Photoshop Elements Polygonal Lasso Tool Problem

[steveb93395723]

I'm hoping someone can help me.  

I am a casual user of Photoshop Elements.  I have PS Elements 2024 and it is set to automatically update.

I am having a problem with the polygonal lasso tool.  The issue I am having is the tool behaves strangely.

Sometimes I am unable to set an intial anchor point.  I select the tool, drag the icon onto my image and then select the point where I want to set my anchor.  I click ... nothing happens.  If I select some random spot on the image I can then set the initial anchor point.  How can I set up PSE to use the polygonal lasso in the manner that I am expecting?

Another issue is that if I am successful seting the anchor point I then drag the mouse and the line showing my selection appears fine.  I then select the second anchor point and so on.  Many time though, PS automatically connects with my initial point because it decided I was done with my selection.  Of course, I disagree, but how do I fix this?

A third issue ... I select my initial anchor point but am unable to set a second anchor point.  In fact, when I drag the mouse to the place I want to set the second anchor point, the line showing my selection completely goes away.  If I start over, generally the same thing occurs.  How do I fix this issue?

On an earlier version of PSE, I did not have these problems, so am wondering if this is some setup issue or a preference setting.

Thanks,

Steve

[hatstead · Accepted solution]

On the tool's option bar (beneath the work area) make sure that feather is set to zero. If that does not fix it, click on the 3-dot icon on the right on the option bar, and reset the tool. 

Is there good contrast between the selection target and the background?

[Greg_S.]

IMO, the polygonal lasso tool is one of the most difficult to use to get a good selection.  Elements has many other selection tools that are far easier and more accurate.  Hopefully, hatstead's suggestions will fix your current problem.  But I highly recommend that you try working with the other available tools.

[Glenn 8675309]

Screenshots always help, even though your descriptions were pretty good.   
I generally only use the tool every now and then, simply because there are better selection tools in the program.   When I use the tool it rarely produces the results I was look for.  If it were up to me I would remove the tool from the program.

Yes, that's the Banana Splits standing in a carburator (It was for a facebook group that likes to measure things in "banana added for scale).
 

[Lisa34914903qf79]

Having same issue on my laptop at home and at office with desktop. 2 different Photoshop element programs one ordered from Adobe the office I ordered from App store both exactly the same issue. Often closes selection when click on upper left corner of photo. Sometimes a different mouse helps but never works for long.... I am a photoshop user for 20 year just last year went to Elements... what gives???? Driving me crazy. when ever I need to do quick random selection it just wont cooperate.

[ElioPSE]

Hi Steve,

I was having the exact same issue. This was never a problem with any of the previous versions of PSE I owned. I've only experienced this hiccup with PSE 2024.

Setting the feather to zero and resetting the tool didn't help in my instance. But I did find something that seems to have fixed the annoyance.

In the menu, go to Edit > Preferences > Performance, then uncheck Use Graphics Processor for improved performance. Hopefully this will resolve your polygonal lasso tool problem.

Best - Elio

[Krillinball Z]

I am comforted seeing that someone else is having the same issue I am (I've never ever had this issue in my previous version of Photoshop Elements), but frustrated that no one seems to have a solution that works to fix the problem.  Both issues you listed (not allowing me to start an anchor point in certain places and then automatically closing the loop for no reason) are driving me absolutely crazy.

[ElioPSE]

Here is something else you can experiment with. Change the program's High DPI settings in explorer. I've set mine to "Overide high scaling DPI behaviour. Scaling performed by System". This DEFINITELY fixed the problem for me. Doesn't happen anymore.

[Krillinball Z]

This worked for me, thanks!  Took me a lot of searching to finally get this tool fixed as it is one that I often use.

Do we know what exactly this does in the program other than fix the polygonal lasso tool?  I have to imagine it was performing some other function beyond breaking the tool as well, but just curious what impact I could see on other facets of the program with this setting updated.

Thanks again!

[ElioPSE]

Glad this solution fixed the problem for you. I haven't noticed these settings impacting other apsects of the program. But if you pick up on anything please pop a note up in this post.