Reference point doesn't stay in desired place

[Laurent_D]

Hello,

I need to rotate/scale a layer around a specific point so I just set the reference point at the right position. The issue is that when I loose the focus of the layer, the reference point goes back to its default place (center of the layer).

For instance I have to lose the focus when I need to lock/unlock another layer during the process.

And I will need to repeat this operation many times.

Does someone know how to avoid the automatic reset of the position of the reference point ?

Exactly like After Effects for instance.

I would be very grateful if someone had a solution because I haven't found this question yet.

[Bojan Živković]

When you record trasform step in Photoshop action it will record and reference point. You can turn on modal [arrow is pointing to modal control in screenshot below] what will instruct Photoshop to enter free transform, set reference point to desired corner and to wait for you to further adjust transformation before finishing execution of that step. You can have only one step in action by the way, and to assign keyboard shortcut to play action. That is what comes to my mind at the moment.

Action can be even more useful if you are always doing same transformation with all your files but be careful, check everything before running batch process, if you ever come to that idea.

[Roland_Rick]

Bojan, thanks for your reply, but the question/problem of @Laurent_D has nothing to do with actions. I have the same problem.

I'm in Ps 23.5.1 on a Intel Mac.

I press Cmd+T then drag the reference point to the desired position. After confirming by pressing the Enter key, the reference point jumps back to it's initial position. Is it a bug or a super hidden setting in the preferences? 

[Bojan Živković]

My answer is one possible workaround because things does not work as you and OP need them. Its not ideal, you can not reuse same action with layer in different position and with different dimensions but it can save time when you need to use same reference point multiple times for the same layer/object. There isn't super hidden preference settings. However, it can be also very useful if you need to rotate multiple objects or layers around same reference point in the document.

[Roland_Rick]

The reference point should simply stay exactly there where I am dragging it to, that's exactly the intention of it. No such problems in Affinity Photo. I guess it's a bug.

[JJMack]

How do you set a reference point to use manually with transforms? Are you settings a vertical and horizontal guide lines  so you can snap to the point over the canvas?   I set them all the tine using color sampler,   My script can process all 10 and rotate a layer about them.

[Laurent_D]

Here is the way to set a reference point for manual transforms :

1. Select the layer
2. Ctrl+T
3. check the box :

 But I still don't know how to keep it where it is after having lost focus.

[Roland_Rick]

I have the same problem. Any solutions?

[Roland_Rick]

Just to clarity what @Laurent_D and I am talking about:

[Bojan Živković]

I knew what are you both talking about.

[Laurent_D]

If it's just not doeable in these new versions I suggest to report this directly to the Adobe tech support. I cann't find the feedback/suggestion section for Photoshop though.

[PECourtejoie]

Hi, just go to the main page of Photoshop's Ecosystem forum, and select new discussion, you can select a bug report, an idea...

[Roland_Rick]

@Laurent_D , that's the problem: there is - afaik - NO possibility to report directly to Adobe. The only channel they offer is the community. 

[PECourtejoie]

Hi, Bonjour, this seems to be a default behavior, indeed, once you lose focus, you commit the change, and since the image might have been transformed, the reference points goes to the new center (or the same if no transform occured.

You cannot change the order of operations? I have a hard time to understand the lock-unlock process. 

Could you maybe place guides?

[Roland_Rick]

@PECourtejoie , I think, the video I posted is more than sufficient explaining what's the problem. - Please don't take it pesonally, using the Adone Help Community is nothing else as a giganic waste of time. NEVER got a solution of a problem posted. Adobe is just simply a super ignorant company. "Attention, a customer! Where can we hide?". - FYC: @Laurent_D 

[PECourtejoie]

@Roland_Rick I understand your frustration. There are millions of users of Photoshop, if hey all called the team whenever they have an issue, there would be no Photoshop update anymore... I know this is not the first thread you are part of.

I understand that you want the equivalent of the pan behind tool, to permanently move the reference point.

I'll see if there is a FR on that topic already.

[Roland_Rick]

Please don't take the following personally, and thanks for checking if there is a FR.

<Sarcasm>
I don't call it frustration, I call it empirical evidence, of decades of watching how Adobe is acting if it comes to Customer - Adobe relationship.

Ah, I see, the Adobe A.I. can not do an analysis of those millions of users complaints, putting it into a wave form, doing a trivial Fourier Analysis and so being able, to literally pick the most common bugs from the curves peaks.

Unused chances to easily detect the major problems and getting rid of it.

But obviously, it can easily detect and inform you ("I know this is not the first thread you are part of.") that I am kinda rebel. One of those dangerous guys obligated to the truth instead of the "elites" lies.

I being one of those preferring plain talk over political correctness, to be honest, which I hate, one of the main threats mankind is facing, it paralyses any true as well as social progress. I'm talking of true social progress and not the „woke“ hypocrisy on the pLandemic and Ukraine.

</sarcasm>

Last but not least: why doesn't Adobe, offer to choose between a subscription model or to purchase the software needed? Almost all other companies do so. I'd preferred the purchasing model.

[PECourtejoie]

@Roland_Rick Just one thing: I'm not an Adobe employee.. https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2022/09/26/discover-new-adobe-community-experts-program

@Laurent_D 

There are several Adobe employees who monitor this place, there are several programs and venues to gather bugs, there was a Bridge uservoice too, and a Photoshop feedback site that has been folded in here: https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem/ct-p/ct-photoshop?page=1&sort=latest_replies&filt...
What I meant to say is that they cannot participate in each and every thread out there, even though some also visit many other places, like Reddit, are sent problems from twitter and facebook...

[PECourtejoie]

I have not found a feature request on this particular item, you can create a thread with an explanation of exactly what you are trying to achieve, why an action to get you some other default reference point does not work in your case (I still would like to see what what meant by the activating another layer earlier) I checked, and transform again does not show a moved reference point. 

The main thing to keep in mind is that changing this default behavior of resetting the transform point to the center might have lots of repercussions (Remember the attempt to change the way transform was proportionnal by default caused havoc?)

I could also change this thread to a FR, but I feel that a proper thread with a detailed explanation of why you might need to change the focus, and keep the transform point selected would be more efficient.

[Laurent_D]

Thank you @PECourtejoie for your help and thank you @Roland_Rick for your support on this.

I will think about posting a proper request about this issue on https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem/ct-p/ct-photoshop?page=1&sort=latest_replies&filt...

For this I will read this thread again to make sure that I answer any further question.

By the way what do you mean by changing this thread to a FR?

[Bojan Živković]

I believe FR is short for Feature Request.

[PECourtejoie]

As an Expert, I could change this thread to be a feature request thread. 

But I do think that it would work better without all the chatter and be close to the point.

You could indeed label it as a bug, or an idea, it would then land here; https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem/ct-p/ct-photoshop?page=1&sort=latest_replies&filt...

[Laurent_D]

It isn't a bug. Now even if it is a feature request, it already exist in other Adobe products like Premiere (Anchor Point parameter), After Effects (Anchor Point parameter). All these programs can keep the anchor point wherever it is set, even after loosing the layer focus.

So it might be quite useful for all Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign users.

I will follow your advice and post my request.

Thank you again for your help.

[Roland_Rick]

@Laurent_D , honestly I don't know, but I assume according to the context it is "Feature Request".

[Laurent_D]

Adobe already get users feedback like on their video softwares : adobe-video.uservoice.com

That's why they might already supply a way to gather user experience on photo/design products.
Doing so, they will face concurrence effisciently.