Grants Layer Mask

[Shari]

I was working with a sunset and got carried away and decided to try Grants Tools which I have never used. I clicked on Mask Layer and I get a message The command 'make" is not currently available. Can anyone tell me what that means? Have to go for a while but will check back later.
Thanks.
Shari

[TonyW]

My guess is that you had the background layer selected. It has to be on a layer above the background (otherwise when you paint on the mask there would be nothing to show through).

Glad to see you're giving it a try - it's one of those add-ons I couldn't live without as it as so many uses and it's so much easier to use than the Elements workarounds. :)

Tony

[Bayla]

Shari,

I suspect it is because you are trying to apply the mask to a locked layer. Try renaming the layer (or duplicating - Ctrl-J) & reapplying the mask. I think you'll find it will work then,

Bayla

[Bayla]

Tony,

Snap!

Bayla

[Dee Dee Warren]

Does Grant's now work with PSE4?

[Bayla]

Dee Dee,

Some do some don't.

This explains which ones you can use with PSE4

http://www.cavesofice.org/~grant/Challenge/Tools/Files.html

Bayla

[TonyW]

Bayla: You got it righter :D . It will work on a background layer but, like you said, only if you've unlocked it (by double clicking and OK). Painting black then shows transparency, white restores the image. The other time you can get the error message is if there's already a mask (eg on an adjustment layer)

Dee Dee - the layer mask definitely works in PSE4 (that's where I was trying it)

Tony

[Shari]

Me again, I'm still doing something wrong. I do control J and now the layer mask works but I can't seem to figure when I click on the mask should it not change from black to white - it does nothing and when I try to paint it does nothing. I could go back and look at Butches tape again as I did that but I thought I should get used to this one of Grant's as I see it mentioned a lot. Am I making sense? Thanks again.
Shari

[Wendy]

Hi Shari ...

I did a tutorial on using a layers mask ... its in the subscriber area under tutorials :)

If you are already logged into the subscriber area then this link should work.

http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/subscriber/tutorials/tw_layermask.php

Hooe it helps ...

Wendy

[graficalicus]

I do control J and now the layer mask works but I can't seem to figure when I click on the mask should it not change from black to white - it does nothing and when I try to paint it does nothing.

if the two layers are exactly the same, you won't see any difference by masking (<Ctrl>+<J> simply duplicates the layer - - )

Make a change to one of the layers - desaturate it, run a filter on it, anything - then make the mask the editable layer by clicking it in the Layers palette & paint black on your image. You should see the layer underneath.

[and just for yuks ;) , there's several masking features (including "create a mask", "invert a mask", "create a mask from a selection"...) in the new Handy Actions v1.5 (http://www.graficalicus.com/graffishop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1) ]