Using shift-click for Photoshop brush tool no longer creating straight lines — Mac M1 Ventura 13.0.1

[directormmn]

Hi all, up until the last couple days, I haven't had any issues with using shift-click while using the brush tool to paint a straight line. I'm not sure what changed, but now no matter what I try, I can't paint a straight line anymore. I've tried resetting the tool, resetting all tools, updating the software, and restarting my computer. I've looked at other posts about this issue but nothing seems to be working for me. I really need to use that function for work and I have a feeling that there's just some small setting that got changed on accident. Any help you guys can provide would be greatly appreciated!

Computer: Mac Mini M1 (2020)

MacOS: Ventura 13.0.1

Photoshop version: 24.1.0

[kglad]

in the future, to find the best place to post your message, use the list here, https://community.adobe.com/

p.s. i don't think the adobe website, and forums in particular, are easy to navigate, so don't spend a lot of time searching that forum list. do your best and we'll move the post if it helps you get responses.

<moved from using the community>

[directormmn]

Thanks.

[Trevor.Dennis]

Is this with a mouse or tablet?  If you have a tablet, have you tried the mouse (I am sure that will have).

I found a reference to whhat sounded like the same problem in this thread.  They appear to fixed it by resetting both Photoshop and tablet properties.  Like the last poster (at this time) I also don't know how to reset tablet properties.

Does shift still work to toggle through tools?  Doees it still work as a modifier in Photoshop?

[directormmn]

Hi Trevor, thanks for the reply! Looks like the thread you linked to was for an issue with a tablet, but I only use a mouse. Sounds like their issue was resolved by resetting tablet preferences, so I'm not sure what my next move should be since that won't address my particular issue.

[Trevor.Dennis]

So it was working fine, and suddenly stopped?  You mention resetting all tools, but not Preferences.  Have you done that?  There have been issue with M1 Macs, but I don't know about Ventura.  Have a read thgrough the known issues page.

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/photoshop-and-macos-ventura.html

Try starting Photoshop with the Shift key held down.  That forces all third party plugins and extensions to not load.  Other apps have been known to steal shortcut focus.  Nvidea's Geforce Experience is one that I have mess up Photoshop shortcuts.  Also look at things like Logitech drivers like Options and G Hub, Razer Synapse, Corsair iCue etc.  Especially if you have one of those apps with Photoshop specific focus.

I'll change the thread subject to show this is Mac M1 and Venturer.  That both bumps the thread and attracts people with the relevant experience.   Note: it's unusual to have an issue raised here and not be able to Google similar issues, and we have obviously failed to do so, so that might make it a tricky one.

Don't be afaraid to bump the thread yourself if it slips past page two or three, but if you work it out, please let us know what was causing it.

Good luck.

[directormmn]

Hi Trevor, thank you for your thoughtful reply. Unfortunately, I still haven't been able to resolve the issue or even figure out what the root cause is. At this point, I've reset preferences and uninstalled/reinstalled Photoshop completely but the shift key still won't create a straight line in brush mode. I'm at a complete loss for what to do, as the known issues for Ventura don't list this particular problem and I don't use any plugins.

I greatly appreciate your help and sincerely hope that someone has a solution for this.

[directormmn · Accepted solution]

Hi all, I was able to chat with support and after a lengthy session, we discovered that my bluetooth keyboard was the culprit. I have a wired keyboard plugged in now and it seems to be working fine. So if there's anyone else having this issue (perhaps due to the newest version of Ventura Mac OS), try a different keyboard!

Huge thanks to everyone who helped on this, I really appreciate it!

[PECourtejoie]

Hi @directormmn thank you for coming back and sharing the solution that worked for you, I'm sure it can help others!

Please feel free to stick around and see if you can answer some other questions, you'll see that you'll learn along the way, and might find some gratification.

[9thDesignRgmt]

This doesn't seem like much of a solution. PhotoShop should be able to interface with popular keyboard models from big brands like Logitech and yet I am having this issue right now. Drawing a box in perspective, I tap my pen on my Huion screen to draw a start point, then tried to shift-tap the pen at another point to draw a line and nothing happens. If the PC was not receiving the info that I was holding shift then it would draw another dot, but NOTHING happens where I shift-tab the pen. So PhotoShop KNOWS I am holding shift but is not correctly responding! This needs to be fixed. It feels that every month there are awful new bugs in PhotoShop. Another I noticed today is hitting Tab to hide tool palettes/menus is not working a lot of the time when I interact with the layers palette, even if I click back on the drawing. So frustrating!

[9thDesignRgmt]

Update to my previous reply, PhotoShop DEFINITELY knows the Shift key is depressed because it literally puts a little tooltip box on screen next to the cursor that says "Shift" when the shift key is depressed on the wireless keyboard. PLEASE FIX this Adobe. For goodness sake this is a very basic, highly important, drawing/painting feature that is broken!!!