Why Did Adobe Change Shift-Transform Functionality?

[loganb54285019]

I have been using Adobe products for over 5 years now and all the products use the shift function to scale items, smart objects, and other things proportionally. Why did Adobe change this property on Photoshop items to do the opposite of this now? There are still some things in Photoshop that you have to still hold shift in for now too making things very confusing for me.

Especially going between Illustrator and Photoshop a lot. Was their user testing that happened for this feature change that showed a lot of people would like it done at Adobe or during beta phases of the application?

[JJMack]

Adobe does not unseally publish information like that this is a user site not an Adobe  info or support site. 5 Years a newbe...

[Muqqarib Hassan]

Hi, In my opinion mostly people that are beginner to use Photoshop they normal try to scale their things without holding shift. So when they do they didn't get their things proportionally transformed. So I think that's why Adobe make it easier. But it is lil bit confusing for old user.

PS: You can revert it back to the old method.

How do I turn off the new proportional scaling by default behavior while transforming layers?

To revert to the legacy transform behavior, 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

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

Thanks.

[artistic_critic6C1B]

Thanks for the fix on this!!

...and just to let off some steam - Why would a popular app change a function that EVERY professional graphics artist has used and grown accustomed to since I can remember just to possibly accommodate some new users? IDIOCY of the highest magnitude. I hope whomever is responsible gets a pay cut.

[bradvklaus]

This is the single STUPIDEST user interface decision I've ever experienced. 

Are you guys on acid?

One of the VERY FEW interface standards that still exist (at least since 1984) , and your too-clever designers have the smug arrogance to change it. Shame!

I can list at least 5 design fundamentals that it violates, but I'd be waisiting my time. (They're probably all covered in "The DEsign of Everyday Things.")

Love & best wishes always.

-BK

[jane-e]

loganb54285019  wrote

Was their user testing that happened for this feature change that showed a lot of people would like it done at Adobe or during beta phases of the application?

Hi Logan B,

I've been teaching Photoshop to beginners for over 25 years and have given instructions to transform proportionally to thousands of students:

1. Cmd + T
2. Shift + Corner handle
3. Look in the Options bar and confirm the W and H before accepting the transformation. Correct it if necessary.

Then we go back and look to see it says 100%. I talk about this for a full 5 minutes.

Later we scale again and I look around to see distortions all around.

IMHO, this new "feature" is for new users, not for those of us who are long-time users. As mentioned above, it can be changed. But there's the "why". I am not yet used to it either.

[Ronald Keller]

Hi Jane,

It's all a question of personal preferences of course  but although I am a very long Photohop user (more than 20 years) I really like this new behavior very much. After all,  almost always I need to transform things in proportion.

It took me two seconds to getting used to the new situation and I surely would regret it should Adobe change it back to the old school way

[John Waller]

Agreed if it was consistently implemented across all tools inside Photoshop (shape layers still free transform by default) and across the suite (Illustrator still free transforms by default) etc.

People also seem to be wondering why change a 25 year old behaviour which was not broken and everyone knows instinctively? To appeal to newbies?

[LastPixelPusher]

Utterly frustrated. I agree that's probably why they did it, and probably for the folks that will be running Photoshop on an iPad Pro or other touchscreen device. I get that, but it should have been an easy on/off check box in preferences so the rest of us who aren't newbies don't get screwed up and have to dig around for a fix. I am constantly using free transform with the modifier keys, so changing the shift key modifier behavior to mean constrain messes all those key combinations too, and really screws up muscle memory. Add to it the problem that automatic constrained proportions is not a consistent behavior among all tools and certainly not all Adobe programs, which makes trying to relearn even more difficult jumping between programs. I've tried for months and just can't do it--too much of a productivity killer. I'm making the prefs edit and silently screaming in my head.

[kalamazandy]

This is complete BS. And it has nothing to do with personal preference.

The ONLY reason to make a change like this is to make one software match another.

But that's not the case here because most things don't work like this. In fact, Illustrator is probably better here. Hold shift while using a corner keeps aspect. Hold it while using an edge does something else. I can't remember what, but it's useful. lol

And Photoshop is NOT for beginners! To the teacher's post, they are explaining, this is a Very easy thing to learn. And it's not even Necessary to learn the hotkey. Photoshop Elements is for beginners. If you can't figure out a hotkey, you probably aren't the type to use them in the first place....so use the button up top that locks the aspect ratio.

This should be one of those things that as soon as you change it from locked/unlocked it changes your preference. Having to change xml files, or dig Anywhere into program files is just terrible programmers. It's like they've never had a meeting with someone involved in user experience before. Get some decent user experience people Adobe, Please. Really the only major complaint I have about your software as a whole is poor decisions regarding UX. Crashes here and there? Yeah, programmers make mistakes, most likely because of the crazy number of variables for all the systems they have to support. That's expected. But you CAN control how things are designed as far as things like this.

[JoseGIHP]

Was this changed back? Suddenly, transform is not constraining proportions unless shift is being held down (the way it used to be) My legacy Transform is turned OFF. Years ago, they made NOT holding shift to constarain propetions, now it has to be pushed. WTF. I'm used to working one way, Adobe makes changes willy nilly, I get used to the change, and then they go back. I'm tired of the games these people are playing.  SERIOUSLY. These are tools people such as my self use TO MAKE A LIVING, not for memes to send friends. IT IS SO I AND MY FAMILY CAN EAT AND PAY BILLS.

[abuse removed by moderator]

[M-H]

1. Nothing had changed with shortcuts recently

2. It was always possible to have the legacy "keep proportions with shift pressed down".

3. How are Photoshop shortcuts settings affecting your income?

[JoseGIHP]

A) Using shift to constrain proportions has changed for me. It was required to constrain proportions, then it was changed to NOT having to hold down shift to keep the image propiortinal while resizing. Now, I have to hold shift again. This is taking extra time to rewire my workflow to accomodate this. No settings were changed on my end. Just opened Photoshop and the settings were already altered.
B) Legacy Options was unticked before and remains unticked.

C) Having to spend time troubleshooting takes time. Time needed to complete projects, projects I'm working on TO GET PAID. Much more time than needed given Adobe's "Customer service" is awful, so that means searching online and <abuse removed>

[M-H]

If you're not here to offer solutions, why reply?

By @JoseGIHP

Last time I've check I was a free man and this was public forum - you are not paying me to provide you with solutions. You've asked if something has changed and ive replied - it hasnt. If something has changed only for you and noone else do you really think its because of Adobe issue?

[M-H]

See below, my legacy is enanled and im having to press shift down to keep proportions

(hope this is just as helpful as the screenshot you've provided🤦‍:male_sign:)