Mask Feather - Add visual indicator when mask has feather

[eugeniop78568976]

It would be great if a mask that has a feather setting other than 0 had a visual indicator in the Layers panel (maybe an icon similar to the smart object icon?). The mask icon in the Layers panel does get blurred but only when the feather amount is very high. If a mask has a small feather setting, it's not possible to know if a mask has a feather applied when glancing in the Layers panel. Thanks.

[Myra Ferguson]

The best place to submit a feature request would be https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family.

It wouldn't be just a glance at the Layers panel, but you could quickly check if there's a feather on a layer mask by Ctrl (PC)/ Command (macOS) + clicking on the thumbnail of the layer mask to load the selection. Then hit Q to turn on Quick Mask. Then you should be able to see if the edges are blurred or not.

[Ivan Zajats]

I support the idea! (should be moved to the Ideas section)

[Ivan Zajats]

no moderators here? as usual...

[c.pfaffenbichler]

no moderators here? as usual...

By @Ivan Zajats

Is something keeping you from posting a Feature Request/Idea? 

Edit: You can include a link to this thread and tap the original poster if you want to give them credit. 

[Ivan Zajats]

well, usually I post my own ideas (& just vote for others')

[c.pfaffenbichler]

You could give credit by tapping the OP and including a link to this thread. 

[Lumigraphics]

There are other ways to feather a mask (hit Q and apply gaussian blur, for example) so how does that work?

[Ivan Zajats]

that works destructively and we're discussing a non-destructive setting which can be changed any time

[D Fosse]

This would only apply to the Feather slider in Mask properties, IOW a very limited use case mainly for simple geometric masks.

For any complex real-life masks the Feather slider is totally inadequate. My own masks generally have a wide spectrum of soft and hard edges, much of it painted in. It would also exclude the advanced Select and Mask function.

I think this only masks (yes, pun intended) the potential for a real improvement, namely a "smart mask" function that would make masks truly re-editable across the board. That's not as simple as it sounds, of course, but one start could be to make Select and Mask settings reversible.

Of course, we'd have a ton of complaints about Photoshop "bloat", as this would no doubt claim further memory/scratch resources.