even positive ones.)

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Hey matt - did you see my work around - its not so bad...

Workaround / Tip:
If you are just moving or selecting items hit ctrl + H to hide the transform controls you instantly get accurate selection. Not ideal but better than nothing to hold you all over till the fix comes.

[Mathias17]

Thank you for re-highlighting that, FT. Good find.

[Billy D Stagg]

Am I missing something... How does hiding the path or transform controls remove the issue?

[Mathias17]

To be honest I haven't tested this yet (still at work). Maybe it only works when Transform Controls is turned on??? That's one of the first things I turn off with a new Photoshop install . . .

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

The hiding (ctrl h) tip doesn't work for me.

On a side-note - Speaking of switching between CS5 and 6, I do the same. How annoying are you finding the removal of the 'arrange documents' button in CS6?

So useful in CS5 and now only accessible from the menu dropdown in CS6.
Slows the workflow down, bigtime.

[Mathias17]

Removal of the arrange docs buttons sucks!

[Billy D Stagg]

Likewise... Who ever switches on 'show transform controls' or 'auto-select layer/group'? Simply hold ctrl and click to select a layer and then use ctrl-t for transform when you require it... Hiding the path or transform controls doesn't remove the problem. For a second I thought there was an actual work-around ha ha. Oh well...

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

The arrange docs button made it into illustrator and indesign, but not photoshop. Major wtf.

[Billy D Stagg]

At least there is a work-around for that one within Windows > Arrange, albeit a little lengthier. You can create a short-cut if you do need quick switching.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

True that, still, I like that button.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Well on a windows machine - hiding the transform controls makes my auto select work as per cs5 (you click and select what you are clicking not a nearby object).The only drawback is you have turned your controls off so knowing what you have selected is a little trickier (but you can hit ctrl + h to get them back up again or ctrl + T if you are actually wanting to transform)

[Mathias17]

It boils down to ui theory - what is the right balance? Should PS devs give us every button conceivable accessible in ONE click -OR- or hide most buttons and create a "nicer" looking ui?

In this case, there's blank toolbar just sitting there so why not use it? Furthermore, why remove it when it was there previously? I'm all for progress and the progressive refinement of Photoshop . . . but this was a bad choice, IMO.

K . . . what was this thread about again? haha I guess a little off-topic action is ok if within replies to a post, rather than making new posts. Forum etiquette! whoo (now I'm getting off-topic, in an off-topic subject; off-topic'ception.

But, continuing with the ui thing . . . WHAT IF . . . PS adopted more of the "ribbon" approach (like Microsoft Office Work, Excel, etc)

-AND-

allowed the customization of the tabbed ribbon toolbar? How great would that be?

[Billy D Stagg]

Hey FT, is that even when the two shape layers (and this problem is specifically with shape layers) are overlapping with less than 10px of the lowest layer visible? Cheers, B

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

OK - no excuses - I was pretty sure that the work around was indeed working - it must have been a moment of insanity - I just went and tested and I was wrong.

Sorry for the false hope.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

what a spanner.

[Billy D Stagg]

🙂 You're forgiven... Now Adobe since there is no work-around please get a move on and fix the problem. Thanks.

[Mathias17]

Np, F T.

@ Billy - seconded!