Different Distort Tool Problem PS

[philbard1]

Using PS 2019, I've discovered a different problem with Transform/Distort than people have been complaining about (meaning the changed default setting for proportional/non-proportional transforms). This has to do with the tool's failure to simply distort in one direction when pulling a corner in the manner that it has for years in PS. The actual problem is hard to describe so I've included images. 

I'm trying to distort a raster image similar to a ruler. I've included lines over the ends of the ruler as well as the center point for illustration, they are not part of the ruler.

I want to distort the image to make the right end taller, like this:

Here is the result I want, which is how PS used to distort images when the right 2 corners were dragged further apart. I faked this using Transform/Warp to show here, but I need the long edges to be PERFECTLY straight and this isn't easy with Warp. Distort used to do it fine.

Note that the 6 stays in place in the center.

Here is the result I get from using Transform/Distort in the 2019 version of PS:

Notice that the image has distorted correctly in terms of the overall shape, the edges are straight, but now the tool is causing a kind of perspective effect, shifting the center details towards the left according to how much change I made to the height on the right. The 6 is no longer in the center. This is NOT how it used to work, in the past this type of edit would only alter the vertical size of the image. I've tried all of the suggestions for trying to return to the legacy Transform behavior, Toggling it back on in Preferences, creating the PSUserConfig.txt file with the text "TransformProportionalScale 0" and adding it to the correct location in Library (MacOSX), suggestions that have been posted before, NONE of these work. It appears to me to be a bug nobody has spoken of or even noticed. Its a major problem for me as I make templates for guitar building with PS to modify complex shapes and sometimes just want to alter overall dimensions. 

Any feedback greatly appreciated.

Phil

[JJMack]

To do that type of distortion you will need to use the Crtl or CMD modifier key and drag a corner or use the warp icon in the Tool option bar to switch to Transform warp mode. Free transform can not do the distortion you want without using the modifier key Ctrt or CMD. There is also Transform Perspective you can use.

[philbard1]

No, this does NOT work, at least on the Mac. The same shifting of the center pixels to the left occurs. And as I mentioned in the post, Warp is not satisfactory as I have to drag multiple handles to try to maintain a straight border, and I need accuracy to the .001 inch. Distort uses to do this just fine but has recently changed. Free Transform has the same problem.

[Chuck Uebele]

No, this isn't a bug, and it's as designed. If you were to take an actual photo of the ruler at the angle, to which you distorted it, the 6 would not be in the center either due to foreshortening. It would be a bug if the 6 was in the center. Seems like the only option is the warp tool with it's inaccuracies. To make it more acurate, I would create a fine grid that I would place in a smart object with your original image, so that you could use the grid to fine tune the warp.

[philbard1]

Actually I thought of a different solution, but thanks for your help on it, both of you...

[Chuck Uebele]

What did you decided to do?

[philbard1]

I've used PS for years as a photograhper, but now I'm using it to design electric guitar bodies and necks as I'm so comfortable with the environment. I then make templates for routing in the woodshop directly from the files and as I mentioned they need to be very accurate. I'm currently designing a bass and bringing the neck, complete with drawn in frets, over from a 6 string model. The bass neck has to be lengthened, which I can do fine by scaling in the long dimension, the fret spacing stays proportional. But when I adjust the width of the neck at the headstock by distorting, the frets move and are no longer properly spaced. So what I will do is distort only the outline, then paste in the fret positions from the earlier step and merge them. It should work...

[Chuck Uebele]

Ah, ok. For something like your example, I can see making a separate layer for the frets, over sized width wise, then clipping that to a layer for the neck. That way you can adjust the shape of the neck, but the fret placement will not change. 

[philbard1]

Thanks for trying to be of help, BTW. I went back to an earlier version of PS, and the behavior is the same as the current one. Guess I just never noticed it before as I never did this kind of thing with it. Cheers...

[r-bin]

[Chuck Uebele]

Nice!