P: Ability to edit/move/transform on several layers at the same time with an active selection

[coreyarte]

This is something that would really be helpful. The ability to select objects inside your lasso tool selection that are on multiple layers. You could select the layers you want and photoshop could move and manipulate the objects inside your selection that are on those layers.Why would this useful. Well at work I have alot of elements composed together to create a single portion of the image. It would great to be able to edit these pieces as a whole without having to flatten the image or dissect each element into its on layer. I know people I work with wanted this ability to and I hope others out there might feel its useful for their work flow as well. Thanks for listening.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I use Photoshop CC for digital art. As an example, lets say I have a layer with a gesture drawing, a layer with a basic mid tone silhouette, and a layer with a slightly more detailed sketch. I realise the leg of the figure is in slightly the wrong place but am still very much in the design phase. It would be great to be able to make a selection, say with the Lasso tool, select all three layers, and then Free Transform that selection across all three layers without having to merge them into one layer.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

My company just upgraded from CC 2016 to 2019. In the previous version I could use the Lasso or Marquis tool to select an area and move, transform or edit the selection on multiple layers. In the current version I cannot, or the appropriate tool or control is hidden or buried. 
I wonder why Adobe thinks this is such a small deal that they simply throw away a feature that more than a few artists use constantly...it's not like there aren't other programs anymore.

[J453]

This has never been a possible in any version of Photoshop.

[Signfeld]

Both of you may be right. Please demo or explain better what you mean, Sidhecat. Well, I guess you are now without PS 2016...

[Typhonart]

Hello!
Long story short, I use PS mostly for Digital Painting. And very ofter I need to move something quickly to see how it will look, and there is no problem if everything is flattened. But for example if I want to maintain for example 10 layers editable, but move only 1 part from all of the 10 layers it's a problem.  At the moment I need to select things on 1 layer, move it, go to second layer, move it accordingly, go to third etc.

What about making it possible to move certain parts from several layers at the same time?
I have 3 linearts on one layer, 3 silhouette backdrops for 3 linearts, several small details on another layer. I lasso the only object I want to move, select the layers involved, and just move the object without cutting anything etc. 

Same could work for transform. I select a thing, select layers, and do a transform and all selected layers are affected.

I hope I made the idea clear 😛

[mindytakamiya]

Please enable the multilayer cut/copy/move. For example, if I choose one or more layer groups and select certain area and drag it, objects of all layers in the group(s) included in the area move at the same time.

[shanez43587919]

I would usually just open the image in Paint tool sai and do the modification with that, but recently I've started using better color profiles for my arts, so PTS doesn't accept those.. So now I've gotta jerk around doing it the long way with PS.. I hope they at least fix this by 2021..

[c.pfaffenbichler]

This is a feature request, not a bug report, so »fix« is the wrong word in this context

[Warren Heaton]

Active selections can interact with Layers for merged references like Copy Merged or using the Clone Stamp tool, but not for nudging pixels on a layer that requires working with one Layer at a time

 It's also worth noting that a move done with a Selection is moving the pixels on the Layer and not moving the Layer itself.

To move or transform multiple layers requires having more than one layer targeted in the Layers Panel, having layers in a Layer Group, or having Layers linked.  Edits using selections made with the Lasso Tool or the Marquis Tool is a different kind of edit.

[shanez43587919]

PS has been around for what, 20+ years now.. And has started raking in money by the bucketloads since they no longer allow their program to be outright purchased.. Paint tool sai is a relatively cheap program with a one time purchase of  just under 70$, one dev, and PTS has that feature. This expensive program with a team of devs still lacks this BASIC feature, I'd surely call that broken..

But just the logic and mechanics of it in general, I wouldn't really call it a 'feature'. If i have multiple layers selected, and I make a selection, why in the F would I want to move everything on all the selected layers? Why am I even making a selection at that point... This kind of behavior I'd expect out of PS 15-20 years ago, but not now..

[c.pfaffenbichler]

The word »broken« has a meaning and it it does not correctly describe this situation. 
Indubitably Photoshop has bugs but just calling any of its features that do not fit your tastes »broken« is not reasonable. 

[coreyarte]

I sort of understand your frustration Shane. I understand atleast where your coming from as an artist working in entertainment industry who draws/paints using photoshop for a living it really is the best tool for selection, filters, editing in general but lags behind tremendously for drawing features for artist and non-photographers for years now. But i have hope that perhaps they will eventually add these features for drawers or maybe other software will catch up to photoshop's editing capabilities. Procreate currently is my favorite and I think is a great example! Clip studio is close as well for desktop.

