Layers showing as checkerboards after 0

[os31776508]

Hello. I'm trying to make layers, but I'm having three problems. First, when I use the polygonal lasso tool to make a layer, it only makes straight lines and therefore
rectangles. Is there a way to separate other shapes? See 3rd screenshot.

The second problem is that when I double click an area to select it, it gets messed up. See 1st screenshot. Is double clicking not right? I read it in a tutorial posted below.

The third problem is that the layers after 0 show as checkerboards. See 2rd screenshot. Is that how they're supposed to look?

Thanks in advance for answers. Here's the tutorial I used.

1. 1. Right-click
   the lasso icon in the Photoshop toolbox and then click "Polygonal lasso
   tool."
2. 2. Click each
   corner of the piece that you want to separate and then double-click to select
   the area that you have outlined.
3. 3. Click
   "Layers" in the menu bar and click "New" to open a new
   cascading menu.
4. 4. Click
   "Layer" to split off the selected part of the image as a new piece.
5. 5. Repeat
   this process for other pieces

[gener7]

You are using Photoshop Elements, not Photoshop CC. I've moved your post there.

[Dhananjay Sati]

Hi os,

Thanks for posting in Adobe forum.

I understand you are facing multiple issue while working with Adobe Photoshop Elements.

Could you please try the following steps:

Firstly,

- Open Photoshop Elements

- Click "Edit"

- Click "Preferences"

- Click "General"

- Click "Reset preferences on the next launch"

- Re-open the program & test Elements again.

If this doesn't help you then secondly,

- Select "Polygonal Tool" from the toolbox.

- Click the  to open the menu in Tool Options.

- Click "Reset Tool" or "Reset All Tools" 

- Restart Adobe Photoshop Elements & test Elements again.

Hope it works for you

Thanks

Regards

Dhananjay

[os31776508]

Will that make the polygonal lasso tool make other shapes besides rectangles or not make the rectangles disappear when I double click it?

[hatstead]

os31776508  wrote

Will that make the polygonal lasso tool make other shapes besides rectangles or not make the rectangles disappear when I double click it?

The polygonal lasso tool produces configurations with straight lines.

You may find this helpful, esp. p. 202: https://helpx.adobe.com/pdf/photoshop-elements_reference.pdf

PSE has a lot of shapes available to you in the Custom Shape Tool.

The checkerboard pattern denotes transparency.

But, what are you really trying to do? Is this just an exercise to follow the recipe in above referenced tutorial?

[os31776508]

Yes. If the tutorial I posted is correct. I don't know what your advice was meant to do. It removed the layers section on the right though. HHow can I separate layers now?

[hatstead]

os31776508  wrote

Yes. If the tutorial I posted is correct. I don't know what your advice was meant to do. It removed the layers section on the right though. HHow can I separate layers now?

Open the Layers palette.

Go to the Window menu at the top, and check "Layers".

[os31776508]

I don't know what all that was meant to do, but it removed the layers section on the right. Now I can't make layers at all.