can't edit smart object

[bartonlew]

I need to clone stamp inside a smart object and I am getting the message shown below ("This smart object must be rasterized before proceeding.").  I thought if I had turned a layer into a smart object, the clone stamping had to be done not on the layer, but on the opened smart object.  I'm sure I have done this in the past.  Am I wrong or missing something?  Thanks.

[JJMack]

Photoshop tools can not change a Smart object Pixels.  They are used  to generate the smart object layers pixels via the Smart object layer's Transform.  You can add Smart filters and adjustment layers to filter the smart Object layer pixels generated from the smart Object. You can also add an empty layer over the Smart Object Layer and use the Clone stamp tool to clone into that layer sampling that layer and lower layer(s).  However, if you changed the Smart object layers transform or smart filters you will need to redo the cloning.

[bartonlew]

I am a complete loss here.  In the past, I have made a layer a smart object in order the apply a camera raw filter so as to apply non-destructive adjustments to contrast, brightness, color cast etc.  I try to complete any pixel adjustments before making the layer a smart object.  But in some instances I have needed to make pixel adjustments afterwards and have double-clicked on the smart object and then been able to clone stamp, use the spot healing brush etc.  I know absoutely for a fact that I have done these things.  Are you saying that was and always has been impossible? 

[JJMack]

Camera Raw will edit Raw Object. There are  several types of Smart Object. Some are not Photoshop supported objects, Double click on a Raw Smart Object and the object will open in ACR.  Double Click on a vector Smart Object and the object will open in a vector Application like AI.  When ACR edits and commits the Raw Object or AI edits and commits the Vector Object, Photoshop will generate new pixels when it update the smart object layer  object will the Changes made in ACR or AI.  ACR can also be use as a Smart filter on smart object layers.  If you double click on a smart object  layer's content Thumbnail in the layers palette Photoshop  will create a temp work file for the object and that work file will be opened for edit.  If the work document open in Photoshop  you  edit the document with Photoshop tool if it opens in ACR you use ACR tools, If it opens in AI you use AI tools. When you edit the object work file and commit the changes. Photoshop will update the smart object layer's object with the changed Object file and generate a new set of Pixels for the smart object then use the smart object layer's recorded transform  to generated  the layer pixels.   You are not editing the Document smart object Layer with a double click you edit the object. If you add layers changes layers, delete layer, paint clone the changes are in the object not in your document that has the smart object layer.  When you commit the changes  Photoshop will update the document with the smart object layer and replace smart object layer's object with the changed object and generate a new set of pixels for the changed object.  You have replaced the layers contents.

[Chuck Uebele · Accepted solution]

It looks like your opened smart object is also a smart object, so you have to open each smart object till you get pixel layers, or add a blank layer above the smart object and do you cloning on that layer, with the tool set to sample all layers.

[bartonlew]

Yikes!  Don't know how that happened.  Thanks, Chuck.  I'll be on the lookout for that in the future in case the problem arises again.

[Lukas Engqvist]

Destructive tools can't be used on Smart Objects. (@JJMack explains this but I realise it may be hard to follow.)

If you want to paint, stamp, clone, repair you can either go into the smart object (edit smartobject) and make your destructive changes there

… or you may work on a blank layer to paint or clone. Note that if you want to use repair tools you will have to make them "Sample all Layers" or "Sample Current and Bellow" to clone information form your layers below. Note that if you repair a smart object this way changing the smart object or applying a smart filter will not uppdate the layer with the repair/patch.