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SyyyyyyB
Inspiring
November 16, 2016
Answered

warping two layers simultaneously

  • November 16, 2016
  • 2 replies
  • 10623 views

I am inexperienced with PS, so please bear with me.

I have the 2015 version of photoshop. I created two pattern layers and want to warp them exactly the same way. I selected each and went to layers, smart object, convert to linked. But when I select one layer and begin to distort it the other layer does not distort. Can you help me so that both layers wil move together?

Thanks.

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer edgrimley

    If I understand what you are after correctly you could record the warp as an action and save it. Then you can run the action on any new file or new layer to get the same result.

    2 replies

    Semaphoric
    Community Expert
    SemaphoricCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 17, 2016

    An alternative would be to use the Liquify filter on both layers sequentially. After doing  one layer, run the filter on the second layer, and click on the "Load Last Mesh" button. This will apply the same distortion to the second layer as the first. You can do this with or without Smart Objects.

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    SyyyyyyBAuthor
    Inspiring
    November 17, 2016

    My image files are for a plain grids which I am skewing and warping. I want to stack a dominant grid over a more subtle grid and distort each the same way because I will be making a mask of the combined distorted shape later on. The liquify filter won’t give me the distortion I need. I tried the suggestion of making a copy of the smart layer of the distorted first file and then replacing it’s contents with the second file but that did not work. The second file was not distorted at all and the sizing was off.

    E
    edgrimleyCorrect answer
    Participating Frequently
    November 17, 2016

    If I understand what you are after correctly you could record the warp as an action and save it. Then you can run the action on any new file or new layer to get the same result.

      War Unicorn
      Community Expert
      War UnicornCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      November 16, 2016

      Linked Smart Objects refer to an external asset; change/edit it once, and anywhere that linked Smart Object is used will be updated. More info:

      Work with Smart Objects in Photoshop

      What you want to do in your case is create just one linked Smart Object, then insert it twice. (There are a couple of ways of doing this, like using the ol' Ctrl/Cmd + J or just inserting that particular linked Smart Object again.) Double-click just one of the linked Smart Objects to edit, save and then return to the original document. All the instances of that edit should appear in both Objects.

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        SyyyyyyBAuthor
        Inspiring
        November 16, 2016

        I am really a newbie.

        Do I make both layers smart objects first, then take one and convert it to linked? I don’t know what it means to “insert” it twice.

        Thanks for your help with this.

        War Unicorn
        Community Expert
        War UnicornCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        November 17, 2016

        OK, I created two separate layers with two images and made them both smart objects. Then I distorted one of them. I then selected that layer and held down alt/opt and dragged that layer over the undistorted layer and all it did was duplicate my distorted layer as a copy leaving the undistorted layer undistorted.


        Make sure you hover over the effect, not the actual layer. It should be listed immediately underneath as a smart filter (it also should have a layer mask).

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