P: Don't understand the undo/redo system

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Unlike most modern apps, Photoshop only has a single "undo". If you press command-z a second time, Photoshop will redo the change instead of continuing to undo. Not even Illustrator or InDesign works this way at this point.

To work around this issue, I customize my keyboard shortcuts to use "step backward" (command-z) and "step forward" (command-shift-z). For the most part this works great and I've been very happy with it.

But it brings up a new problem: if I change the selected layer, then press command-z ("step backward") then the layer change is undone as well. This is a constant frustration for me, and it seems there's no solution to get both the behaviors I want.

To me, there are two possible ways to fix this problem:
• Adopt a standard undo/redo system with multiple levels of undo/redo
• Make layer selection a separate step in the history

Personally I don't care that much, I'd be happy with either. But adopting a standard undo/redo system makes more sense to me, for consistency amongst the CS apps (as well as other apps). Perhaps it could be an option if there's disagreement over what works best for people.

[Dmox Power]

I followed Sergey Kritskiy's advice on using the script linked to by Jeffery above and that seems to have solved it for me. So thanks to both! As for Kris's comment below; maybe it didn't happen in CS4- it's a long time since I used that version. Early versions of software often have features that are better than later ones. (painter 6 for example)

[Guest]

Could be... I just tried it in CS6, and it doesn't do it there, either.

[Dmox Power]

Check Rory Lutter's detailed description above - a detail that I didn't notice is that it's the 'selection' of a layer + stroke followed by undo that brings you back two steps. Not the 'creation' of a layer + stroke. Either way it is a common occurrence that I've just solved with Jeffery's script. But recreated using the menu's undo command instead of the keyboard shortcut (which I have assigned to the script).

[Dmox Power]

Thanks for this detailed description . I wasn't sure of the exact details- e.g. I figured it was happening when I create a new layer , make a mark, then undo. (as opposed to select a layer, make a mark, undo). I put up with it for years because I used Painter entirely for painting and photoshop for tweaking. But Painter's screen redraw is so bad compared to PSDs, as well as the brush improvements in PSD that I now paint exclusively in PSD and am much more sensitive to the problem.

[Dmox Power]

I can send you a screen recording of what happens if you send me a direct email address. I don't think you can post mov files to the forums?

[Guest]

That's what I said. Switch layers (not create a layer), paint a mark, hit undo or go back in history... it does not switch me to the previous layer. No plug-ins installed to make it behave that way.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2TBAW...

[Dmox Power]

step backward not undo

[Dmox Power]

bit low res but hopefully makes the point http://dmoxia.blogspot.co.uk/

[Guest]

> step backward not undo

Gosh, I could have sworn I said twice now...

Fine. New video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBMMwu...

[Dmox Power]

You don't have the problem- good for you!

[Sergey Kritskiy]

Hi Kris. This is interesting. I don't have CS4 but you're saying that CS6 works the same as CS4 for you. This is the first time I see PS works as everyone in this thread want to. I wonder how is it possible?

[Allen_W]

still a problem in cs6

[Dmox Power]

Kris Hunt thinks we are all imagining it

[PimpOfPixels]

Kris... You're a condescending douche-bag who thinks he knows Photoshop a lot better than he does.

You have to actually paint in the layers.

New Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqWe8c...

[PimpOfPixels]

Since there was some confusion as to whether we were all crazy, I decided to make a video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqWe8c...

[PimpOfPixels]

Actually, you don't seem to understand the problem Kris.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqWe8c...

[Gene_Poole_2012]

That's exactly the problem Rory, thanks for sharing. Perhaps you or someone can forward that video to Adobe programmers for a possible fix. If they can't (or won't) fix it, I would love to hear their reasoning behind such an idiotic and frustrating action.

[Allen_W]

yes that's the problem. adobe needs to see this video of the problem.

[shaddys47798381]

It his hugely annoying for me that step undo also undoes your layer selection. If there was a way to turn that off I would LOVE it. I waste tons of time every day fixing mistakes caused by being on the wrong layer because I selected it made some marks, quickly undid the marks, started making more marks and then later realizing I'm on the old layer! PLEASE FIX! it's been a major issue for 10 years!:)

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I am REALLY sick of after chosing a layer, making a brushstroke that isn't quite right, clicking "Step Backward" (alt-ctrl-z) AND PHOTOSHOP AUTOMATICALLY SELECTS THE LAST LAYER I WAS ON. This has cost me countless hours of drawing directly on the background layer. I have my Wacom pen set to "Step Backward" because I want to have more than one level of undo, but because it selects the previous layer, unless I am being really careful, I end up drawing on the wrong layer. Usually, I have had to learn to select a layer, choose the eraser tool, then pretend to erase something, just so that if I have to step backward it won't select my previous layer. If this has been addressed, great, but I keep thinking it will be, and cannot believe that by CS5 it's still happening.

[alectriciti]

Stepping backwards will often times undo a layer selection. This gets messy. I will select a layer, make a modification, then step backwards. It will then select back to the previous layer I had. It's terribly frustrating and disorienting.

I work with several others who run into the same problem. If this is a 'feature' of step backwards, I highly recommend adding multiple undo options and keep them separate from step backwards.

Thanks for listening!

[Allen_W]

unfortunately, adobe will probably never fix this...

[DermotPower]

This still causes problems for me on a daily basis - Photoshop seem to be more motivated to broaden the software than tighten the existing version. I wish they had a good competitor that we could move over to but the competition is just not good enough yet and Corel Painter is steadily worse with each release. Hopefully Art Rage Or SketchBook pro will sort their keyboard shortcut problems out and we can all stop having to make do. (Art rage's brushes are far superior to Adobe's but the software is too clunky to use- at least for me). Check thru the history of this problem and particularly Kris Hunt's patronising replies to see what you are up against. basically it's the user's problem!

[yoyo34000]

I confirm that this is solving the problem for me !

To install the script StepBackwardSmart:
1*Download it from:
http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/35...

2*Put it in the photoshop folder:
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC (64 Bit)\Presets\Scripts
It is probable that you can put it whenever you want, i don't know.

3*In photoshop, go to File - Scripts - Script Events Manager

4*In the down part of this window, open the dropdown menu of "scripts", choose "Browse", it is all the way down

5*Go to the file at the location described in the second step

6*Clic "Done"

7*Go to Edit - Keyboard Shortcuts Or use the shortcut alt shift ctrl K

8*The shortcut you want to assign is in the Application menus - File - Script (search a bit, the name is "StepBackwardSmart")

Voilà !

[DermotPower]

This works for me most of the time (see my comment from a year or so ago above). But the dreaded 'layer select undo problem' came back a few days ago and I realised it was because p'shop had lost a lot of my keyboard shortcuts - not sure why, I reset them again and have fixed the problem. Photoshop keyboard shortcuts often don't 'stick'. For example I have set 'command shift A' as flip canvas horizontally but half the time it brings up the camera raw conversion dialogue box despite going in to the preferences and setting the Cam Raw keyboard shortcut to blank. And restarting p'shop and even restarting the computer. But you are right this script is a great workaround - when it fails it is probably because the shortcut fails. And when it fails i usually don't notice until I realise I have been working on the background layer again.