Flummoxed: Can Paths Disappear or Be Hidden?

[Henrik2000]

Hi, via FTP i downloaded 8 very similar PSD and JPG CMYK files from a customer. I opened them in Photoshop and saw that one file contained a complicated path that I badly needed. I don't remember which one.

But later the path seemed gone, i.e. the Paths panel was empty – as if I had deleted the path (which is very unlikely). I re-downloaded the files and still there was no path to be seen. (I tried with panel options set to large, small + no thumbnails. I tried after a PS restart. Oodles of RAM.) No chance to undo something or to step back in History panel.

I am very sure that I have seen that path on initial file inspection, in the panel and as a blue outline in the displayed image file; i remember my relief about seeing that important path there. And I downloaded all the original files (not zipped) again. So now I wonder:

• Is there a situation when Photoshop suddenly does not show existing paths in the Paths panel?
• Is there a way to detect paths in a PSD or JPG file apart from checking the Paths panel in PS? If yes, how could an existing, but somehow hidden path be made usable again?

Thanks!

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Is the file layered?

If so the Path could be a Vector Mask and only appear in the Paths Panel if the Layer is selected.

[Henrik2000]

C.P., thanks for a good suggestion!

But it doesn't help in this situation: I checked the PSDs again and some were layered indeed (with simple Background copies) - but no individual layer contained any vector mask. I also checked the "View | Show" submenu and didn't see any hint to a solution there.

As a sidenote: I had opened the files for a first look, seen a path to my relief and closed them. Upon closing, I don't remember any PS question asking me to save any changed files - which would have made me very suspicious. It seems that i closed the files unchanged after first inspection.

So my initial question remains open: Can paths suddenly disappear or be hidden other than by deleting them?

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Can paths suddenly disappear or be hidden other than by deleting them?

Practically no.

One can suppress the display of Paths on the Canvas (View > Extras), but they would still be indicated in the Paths Panel.

Can you provide the file or at least a screenshot with the pertinent Panels (Layers, Paths, …)?

[Henrik2000]

C.P., thanks. This is confidential material going to be published, so i cannot provide neither files nor screens of panels (not even in private mail). But i know how to spot layer masks and paths; so i don't think i missed something that's there such as a vector mask thumbnail or a path thumbnail. I have now checked each layer of each file individually. I can still draw the path again, but that's not desirable.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Are there any Smart Objects in the layered psd?

[Henrik2000]

C.P., thanks, another interesting hint, but there aren't any smart objects (just double-checked).

I am quite sure that the files come from a Mac while i have Windows, if that explains anything at all.

[davescm]

Henrik2000  wrote

I checked the PSDs again ........

Did you also re-check the jpegs? A clipping path can be saved in a jpeg file although, like any other path, on opening it will appear in the paths panel. Apologies if you already knew that

Dave

[Henrik2000]

Dave, thanks, yes, i also re-checked the JPGs, just because the thought of re-drawing that path myself horrifies me. Nothing there in the JPGs as well.

[davescm]

The only way I could think of to hide a path entirely is to create a shape layer with no fill and no stroke then use filters in the layers panel to hide it.

Dave

[Henrik2000]

Dave, thanks for that idea. But there are no filters active in the Layers Panel (I'd quickly note that, and i just double-checked).

FWIW, now i also looked for the missing path after a Windows reboot and after switching off the use of the graphics card; no help. I will now try on another Win computer and report back any interesting news.

[jane-e]

Hi Henrik

Have you looked in your Channels panel? If there's a saved selection (alpha channel), you can convert it to a path.

~ Jane

[Henrik2000]

Jane, thanks, yes i checked the Channels panel; an alpha channel would have been a great help of course.

Now i also checked all files on a different Win PC - no path anywhere.

So this looks very much like a user error with a stubborn, overtly self-confident user - something i liked to joke about. If only i wasn't so sure that i really had seen that path, i even remember my slight sursprise about the actual contours, visible in blue over the photo.

Maybe i really have to draw the path myself (but i will wait some hourse before starting that). Anyway thanks all for your suggestions.

[jane-e]

Henrik2000  wrote

So this looks very much like a user error with a stubborn, overtly self-confident user - something i liked to joke about.

I can certainly identify with that, Henrik!

Jane

[Bojan Živković]

Here are my $0.02. It happens to me all the time: if path in Paths panel is selected and you hit Delete or Backspace on your keyboard, path will be deleted without any notification. Sadly, if you haven't realize what happen immediately or before saving/closing file path is gone forever, you must redraw it.

[Henrik2000]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Bojan+%C5%BDivkovi%C4%87  schrieb

Here are my $0.02. It happens to me all the time: if path in Paths panel is selected and you hit Delete or Backspace on your keyboard, path will be deleted without any notification. Sadly, if you haven't realize what happen immediately or before saving/closing file path is gone forever, you must redraw it.

Bojan, thanks. But once you close the image with the deleted path, Photoshop will ask if you want to save that image sans path (i just tried with a test image). In my case, i hadn't had any intention to change the images upon first inspection, so any request to save the images would have made me alert (as said above) and i would have clicked "No". But i don't remember any file saving question after inspecting and then closing the images.

Btw, now when testing i note that the path is thin + gray. But when i (supposedly) saw the path i'm after, it was clearly thick and blue. Could anyone say what that means?

[melissapiccone]

Henrik2000  wrote

Btw, now when testing i note that the path is thin + gray. But when i (supposedly) saw the path i'm after, it was clearly thick and blue. Could anyone say what that means?

There are settings for how the path will appear

[Henrik2000]

melissapiccone  schrieb

Henrik2000   wrote

Btw, now when testing i note that the path is thin + gray. But when i (supposedly) saw the path i'm after, it was clearly thick and blue. Could anyone say what that means?

There are settings for how the path will appear

Melissa, thanks.

[jane-e]

Henrik2000  wrote

And I downloaded all the original files (not zipped) again. So now I wonder:

• Is there a situation when Photoshop suddenly does not show existing paths in the Paths panel?

As I recall, it used to be that a work path did not get saved with the file. A test shows that it does now. A work path would disappear if you started a new path, but that would trigger a save and it would also be in the original freshly downloaded files.

I don’t think this is it, but am throwing it out just in case. It is one situation where a path can “disappear”.

~Jane

[Henrik2000]

  schrieb

   wrote

And I downloaded all the original files (not zipped) again. So now I wonder:

• Is there a situation when Photoshop suddenly does not show existing paths in the Paths panel?

As I recall, it used to be that a work path did not get saved with the file. A test shows that it does now. A work path would disappear if you started a new path, but that would trigger a save and it would also be in the original freshly downloaded files.

I don’t think this is it, but am throwing it out just in case. It is one situation where a path can “disappear”.

~Jane

Jane, thanks, indeed it's not it.