[coreyarte]

So on a side note for those interested in selecting multiple objects on different layers within a lasso tool. Sergey Kritskiy has yet again done alot of innovation for tools artist really need in their workflow. I really wish this guy would work for adobe! Check out layer factory. It's pretty great I use it all the time and it has CHANGED the game for me for selecting things on multiple layers. Saves me so much time.


https://layer-factory.readthedocs.io/en/latest/multimove/index.html#multilayermove

It's 13 dollars on gumroad.https://gumroad.com/kritskiy

Enjoy

[Signfeld]

I thought this script could do it too...? (and much more)
Pepperbox  |  With Pepperbox you can change multiple layers with single click in previously unthinkable cases.  http://pepperbox.bereza.cz/?ref=mg  $15

[shanez43587919]

"features that do not fit your tastes"

Again, not really a feature, so much as an essential mechanic for artists. I just had to save a selection, then reuse it on literally 15 different layers, making sure to make the exact same rotation on each layer, then make a new saved selection and do the process all over again to move the selection.. I still have to repeat this again just to move the selection a tiny bit to the left.. Like, an hour of work on a tiny task that should have taken me no more than a minute.. This isn't just some tiny quirk that only affects me. This is a massive oversight that affects probably most artists that use the program.

"Procreate currently is my favorite and I think is a great example! Clip studio is close as well for desktop"

Thank you for the suggestions, and I will likely look into them at some point, but tbh I try to avoid using new programs as often as I can when I already have an established program for the use. Mostly because of how much the learning curve often puts me behind or puts me off (of doing art for a while, for example), because I find there's nothing more frustrating than trying to do something that feels so basic, but not being able to do it.

Honestly, it took me a while to migrate to PS from PTS. I just liked PTS because of how basic it is, but I couldn't ignore the fact that PS has 100ish times the features.

I did just think of a better way to word it though. The feature (multiple layer selection) feels broken because it lacks that very basic and seemingly obvious mechanic. I mean, did they not think of that when they were testing the program? Like, "I can select multiple layers, I can make a selection, why can I make a selection at all if it affects nothing with multiple layers selected...

[c.pfaffenbichler]

You may call it a »function« or »operation« (or maybe something else) if you don’t like the word »feature« here but it is still not broken just because you want it to be different. 

[c.pfaffenbichler]

While to me it seems that you are unwilling to accept that it is not up to you alone to define the meaning of words. 

Feel free to report my posts if you think they violate Forum standards. 

[shanez43587919]

Or you could just not be a two watt, just sayin..

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

This really should be native. Texture artists need to edit diffuse/albedo, reflection, normal maps, etc. all together at once. That one can't transform selections across multiple layers in native PS in 2021 is shameful.

[Warren Heaton]

@eryk_szczygie

Being able to nudge pixels based on having multiple layers selected would be cool.

[shanez43587919]

*omz exactly.. Not like this company isn't making enough money.. Especially since they started to refuse selling their software and only rent it now..

[shanez43587919]

Yep! plus like I've said, it's just common sense. Why would I have multiple layers selected, if I didn't intend to alter multiple layers. I can understand some things, like not being able to draw/erase with multiple layers selected (though that could be handy in a rare few cases), but artists are always moving and resizing bits and pieces on their works throughout the process; an eye's too big/small, or a bit too far in one direction, grab it, plus your color layers for the eye, and move them.

Honestly, I've started mainly using Krita/Paint Tool Sai for my art recently, not sure if I'll renew my sub for PS this next time around.. PS's main strength (that I've found) for artists, is it's ability to move/alter selections with the refined warp tool(with minimal distortion). Also, I imagine the path tools could be invaluable if I took the time to figure them out.

But without the ability to alter multiple layers natively(I'm not spending more for a plugin when I already rent the program monthly..) at the same time, even those tools fall short of their potential.

[Warren Heaton]

*omz 

@shane_zwicker 

To be clear, Photoshop users can transform across multiple layers.  The layers just need to be selected together in the Layers panel or Linked in the Layers panel.

What does not work is transforming a Marquee Tool selection across multiple layers.  If the pixels to be transformed across multiple layers are isolated on their own respective layers, this becomes a non-issue.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

@warren_heaton But that EXACTLY the issue! in clip studio you can do it perfectly. transform several layers but only in the selection.

[shanez43587919]

Well yea.. If you want to transform an entire layer when you're only trying to transform a small part of it.. That works..  But if you're drawing a character/person and you've got the color/shading/lighting/detail layers all done but you notice the ear looks off, you've gotta do the transforms on EVERY single layer individually.. 

But why would I select multiple layers, then make a small selection, so I can move ALL of EVERYTHING on those layers? The lack of common sense in this program is infuriating.