No context sensitive help in PE?

[PulkownikSwiatlo]

What really surprised me is the complete lack of context sensitive help in PE 4.0.
When I call any dialog window, like Unsharp Mask, or Skin Tone Adjustment, or when I try to find a blending mode for a layer, I expect a help button that tells me the detailed description for all the fields and their options in the dialog.
When I get an option window I don't fully understand (Unsharp Mask is one of the examples), then I have to remember some keywords from the dialog, close the dialog so that the menu becomes responsive, go to help, type the remembered keywords in the search field and then go over tens of topics to finally find the descriptions for the dialog fields. That's ridiculous!
Am I missing something? Is that really true that no context help is available?
That would be a huge flaw.
Thanks

[Ward Grant]

I can not speak for Version 4, but Version 3 has exactly the same problem. I, too, find it frustrating, one reason I don't look at Help as often as I should.

[Norm F]

Most of the dialog boxes in PSE 4 do have context sensitive help. There's a yellow light bulb with a text link that says, "Learn more about..." Unfortunately, there isn't one in Unsharp Mask.

[Wendy]

Hi ...

Some of the features are quite complex and I don't think that with comtextual menus it would be possible to cover all the fields, options etc plus how to use them. :)

Wendy

[PulkownikSwiatlo]

> Some of the features are quite complex and I don't think that with
> comtextual menus it would be possible to cover all the fields, options etc
> plus how to use them.

Not true. If I want to select a blending mode for a layer I should have an easy way to get descriptions of all the possible options for the blending mode and what they do to a layer. I don't want the entire science of layers in there, but at least a couple of sentences describing what, for example, color burn mode is, etc.

Question: since PE4 doesn't have it, is there a book manual, something like a PE4 Bible, that has all possible options described? I know there are tons of books on PE4, I have several of them, bu they teach you to use PE4 based on specific tasks, like sharpening, exposure, masks etc.
However, none of those books explain the science behind it. All the books teach you only how to do those tasks without teaching you real understanding. In other words, is there a book that instead of teaching 'how' it also teaches 'why'?

[Wendy]

Hi ...

If you look in the PSE4 manual under blending modes it refers you to the help facility within Elements ...

So click on Help > Photoshop Elements Help the Adobe Help Centre will come up just type in Blending Modes

You will find information about how the different blending modes affect layers ...

PSE4 has quite an extensive help system ...

Wendy

[JonE]

> Question: since PE4 doesn't have it, is there a book manual, something like a PE4 Bible, that has all possible options described? I know there are tons of books on PE4, I have several of them, bu they teach you to use PE4 based on specific tasks, like sharpening, exposure, masks etc.
However, none of those books explain the science behind it. All the books teach you only how to do those tasks without teaching you real understanding. In other words, is there a book that instead of teaching 'how' it also teaches 'why'?

As to the first question, I don't have it with me (got it from the library) but as I recall Photoshop Elements 3 for Dummies has a complete guide to all the tools and their options. I'm sure there either is or will shortly be one for PSE4, but PSE3 version will have almost everything anyway. After reading some books like that, I got rather tired of the books that were "if you pick this tool this will happen" and instead wanted books that addressed "if you have this problem here's how you tackle it." That's how I landed on Scott Kelby's book The Photoshop Elements 3 Book for Digital Photographers. I don't know about teaching the "science," but he walks through the steps to each solution and shows you what each command does. This of course allows you to apply the steps to other situations.

[Ward Grant]

There have been several threads on the blending modes. If you put that phrase in the Search box, you may find some additional information.

Here is one that references a web site and some books others have found useful.

http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7758&highlight=blending+modes