Edit Gradient in a Smart Filter Mask

[ColdForest]

I'm having some trouble with adjusting a gradient on a smart filter mask.

If I start with the following mask, where I have an existing gradient along with a single brush stroke as follows:

If I then select the gradient tool I see this:

And after selecting the gradient and making a further adjustment (e.g., selecting the top of the gradient and dragging it down) I then see this: the brush stroke element (and indeed any other painting on the mask that might exist) disappears:

In case it's helpful here's how the gradient tool is configured (just defaults):

Any thoughts on what's going on here?

This is a test of something equivalent I'm trying to do with an image where I've applied a Gaussian blur. I then mask the subject in the smart object and paint this into the filter mask so the non-subject areas are blurred. I then want to further prevent the blur (simulating a depth of field adjustment) with a gradient in the mask. BTW, I've tried the depth of field blur (neural) here but this fails miserably with the image I'm working with.

Thanks for any thoughts!

[Semaphoric]

In the Option bar for the Gradient tool, look on the left end. You should see a box that says "Gradient"; it's a drop down menu, you want to select "Classic Gradient".

[ColdForest]

As shown in the original post the "Method" is already "classic". But I did try switching the "Gradient" box on the left to use "Classic Gradient" and this had the same effect: after changing to "Classic Gradient" and drawing the gradient on the filter mask the original elements of the mask disappear.

[Conrad_C · Accepted solution]

I think the problem is that it’s doing exactly what it’s told: Paint a black to white gradient into the mask. Which means paint over the mask with black to white, so whatever pixel colors were there before (that is, the existing brush stroke) are painted over.

The solution is to change what it’s being told to do. Specifically, change the white end so that it’s transparent instead of an opaque color. The way this works with gradients is that a gradient can have both color stops and opacity stops. (You see the stops when you open the Gradient Editor, or if the Properties panel is open when a gradient object is selected.) If you set the top end’s gradient stop to 0% opacity, it does not paint over anything because it’s transparent. You don’t have to set that up from scratch, because it’s already a preset. When you select a gradient preset from the options bar or Gradients panel, select the Foreground to Transparent preset, and apply that.

If a gradient object (that is, not a Classic Gradient) is already applied to the mask or layer, then you don’t have to start over, just select the opacity stop at the top end and set it to 0%. That’s the advantage of the new gradients, you can edit them later. This specific notion of transparency in a gradient is not related to whether a gradient is current (editable object) or Classic (rendered pixels), it applies to both.

[ColdForest]

Yes, of course ;), thank you! This is what I was looking for (and when the gradient overlaps the already present brush/selection elements it also doesn't interfere with them - perfect).