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Question

Automatically create layer when I use pen tool?

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
December 12, 2018
2 replies
21660 views

Is there a way to set up Photoshop so that when I select the pen tool a new path layer is automatically created, rather than me having to create a new layer first?

I'm working with paths a lot, it's important that I keep all paths, but sometimes I forget to select a new layer then the previous path layer is overwritten.

This topic has been closed for replies.

Trevor.Dennis

Community Expert

I have only just seen this thread, and I got what you were referring to immediately. It is such a pain when you construct an intricate workpath, and then find you have overwritten it. What's more, experience is no guarantee against this happening. I might use a couple dozen paths in a project, and I still mess up sometimes.

My workflow is not to create the path before laying down the first point, but rather to drag the finished path to the new path icon...

...which names the first one Path 1.

I also dislike that if you have a path selected, and try to Free Transform a layer, the path will be transformed. Or even worse, if you delete a layer and a path is selected, it is bye bye path. I regularly seem to fall into this little gotcha.

When using a lot of paths, I wish there was a way to manage them better like groups, or even just colour code like layers. With three large screens, I have the space to have a large paths panel always available, which is convenient, and I have room to have all my icons set to large — although I do have to reduce that to keep all paths on the screen sometimes.

I like that we can Ctrl click a path to load it as a selection, and I love that we can stroke a path with the currently selected tool with one click, or fill the path with the left most icon.

But I do feel there are improvements to be made. If anyone starts a request on the feedback forum, then come back and share the link, because I suspect a few of us would head over and add a 'Me too'.

A wee point about path management. If we hit the escape key while making a path, and then cay on adding points, the new points will be added to the same path. That's one way of keeping things tidy. However there's a gotcha in that. I was doing this for the windows in Dave's Signal Box thread, and right towards the last one, I got out of sync and lost the earlier windows. The scary thing is that this did not respond to multiple undos, and if I had not been updating a layer mask as I worked, I'd have lost a lot of finicky work.

C

chazzcron7570391

Participating Frequently

I just did. See post above yours.

Semaphoric

Community Expert

If you are dealing with "regular" paths, they are separate from layer - they are listed in the Paths panel. To keep the paths distinct, double click on "Work Path" and give it a name.

On the other hand, the Pen tool can also create Shape layers, which have a shape specially connected to the layer.You choose either type in the Option Bar:

M

mikea62587285Author

Participant

That didn't answer my question. I know they are in the Paths panel.

I'm wondering if there is a way that a new path layer is (automatically) created as soon as the pen tool is used to start a path.

jane-e

Community Expert

OK. I don't know the "correct" terminology either. What DO you call a named path in the Paths Palette? He was not asking about shape layers, but he and I DO want the default, or at least an option, to autosave the current work path to a new saved path after you've made it a selection.

Currently, when you make your work path a selection, the work path stays there, but becomes unselected, and doesn't disappear. BUT. The next time you go back to the pen tool, if you DON'T click on the work path to highlight/select it first, it wipes the previous work path. What SHOULD happen, or at least be an option, is the previous work path should, by option or default, become active in the palette again. Then you could be aware that if you want the previous work path, you can make it a new saved path or delete it and start fresh.

So in summary,

Either give the user the option to have Photoshop auto-highlight/reselect the current work path after converting the work path into a selection, or an option to autosave the work path as a saved path after converting the work path into a selection.

Either option is better than having the current work path simply disappear if you don't click on and re-highlight/select the work path before continuing with the pen tool

chazzcron wrote
I don't know the "correct" terminology either. What DO you call a named path in the Paths Palette?

Again, there is no reason for you to know the correct terminology — if we can’t figure out what you are asking, we will ask for more details.

I tried to answer your question and the Jive software that runs the platform looked like it was failing, so I took a quick screen shot before needing to leave for a few hours. I am posting the screen shot.

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