Bug related to making a vector mask in 2014 release of Photoshop CC?

I am following these instructions:
1. Create a work path.
2. Save the work path.
3. Select the layer I want to mask.
4. Select the saved path in the Paths panel.
5. Choose Layer>Vector Mask>Current Path.
The result is a vector mask the HIDES the contents inside the selected path.
I expected the contents inside the path to be the visible area, as it was in previous versions.
(See the attached screen capture to see the result I'm getting.

What is your current setting of this?
-Noel

Similar Messages

How do you apply a vector mask to a folder in Photoshop CS6?

The ways you apply vector masks in CS6 is different than in CS5.
I knew how to apply a vector mask to a folder of layers in CS5.
I cannot figure out how to do it in CS6.
So my question is:
How do you apply a vector mask to a folder in Photoshop CS6?
And while we're at it, what are the best methods for applying vector masks to regular layers?
Thanks.

thomasbricker wrote:
Im back...
The thing is, Im not usiing the pen tool to create the vector shape. Im using the vector box tool to create a rectangle [...]
Yes and that's why I wrote the words "vector tool" and never mentioned a pen. (Although the instructions would be exactly the same for using the Pen Tool because the Pen Tool is a vector tool.)
which I then want to turn into a layer group mask.
And yes, this does not work the same way as it did in CS5.
I wish it did. : |
Adding a vector mask to a layer or group is exactly the same in CS5.1 and CS6 on my Mac. Maybe that's done differently in CS5 than in CS5.1, but it seems unlikely.
You have the layer or group targeted. Now draw a rectangular path after making sure the Rectangle Tool is in Path mode, and not Shape mode and not Pixel mode. Then Cmd/Ctrl-click the Add Mask button at bottom of Layers panel.

Vector Mask - Arrgh! (Bug or Feature?)

I'm frustrated by some behaviors of Vector Masks. I'm asking the forum about this because I'm curious how many others have experienced these issues
• When I'm working on a layer that has a VM, (i.e. when that layer is active), it is IMPOSSIBLE to load any other path as a selection.
For example: I've made a layer that has both a Layer Mask and a VM. I need to load some other paths as selections in order to further modify the Layer Mask. With the LM active, I Cmnd Click on another path in the Path Palette, but it is the VM of that layer that gets loaded as a selection. The VM seems to override all other paths. The only work around is to click to another layer, load a path as a selection, and then click back to the LM of the layer with the VM.
• If I click on a layer with a Vector Mask the Vector Mask then becomes active (lines around it). This occurs even when clicking the layer, NOT the Layer Mask or the Vector Mask (VM). Even with the VM inactive, mousing over it in the layer palette makes the VM path appear, briefly. Having the path pop into visibility is distracting when I'm trying to look at something else.
Everyone in our studio experiences this behavior.
What makes VM paths so dominant? Is there a pref somewhere that controls this? Is this an Open GL glitch? Is this a feature that I am using incorrectly? Or is this a documented bug?
(Because someone will ask, "Why have both layer mask and vector mask on one layer?"
I have both LM and VM because it gives me flexibility in editing, for instance I can have the LM hard edged, and the VM feather 10 pxl so it is easy to create a mask effect that has different qualities of edge blur within it).
Thanks in advance for anyone's input.
Craig
Photoshop CS4 Extended (vers. 11)
OS X 10.5.5
2x2.66 Dual Cor Intel Xeon
8GB memory

Ginger,
Using paths is an extremely powerful function in Photoshop and Illustrator. If you intend to do high-end work in either program learning the path tool is fundamental. It gives you the ability to create very smooth and graceful shapes. Often I find that I can create a path on an area of a photo that is much cleaner than the shape captured in the photograph of a product. Manufacturing runs, especially preliminary runs, have defects in the mold/process that when photographed at high resolution appear objectionable. Using the Pen Tool I will draw a better shape, the shape intended by the product designer, and use that mask to clean up manufacturing errors. Since these images are used in high-end display images, the cleaned-up image is acceptable to the client whent the straight photo would not be.
The Lasso tool is defintitely a "go to" option, but there is no substitute for the Pen Tool in making perfect selections. They can be converted into layer masks. They can have feathering applied. I often have layers with BOTH Layer Masks and Vector Masks because of the variable feathering that gives me. I can only suggest that the Pen Tool is a must-have in any Photoshop artist's tool-kit.
Craig

[BUG]PS CC Layer Group add vector mask and disable it,use path selection tool click,always crash!!!

[Bug] Photoshop CC，Layer Group add vector mask and disable it, use path selection tool click canvas, always crash!!! Please help me!
The sample psd file(158KB):
http://doc.aoyea.com/ps_cc_bug.psd
My Computer configuration:
SONY VAIO CA100 Notebook、Intel Core I5 2410 CPU、16GB RAM、AMD Radeon 6600M(1G RAM)、Windows7 x64 SP1(clean)、Scratch disk free space is 100GB
email: [email protected]

Hi,
As far as i know that's a bug that will hopefully be fixed in the next update to photoshop cc.

