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potamcha
Participant
March 29, 2021
Question

Problem with merging layers. Image changes.

  • March 29, 2021
  • 5 replies
  • 11528 views

Looking for help!

 

I’ve found out that when I merge layers photoshop changes my image and eats my stars 😳 I’ve never had this problem before so I’m confused.

 

Please watch video.

 

What I’ve already tried with no luck:

 

Merged all different ways possible.

Saved file without merging the layers but discarding during “save as” process.

Tried different kinds of adjustment masks (Raya pro, TM panel, hand made lights/darks, simple adjustment without masking). Different quantity of them as well.

Reinstalled photoshop. Updated to the latest version.

Played with different image modes and color profiles (8 bits/16 bits, pro photo/rgb).

Googled.

 

I’ve got this problem on all my images not just this one and this is not a monitor problem as when I print my stars are not there.

 

I hope it’s possible to see the problem on the video!

 

https://youtu.be/IfDLnYHNGaw

This topic has been closed for replies.

5 replies

AerialAssetReport
AerialAssetReport
Participant
October 17, 2023

A day late and a dollar short but i saw the stars leave. That looks very taxing for photoshop to handle, frustrating though I'm sure.  I'm just getting started with merging, I've been experimenting with top down Aerial panoramas using a drone and am happy with results so far. Hers is my first topdown aerial pano merged from 4 photos/4 locations at 400 ft.  Looking forward to doing more of these.

Trevor.Dennis
Community Expert
Trevor.DennisCommunity Expert
Community Expert
October 17, 2023

That's surprisingly similar to a wood mill about a kilometer south of me.  I guess this must be a defacto layout for wood mills.

 

Your photomerge has come well.  everything is nice and square with no distortion.  How many images were used, and did you leave it to Auto or select one of the options?  What was the overal resolution?

    c.pfaffenbichler
    Community Expert
    c.pfaffenbichlerCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 30, 2021

    »Will do it later today, thank you! But when I checked before the result was the same on 100% so it doesn't seem to be monitor related issue.«

    If there is no difference between layered and merged at View > 100% then there is no difference and what you are seeing probably are previewing issues owed to caching. 

    P
    potamchaAuthor
    Participant
    March 30, 2021

    I have the same change on printed image, so doesn't seem to be any preview issue, it is obviously there and stays there on paper (

    c.pfaffenbichler
    Community Expert
    c.pfaffenbichlerCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 31, 2021

    Yes, I noticed. If you try, it bounces right back.

     

    And actually I don't even see it as a workaround. This should have been a genuine option in preferences, for those with hardware to match, and it should have been called something sensible like Generate Previews From Full Image Data.

     

    In InDesign you can set display quality to low/normal/high with a performance tradeoff. Everybody seems to find their way around that setting. No reason to think it wouldn't work in Photoshop.

     

    Imagine how much easier these questions would be if we could just point these night-sky-shooters to a setting in preferences, with a warning that it might affect performance.


    No argument there, it should be possible to set the Cache Level to 1 and be done with with that … 

     

    I suspect the change was unintentional and should therefore be worth the resources to be fixed – but it affects so few people that the contrary decision was arrived at. 

    For longtime Forum regulars it probably seems like a recurring issue but how often does it really come up – once a month or thereabouts? 

    Trevor.Dennis
    Community Expert
    Trevor.DennisCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 30, 2021

    IME this can happen when you have nested layers, or smart objects that are not processed in the right order when merged.  My workaround is to select the upper most layer, and a copy merged layer (Shift Ctrl Alt E).  This adds a copy merged layer to the top of the stack, and has always displayed as it should.   You could also select all the layers and make them a smart object, but that still has a chance of failing.  Not often, but it does happen.  For me maybe four times in twenty five odd years.

      P
      potamchaAuthor
      Participant
      March 30, 2021

      I've tried as a test to merge simple adjustment layers, I've made one exposure adjustment layer (without any masking) and curves layers (without masking as well). Merged all three, also tried to merge two (background plus one adjustment), the result is the same.

       

      And yes, I'm merging the way you describe(it's my usual way to merge) but also tried "flattern", "merge visible" and other ways of merging. Nothing changes (

      c.pfaffenbichler
      Community Expert
      c.pfaffenbichlerCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      March 30, 2021

      Could you please post screenshots of the layered and flattened image taken at View > 100% with the pertinent Panels (Toolbar, Layers, Options Bar, …) visible? 

      P
      potamchaAuthor
      Participant
      March 30, 2021

      Will do it later today, thank you! But when I checked before the result was the same on 100% so it doesn't seem to be monitor related issue.

       

      Yesterday I've sent the file to my friend and we opened it during video call. He has stable result, the image stays the same after merge! (We test both on 100% and fit to view zooms). We tried different ways of merging and everything works.

       

      So now I think it could be some setting in my photoshop that is doing this. But have no idea what exact setting it may be...

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