CS5 Smudge Tool no longer smudges, have reset prefs

[frtioz420]

Hi!

I have been pulling my hair out trying to figure why the smudge tool in cs5 no longer behaves like a smudge tool when trying to smudge from a transparent area if the layer into the image part of the layer..

I have deleted my tool preset and the whole adobe preferences file, i also am sure i don't have fingerpainting on or anything like that..and nothing seems to work!

the smudge tool acts correctly when smudging from within the boundaries of the pixel area, but if i try to smudge a layer that has any transparency around it, and i wish to smudge into the pixelated areas from outside the boundaries of the image (starting from transparency into the image) it just doesn't work anymore..

(say i use the pen tool to cut off the arm of a person and make a new layer using the selection, so now i just have the free floating arm with transparency all around it..if i  smudge from within the image outward to the transparent area, it works fine, but if i try to reverse that, and smudge from the transparent area into the image, it just does nothing!

CS4 smudge tool still works fine, as does every other function in cs5..except for this!

Can anyone help me?

it would be much appreciated!

[Guest]

I don't really get your question. Are you trying to smudge transparant pixels

[frtioz420]

sorry, but i don't know how to explain it better than i did...

say you have a background layer picture of a forest, then you use the lasso tool to outline a tree, then i make the path into a selection, and copy and paste the tree selection onto a new layer, ok?

so, then i delete the background layer forest picture, leaving me with just a layer with the cut-out tree.

transparency is obviously all around the tree layer, right?

so now i want to use the smudge tool to smudge into the tree, starting outside the tree itself (int he transparent area around the tree)

usually, when you smudge into an object fromt he transparent area around the objecy, it pushes through the border of the pixels, but i cannot seem to make it do so..

to better illustrate my point, please reference these hastily made screencaps..

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

here is an example, like what i said above, a simple forest:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

then i select a tree and copy and paste it into it's own layer

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

then i delete the background layer, so there is only the object with transparancy all around it

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

here you can see smudging from within the object to the transparancy surrounding the object..this works just fine in cs5, BUT...

here is the final example, this is what i want to do in cs5, but it won't do it!

I start the smudge in the open transparent area around the object, and try to smudge into/through it..

as you can see it works just fine in cs4

i hope this is more clear than my description..

so, can anyone help me out here?

[Guest]

Maybe your layer transparency is locked.

Is there some kind of little lock symbol on your layer in the layers panel?

MTSTUNER

[shrikant_explorer]

Thanks MTSTUNER

I had the same problem. The layer was locked. I unlocked it and the Smudge tool worked fine.

Thanks a ton.

[Guest]

Post a screenshot of cs5, including the tool options bar

when the the said problem is present.

MTSTUNER

[Guest]

I tried this in CS5 and it worked fine. The only way it didn't work was when the "Sample All Layers" was checked.

[frtioz420]

thanks for responding, after my last post i uninstalled cs5 and reinstalled it...unfortunately the problem still occurs, here are the screen shots from cs5-

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

in cs5, i made a simple layer for example, i indicated where i will start smudging into the object

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

as you can see, when i smudge across the object, it smears only the pixels from within and then outward, it seems not to affect the outside perimeter of the object

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

another example, smudging into the object form 4 points around it

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

the circled areas should be affected my the smudge

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

this is taken in cs4 with the same file to illustrate what i should be seeing

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

well i'm stumped, i usually am the one who tries to help people with this sort of stuff, but i really cannot figure out why this is happening!

thanks for any more ideas, i use this feature alot, so having it not work is driving me crazy!

[Guest]

That is so odd. It doesn't happen to me. Good luck!

[frtioz420]

hi, i made sure all my settings were identical to the cs4 settings..

but unfortunately i still am having the problem..

thanks for any help!

[Guest]

Make sure you don't have an active selection.

(selections can be hidden from view)

Go to: Select>Deselect

MTSTUNER

[frtioz420]

thanks for the good ideas, i really appreciate the help-

unfortunatley it was not that, i have tried it with other older files and newly created files, all having the same problems..

the crazy thing is as far as i can tell every other function of cs5 seems to be working great, some of the other bugs i've heard people experiencing haven't happened to me, except for this crazy bug!

i guess i will uninstall cs5 again, then uninstall cs4 using the cleaner tool, then reinstall cs5..

pity i have to lose the fully functioning cs4, but to be scientific i have to try all possible solutions, besides i can jsut reinstall it..

if that doesn't work i will start selectively removing preset items and testing .dll's to confrim no corruption has occured..

but i still have faith it's just some new cs5 setting i have to change..then all this work and stress will seem silly in hindsight!

*crosses fingers*

[Guest]

NO!!! Don't go so drastic! Do you have another computer you can test this on? I also build computers and I KNOW that I can build three identical 'puters and, upon installing the SAME OS's on all three, none of the systems will boot up the first time the same way. There are so many possibilities.

Your idea is a good one but MAKE SURE to deactivate (permanently) both CS4 and CS5 prior to uninstalling. Make sure you remove all preferences upon uninstall. Run the clean-up utility.

There really could be an OS level problem with what you're experiencing and the Adobe folks can't help you out there and the MS folks won't help you out. In this case, you will want to download your current OS (don't rely on your restore disks) and use your current OEM ID for the install. This could repair the OS problems.

Keep us posted!

[Guest]

Before you resort to such drastic measures.

1. Trash the preferences again, just to be sure.

2. If you have a 64 bit os, check both versions of cs5.

    That is the 32 bit version and 64 bit version.

    See if both have the same problem.

3. If you use a tablet, try unplugging it and use the mouse.

4. Open GL

    If you have open gl enabled in cs5, go to preferences>performance

    and turn it off.

5. Video card

    Check that you have the latest drivers for your video card.

MTSTUNER

[Guest]

Hello, I just read the rest of your post. I think you have an active selection. If you press ctrl H you can toggle your marching ants.

[chronosrewind]

I know exactly what you are talking about because I am experiencing it also with CS5.  Oddly enough, this issue seems to affect my vertical strokes more than my horizontal strokes.

After searching around for a solution, I came across a comment mentioning the color mode.  Switching from RGB 8-bit to 32-bit seems to have solved the problem, however I do not know why, nor do I know if this is an actual solution to the problem.  Also now my colors seem to be "off" (my images seem to be a lighter shade when working in 32-bit mode)

If anyone else could offer some clarity on this issue it would be greatly appreciated.

[PECourtejoie]

What version are you using? 64bits or 32bits? Tried with other brushes? Did you check the options after finger painting? Are you using a wacom tablet?

[chronosrewind]

64-bit version of Photoshop CS5.  For what it's worth, the original poster came from CS4 to CS5 and noticed this issue, while I am coming from Photoshop 7 to CS5.  I have tried with multiple brushes, all on default settings with finger-painting disabled.  And I am using a mouse, not a tablet.

[kristicorbett]

A year late, but I think I can help here.

Check your brush settings for the smudge tool.  Is Shape Dynamics set to pen pressure?  Are you using a pen tablet?  Look under Transfer option.  Is the Strength Jitter set to pen pressure?  Change the Minimun/Max settings under this option and see if that takes care of your issue.  This option will change the degree of the smudge as well as the length.

[darkinshadows]

I'm pretty late to this also.  I came across this forum when I encountered the same problem and did a google search.

Eventually I realised I had accidently set the mode to 'satuation'.  Changing it back to 'normal' fixed the issue.

[KokoBlue]

Just want to add that my smudge tool in Photoshop 2019 is not working. When I try to use it -- it wants to paint with black or white or any other color when I do not have fingerpaint selected!