What is the purpose of the chain (lock symbol) between a solid color layer and its vector mask?

What is the purpose of the chain (lock symbol) between a solid color layer and its vector mask in the layer panel when creating shape layers with a shape tool? I'm just curious when locking or unlocking the solid color layer and its vector mask can make a difference.

I don't understand what you said and your shape layer looks different then mine using CS5.
When the chain is deselected, I can't do anything with the move tool on the shape layer. This is the only difference I can find. Making the solid color uniform or not doesn't change anything.
Your example shows that you moved the position of the solid color, how did you do that? I can create a solid color layer and change its uniform look by applying an effect like gradient but I can't move the solid color itself around. How is this possible?

Replacing subPathItems in a vector mask

It seems one can fairly easily replace a Layer’s Vector Mask with another one’s, but I fail to see if I can simply replace the Vector Mask’s subPathItems with a new array.
A pathItem’s subPathItems being read only this seems improbable, but still …
And on a related note: Do any of you know if one can create a Vector Mask without first creating a pathItem proper?
Because currently I have the Scripts create Paths, create Solid Color Layers with the Paths selected and then delete the Paths again, which seems to be a longish route.
Thanks for any input.

You can create a empty vector mask with a script.
    var desc13 = new ActionDescriptor();
        var ref10 = new ActionReference();
        ref10.putClass( charIDToTypeID('Path') );
    desc13.putReference( charIDToTypeID('null'), ref10 );
        var ref11 = new ActionReference();
        ref11.putEnumerated( charIDToTypeID('Path'), charIDToTypeID('Path'), stringIDToTypeID('vectorMask') );
    desc13.putReference( charIDToTypeID('At '), ref11 );
    desc13.putEnumerated( charIDToTypeID('Usng'), stringIDToTypeID('vectorMaskEnabled'), charIDToTypeID('RvlA') );
    executeAction( charIDToTypeID('Mk '), desc13, DialogModes.NO );
But as you pointed out pathItems are read only so it doesn't do much good unless you want the script to create a blank vector mask for the user to edit after the script is done.
Because you can't edit an existing path, the way you are creating vector masks is the only way I know. New path, mask from path, remove path.
The only way I know to 'edit' an existing path with scripting is to read the existing path converting into SubPathInfo and PathPointInfo which can be edited. Then delete the old path and create a new one from the edited data.
For a vector mask you add the extra steps. i.e. you read/convert the vector mask's path data, delete the mask, create a new path with the edited points, make a mask from that new path, then delete the new path.

Pen Tool + Vector Mask behaviors

I've discovered some inconsistancies with the Pen Tool and Vector Mask behaviors on the Mac, using Snow Leopard 10.6.8 on a Mac Pro Tower.
1. When a completed Path is converted to a Vector Layer Mask, the Path Layer remains active, The new Vector Layer Mask should be the active Path. This does not happen in CS5.1.
2. When making adjustments using the Path Selection Tool, selecting the path segment between two anchor points adjusts both direction lines(adjusting both the inside and the outside of the selected path), making it impossible to make a local adjustment between the two points. In CS 5.1 and earlier, this adjusts the inside direction lines only and the path between those two points.

both direction lines
Usually referred to as »bezier handles« as far as I can tell.
Complaining without doing a Forum search can have its drawbacks …
Check out R_Kelly’s post:
http://forums.adobe.com/message/4307188#4307188

Question on Vector Mask Functionality

Hello everyone, I'm fairly new to Photoshop CS 5 so I apologize if I am asking the wrong type of questions, here goes:
When working with Vector Masks can you:
1) "Link" or "share" one image's vector mask with other images? (ex. If I made "Building A" then duplicated it, but then wanted to change what Building A looked like, I would only have to change the source mask and the copies would be updated.
2) Move the image independent of the vector mask (it seems like I can only move the vector mask, not the image itself). Or in other words: can I move the image and have the mask follow it, instead of only being able to move the vector mask inside of the image boundaries?
My application of the question:
I'm making a 2D top down layout of a "city block" type area. To fill in the buildings, I've made Building A,B,C etc, and use multiple copies of each building. Ideally, I would like to be able to "link" or share say Building A's vector mask with all the other instances of Building A (so that when I change the master, they all change to the new mask shape). The second behavior I'm trying to find is the ability to move the layer without moving where the Vector Mask is on that layer (since it seems that you can only move where the mask is, meaning that even if I could share masks, they would all end up in the same place meaning I would have to re-position each one by hand again.
Any ideas are appreciated, thank you for reading.

