Saved path not showing up when compositing

[Shaffner_Photo]

I'm having an issue with my saved pen tool path not showing up when I drag a jpeg/png/tif out of bridge or finder and onto another image in photoshop. when i open the jpeg/png/tif by itself in photoshop the saved path is there embedded. But when I composite an image it disappears. ie: Im editing real estate photography and I have someone pen tool my dark window view frames then save the path. I get the files back and lay a jpeg with saved path on a lighter image and there is nothing in the paths tab. the first image shows a saved path, the second is when i composite and it disappears. please help, this seems strange and I really need it to work! Running a 2019 iMac on Catalina and PS 22.3.1

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Placing an image does not place the Paths the image may contain (edit: except within a Smart Object), neither is it intended to. 

As a Wor-Around you could create Shape Layers and drag those into the other image together with the background layer. 

[Shaffner_Photo]

So a path will show up if it's saved inside of a smart image? My work around is to open the file with the saved path, then lay the other photo on top, unlock base layer, swap layters etc, but its super inconvenient bc the other file is the one with the naming convention. What is the point of saving a path then, except in a layered file, but whats the point of it being saved in a jpeg? Or is there any way to save a path or selection that will show up when placing? Just not as a tiff or something thats a big file size? thanks!

[c.pfaffenbichler]

»So a path will show up if it's saved inside of a smart image?«

Inside the SO, not in the containing file. 

»What is the point of saving a path then, except in a layered file, but whats the point of it being saved in a jpeg?«

The point is that it is saved and can therefore be used later on, what you do with them is your choice. 

Maybe you should look into Layer Comps in Smart Objects to be able to utilize Layer Masks and Vector Masks within the containing file. 

Or maybe simply inverting which image you place and in which you place is sufficient. 

»Just not as a tiff or something thats a big file size?«

Size should not matter much; jpg employs lossy compression and should therefore be a no-starter as an intermediary file format for professional work. 

[Shaffner_Photo]

1) Inside the SO, not in the containing file. - I'm not sure I understand what this means, maybe I dont understand what the difference is between the SO and the containing file
2) The point is that it is saved and can therefore be used later on, what you do with them is your choice.- I think adobe should add this as a feature of a saved path it would be so useful for teams who have some outline and some composite.
Or maybe simply inverting which image you place and in which you place is sufficient- yeah, this works, and I do it, just not a smooth workflow 
3) Size should not matter much; jpg employs lossy compression and should therefore be a no-starter as an intermediary file format for professional work.- just helps with file transfer, my final output size and quality is relatively small and can afford some detail loss, the files are in and out of dropbox a few times so we dont want to be dl'ing 240 40mb tifs, rather get smaller file size. we do practice non destructive editing while working on images, but ultimately they're output flattened and as a 9. good enough!

thanks for the help so far, I need to understand SO better, and find a way to have a smooth workflow when i pass something off to team members for paths, then comes back to me to composite.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Do you keep the layered files? 

Here an example of how the Layer Comps in a Smart Object can be used in the containing document (by applying then in the Properties Panel). 

[Shaffner_Photo]

I read into layer comps a bit, not sure how this would benefit what I'm trying to do. So there's no way to place any file type and have it preserve a saved path or even a saved selection? This would be so much simpler than any of these workarounds and it seems kind of ridiculous that this isn't a possibility.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

When you place the image as a Smart Object all the Layers, Paths and Alpha Channels are there, in the Smart Object. 

Why should they be duplicated into the containing document when the SO may well be transformed, filtered, …? 

What you want seems to hinge on your specific workflow and that seems kind of problematic to me. 

Anyway, one could automate duplicating Layers, Paths, Channels from one image to another with a Script. 

[Shaffner_Photo]

ok, so the photo starts out a jpeg. after outlining you can go layer>so>convert to so? Im just not sure how to access that when placed. It is specific to this workflow, but I can easily see a broader use. Thanks, much appreciated.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

I don’t quite follow your description. 

Maybe you could post screenshots to clarify. 

I already showed how one can use Layer Comps in a Smart Object, if you only want to clip an image then that’s not even necessary. 

Just convert the clipped Layer to a Smart Object and drag it into the other image (or copy/paste).