Trouble moving pasted items

[hudakore]

I've had quite a few problems moving items I've pasted onto an image recently. It goes on as a new layer and that layer is highlighted but everytime I try to work with it the Background layer lights up and my action (moving, stretching, etc.) only effects that (Background) layer. I've shut off the Background to see if it will work but then I can't see where I'm placing the pasted object, if it works at all. What am I doing wrong or missing?

[Juergen D]

Uncheck Auto Select Layer in the options bar.

Juergen

[hudakore]

Wow! Who'd think it was that easy. I must have hit that some while back w/o knowing. Thank you.

Ooops! Help...I can't find Auto Select Layer or Options

[Juergen D]

Right here :)

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/9444/untitled1gt1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Juergen

[cats4jan]

And sometimes what happens when you try to move something is that you are not touching an actual part of the graphic - you click on a transparent part or the outside edge - and you jump to the layer below.

When you try to move a graphic or piece - make sure you are not touching the empty spaces - the transparent spaces - on the graphic.

When something is touchy like that and I keep jumping to the other layer - I use the little double headed arrow on the side of the bounding box - I think that "transforms" it - but no matter what you call it - you can then be careless about how you grab the graphic/text.

I haven't tried "unchecking auto select" so that may be all you need to solve your problem.

[hudakore]

Thank you so much. You've been a tremendous help.

Hilma

[hudakore]

Thank you, that solved the problem but OK, I've looked in all my books and can't find any info on Auto Select Layer. What is it, why is it there, and what are its applications?

[Wendy]

Hi ...

Its one of those little things that saves you time :)

If you have lots of layers then having it switched on means that when you click on something oncreen it automatically selects the layer that it is one :)

Wendy

[cats4jan]

I won't give up my "auto select" - that's why I learned how to avoid "jumping layers"

[Wendy]

Hi ...

Mine is on all of the time ... but occasionally if I have a series of very small things on a layer then I switch it off (but only until I have finished that particular part)

Wendy :)

[mrod]

I usually leave it on, too, as it's often more convenient for me to simply click on a layer to select it. But like Wendy, there are times when I need it to be off.

Another option is this: you can select a layer with Auto Select off by ctrl/command clicking the layer with the Move Tool (V) as long as that layer has an opacity of 50% or greater. If it's less than 50%, it won't select.

That goes for Auto Select as well. If a layer's opacity is 49% or less, clicking on it won't select that layer--the layer under it will be selected. You need to select it in the layer's palette. This is a time when I turn off Auto Select. Here's a scenario why:

1. I have a layer at 42% opacity that I want to select and move.
2. I click on that layer in the Layers palette, and make sure my Move Tool is active. Auto Select is also on.
3. I move my mouse out to my image and try to grab and move the selected layer, but the layer under it selects and moves instead. Why? The opacity of the other layer was less than 50% and I had Auto Select on.

A Solution? Untick Auto Select, and when you get to step 3 above, you can click and drag the "42% opacity" layer with the Move Tool.

Mike

[Juergen D]

A Solution? Untick Auto Select, and when you get to step 3 above, you can click and drag the "42% opacity" layer with the Move Tool.
That is all good and fine, but what is the advantage of not turning Auto Select off in the first place? I never have it turned on and have not ever felt any need to so... :):confused:

Juergen

[mrod]

I think it's a personal preference thing, Juergen. I like having it on because I got in the habit of selecting layers by simply clicking on them way back when, and for me, it also seems a bit quicker. So I leave it on and turn it off when I need to.

But I can certainly see the reasons for doing it the other way around as well. :)

Mike

[cats4jan]

Juergen

Those of us who came from greeting card and other programs which use click for select are used to being able to select an item by merely clicking on it. Thus, our affinity for "auto select."

[Juergen D]

Thanks, Janice and Mike, I see what you mean. It is what you are used to. The main reason why I keep it off is that once it was on, I seemed to always wind up moving the wrong layer... :)

Juergen

[Wendy]

hi ..

I use a lot of files with upwards of 50 layers ... so rather than wade through the layers palette trying to find the right layer then just clicking saves me a lot of time and effort :)

Wendy

[cats4jan]

Wendy -

you've mentioned this "50 layer thing" before. How in the world do you manage to work with all those layers? By layer 10 - I'm outta my league. LOL

But now that I'm careful to put each item on it's own layer - I had to start labeling my layers to help me wade through them. I used to just skip that step.


And, I set my "undo history" to 200 - I love my "undo history"

[mrod]

Janice-

I'm not sure if this is what Wendy does, but when I have an image with many layers, I use CS2. It has the ability to create layer groups, which makes managing large numbers of group much less cumbersome. It's something I wish Elements had.

Mike

[cats4jan]

I may one day get "full blown" Photoshop - just to see what it can do. Sounds like quite a program.

[Diana]

I always leave Auto Select Layer checked. I like to be able to click on an object to select it. But what I have found works for me is after clicking on the object, is to press Ctrl-T and then when you move the object, no matter how few pixels or how opaque, it won't select the background layer.

Diana

[Wendy]

Hi ...

I mainly use CS2 nowadays and it really does make working with multiple layers much easier ... :)

Wendy

[cats4jan]

I always leave Auto Select Layer checked. I like to be able to click on an object to select it. But what I have found works for me is after clicking on the object, is to press Ctrl-T and then when you move the object, no matter how few pixels or how opaque, it won't select the background layer.


I do that same thing by clicking on the two headed arrow on the sides of the bounding box.

I think we are both "transformming."