When working with Vector Masks can you:
1) "Link" or "share" one image's vector mask with other images? (ex. If I made "Building A" then duplicated it, but then wanted to change what Building A looked like, I would only have to change the source mask and the copies would be updated.
Yes, this is possible, but not with the classic layer vector mask system in Photoshop. Layer masks are part of a layer, and not individual layers themselves, so they cannot be converted into a reusable object.
The solution is to avoid vector layer masks, and use a clipping mask/layer instead. A clipping mask/layer CAN be converted to a reusable smart object, and when you change one, all the other instances change as well.
The second part of the solution is to convert both the content layer(s) and the clipping mask/layer to a smart object. Then group the lot. Incidentally, if your buildings are made up of several elements you merely have to include those additional elements in the clipping group. Another advantage is that each elements can still have its own regular layer mask. Win win situation. And layer effects can be applied to clipping layers/masks, which is again impossible for layer masks. It also opens up the gates to a far less destructive workflow.
2) Move the image independent of the vector mask (it seems like I can only move the vector mask, not the image itself). Or in other words: can I move the image and have the mask follow it, instead of only being able to move the vector mask inside of the image boundaries?
This is also solved when using clipping masks/layers - both the content and the mask can be moved independently as regular layers. Another advantage is that both can also be transformed individually.
My application of the question:
I'm making a 2D top down layout of a "city block" type area. To fill in the buildings, I've made Building A,B,C etc, and use multiple copies of each building. Ideally, I would like to be able to "link" or share say Building A's vector mask with all the other instances of Building A (so that when I change the master, they all change to the new mask shape). The second behavior I'm trying to find is the ability to move the layer without moving where the Vector Mask is on that layer (since it seems that you can only move where the mask is, meaning that even if I could share masks, they would all end up in the same place meaning I would have to re-position each one by hand again.
Any ideas are appreciated, thank you for reading.
So here is my solution. I made a sample with two top view buildings that should be reused the way you want:
1) FIrst create groups for each building, and put the content in those. Then trace vector layer shapes over the content. Set the transparency for the mask layers to a sensible opacity setting for easier masking.
2) Put the vector shape below the content layer for each building. Then for (1) and (2), <ALT> click on the border between the content and the shape layer. (<OPTION> for Mac) This will mask the building content. (3) Do not forget to reset the layer opacity for the shape layers back to 100%!
3) Next, let's convert these building into recyclable objects. Convert each content and clipping mask layer to a smart object. Then rename those smart object layers to something sensible (honestly, I forgot to label the layers properly earlier, but you catch my meaning here ;-)
Done! To clone each building, duplicate the layer groups. For each instance you can move the content (handy if you are sharing multiple building graphics in the same bitmap or illustrator file), or you can decide to move the mask instead. Or both. Same holds true for transforming. Your choice. To move or transform a building, select the layer group.
To change or amend the masks or content, double-click on the smart object of your choice, and make some changes.
Also, don't forget that you can insert additional elements in a clipping group by placing it above the first clipped layer, and then <ALT> clicking again on the border between them. So in theory you could start constructing different looking buildings by adding in other smart objects in the clipping groups. The sky is the limit! This way you can create several building blocks to construct various buildings with different looks. And still limit the number of blocks - and all update-able.
Unfortunately, this is where the workflow breaks down a tad: due to the smart object's implementation in Photoshop you CANNOT edit the mask or building's content in context - instead it opens up in its own file window. This can be somewhat mitigated by placing both windows side by side (window->Arrange-->Two-up Vertical).
This brings us to the second caveat: when you do make a change, the edits are not updated in realtime in the master document. You must first save. Again a bit of a workflow breaker, but still... At least you now have a non-destructive instanced workflow.
The smart object content can be replaced easily with a right-mouse click on the smart object layer itself. Or use a externally referenced smart object instead if you prefer to generate your buildings in an external application.
Btw, Photoline's layer system is far more logical and easier to use for this type of work. Layer masks behave like regular layers. Layers, groups, masks, external file layers, and so on can be virtually cloned and instanced like smart objects, but the master object is editable in context, and all the other instances update in realtime. So it is more convenient. At least, that is my experience.
Hope this was helpful! Now go build your cities. :-)
PS: I was thinking: isn't Illustrator or InDesign is far more logical choice for this type of work where you need access to reusable blocks of content? It would also be a more efficient and speedier workflow - Photoshop isn't really meant for this type of work. And Illustrator and InDesign potentially provide better output quality. You can also divide your work in pages, and so on. Then again, you would probably lose the flexibility of smart objects.

Feature request : color fill vector mask thumbnails in layers panel

I find that the color fill vector mask previews within the layers panel are not as helpful as they were in CS5. Having the vector path along side the color swatch worked better.

