When scaling objects in Photoshop 20.0.5, the new feature / bug that automatically constrains proportion is randomly turning on and off

[josem95005259]

This is similar to others' complaints that the new version Photoshop automatically contains proportions when clicking and dragging on a bounding box corner to scale, as opposed to previously having to hold down shift at the same time. My specific problem is that, I'll be in the middle of a project, and Photoshop will suddenly revert back to having to hold down shift to constrain proportions. Then it will toggle back to the new feature at some point after that. I'm in Photoshop at work for 8 hours straight, so this is really quite maddening for me to have to deal with. Is Photoshop drunk? What's the deal? I think this might be mostly happening while placing images by dragging them in from windows explorer.

[JJMack]

That should not happen with the CC 2019 update to version 20.0.5.  In the 20.0.5 update Adobe added a new Photoshop Preferences. That you can set to revert Photoshop to the old legacy Consistent transform way of working or you leave it un-check (Adobe Default) to use the new inconsistent way where how transform  works depends on the type of layer being transformed. It should not switch randomly.  Un-check how transform switches should depend on the Layer type being transform.  Checked transform operation should be consistent.

[josem95005259]

Thanks. That's good to know

[Akash Sharma]

Hi Josem,

That shouldn't be happening as transform proportional scaling keeps switching to on/off automatically. If you're using the Photoshop 20.0.5, you can revert to the legacy transform behavior.

Instructions for Photoshop version 20.0.5 (June 2019 release) Do the following:

1. Choose Edit > Preferences > General (Windows) or Photoshop > Preferences > General (macOS).
2. Select Use Legacy Free Transform.
3. Restart Photoshop.

If in case for any reason, you're using the versions 20.0, 20.0.1, 20.0.2, 20.0.3, and 20.0.4, do the following:

• Use Notepad (Windows) or a text editor on Mac OS to create a plain text file (.txt).
• Type the text below in the text file:

TransformProportionalScale 0

• (Windows) Save the file as "PSUserConfig.txt" to your Photoshop settings folder. [Installation Drive]:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2019\Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 Settings\

• (macOS) Do the following:

Save the file as "PSUserConfig.txt" to the desktop.

Control-click PSUserConfig.txt saved at the desktop and choose Copy from the pop-up menu.

In the Finder, choose Go > Go To Folder. In the Go To Folder dialog box, type ~/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 Settings/

Paste the copied file at this location.

Restart Photoshop.

Thanks,

Akash

[josem95005259]

Strangely enough, I've gotten use to the constrained proportion transform by default. When I wrote this last week, photoshop was stuck in the legacy mode. Now I'm back at work, and Photoshop is back to the way it should be: constrained proportions by default. I tried to reproduce the error by dragging images into place just now, but photoshop is behaving (for now). I'll keep my eyes open and try to determine the cause of this error if it happens again this week, otherwise I'll assume it was a fluke and close this.

[josem95005259]

A half hour later and I'm having this problem again; photoshop has reverted to it's legacy scaling behavior. I believe I've figured out how to reproduce it. If I have a windows explorer open and I drag an object in, then I hit enter to place it, everything works fine. But if I forget to hit enter then try to drag another object in, I can't drag in the new object because the previous object has not been placed. So if I then hit enter to place the initial object, then drag the new object into photoshop, suddenly I'm reverted to the legacy scale behavior. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Edit: Now it just switched back to "constrained scaling by default" after correctly dragging in a new object and placing it. This is so perplexing.

[JJMack · Accepted solution]

"constrained scaling by default" is for some Layer types not all layer types.  You need to Know Layer types to know how the Sfift key will work.

[josem95005259]

Oh so basically if I rasterize my smart objects I won't have this problem?

[josem95005259]

I guess I'll just have to change my preferences since that's the problem. We use a shared library here and don't have time to differentiate between the images and smart objects we're dragging into projects.

[JJMack]

If you rasterize a smart object layer you loose the benefit of it being  done destructive resize and some smart object layers are considered to be vector  smart objects they scaled with vector graphics by Photoshop  re-importing the vector file .ai or .svg at the new size required.  If you are going to be resizeing the Layers.  I would not rasterize a smart object layer.

Personally I use the Legacy Consistent way.  Shift Constrained No shift not constrain. Has been working for decades

[josem95005259]

I'll have to get re-accustomed to legacy. I have already experienced the horrors of rasterized graphics becoming pixelated