You should know that others have requested this, starting with the public beta. I happen to agree with you on this, showing the color and shape separately was more useful. But it must have been difficult for new users to understand or something.
There's a known bug that causes the shape icon to be hidden sometimes behind the little overlay. Adobe is looking into fixing that, and with some luck in an update we'll see the shapes become more visible, but of course this doesn't help with the shape of things like thin lines that you can't see at that scale, and complex coloring (e.g., gradient fills) doesn't show at all.
It would be great if they'd offer an option to display an additional color icon - if not in the Layers panel then in the Properties panel!
Oh, and I suppose it should be pointed out that fill layers with PIxel masks (vs. shapes, which are fill layers with vector masks) still look the old way. I don't know whose idea this was, but it seems a little half-baked.
Unfortunately, Adobe does not have a habit of changing functionality in any significant way after release. I think we're stuck with what we have, save for maybe that bug fix I mentioned.
-Noel

Vector mask error after editing mask - Mac CS5

Hi There,
When I create a rounded corner vector shape then apply a gradient vector mask, the result is as expected - the gradient in the vector mask fades the object as per the mask.
If I then edit the mask (either by moving the start/end points or try to make the end point not fully transparent) the gradient stops sharply.
The result is an mask with a gradient that stops short about 30px from the end of the object - so I see the gradient stop and the mask just cuts off.
Not sure what I'm doing wrong - any suggestions would be most welcome.
Cheers
Ben

I've run into this as well and believe it is a bug. While you can't avoid it, you can repair it.
In the Layers panel, click the chainlink icon between the mask and maskee. This breaks the size relationship between the two objects.
Select the mask in the Layers panel, then either use the Scale tool or the W and H fields in the Properties panel to correct the size.
Relink the two objects by clicking in the chainlink area.
HTH

Noob problem - drawing vector mask

When i try to draw vector mask or vector path, points, curves and direction lines don't visible.
Mask by itself are exist, working and seems allright, besides it isn't have visible curves and points.
Excuse me for poor English.
With best regards, Egor.

I assume you are using the Pen tool. In the Pen toolbar there are a series of shape symbols, and at the end a down arrow. Click on the arrow and check "rubber band". You will then have a line to show where you are making the path.

Unlinked vector mask is discarded when duplicating the document

Photoshop CC 2014 Mac
To reproduce:
1. Have a layer with unlined vector mask
2. Duplicate the document by clicking on the "Create new document from current state" button at the bottom of the History panel
3. The vector mask disappears from the newly created duplicated document
Can anyone verify this...?
@kennethkawamoto

If that is what happens on you machine its either a bug in CC 2014 Maco or something with your install. There is no problem in CC 2014 PC.

Vector Mask Path doesn't show for CS6?

When using pen or path related tools, I can still see the the path for the vector mask. But when clicking on the brush tool or any other tool not related to paths, the path for the vector mask disappears. The vector mask is also highlighted in the layers. There's no x mark or anything in vector mask. CS5 didn't have this problem. Is this CS6 function or not?
CS6:
Using Pen or Path related tools
When clicking on Brush tool or others, paths disappear
CS5:
No problem with CS5

Good day!
CS5 didn't have this problem.
This is just the way things are in CS6.
Feel free to look for an existing Feature Request on this over at
http://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/
or post one if there is none to add your support to yet.
Regards,
Pfaffenbichler

How do I move a pattern layer independent of its vector mask?

I've created a pattern fill layer and assigned a vector mask to it. How do I move the pattern around without affecting the mask? I realize if I want to rotate the pattern I'd need to convert it to a smart object, but if I only need to adjust the pattern location there must be some way to do that without moving the vector mask along with it. A traditional layer shows the vector and raster mask layer with a lock icon, but fill pattern layers are different for some reason. Can someone "fill" me in?

rcraighead wrote:
Yes, I understand that. I am working with pattern layers, not layers filled with a bitmap pattern.
That is not what your showing above in red above your showing a shape layer in CS6 a pattern fill layer with a vector mask is a cs6 shape layer. Even the icon on the layer's content in the layers palette shows its a shape layer. You can edit the vector mask you can not unlink it. For its a cs6 shape layer. As you noted you can first convert pattern fill layer into a smart object layer. It then acts like a normal pixel layer with an associated transform to the canvas size. Your no longer dealing with a pattern fill layer. When you rotate it you will have the same problem with the layers corners areas. CS6 changed shape layers design they have more options then prior versions of Photoshop and prior versions of Photoshop can not handle CS6 shape layers that used cs6 shape options like stroke, line type, and pattern fills.

Problem creating vector mask with Pen Tool

Using Photoshop CS5, Mac OS 10.6.8
I'm trying to create a simple vector mask using the pen tool to create a curved line at the top and bottom of a photo. Here's what I'm doing:
1. Create a new layer and select it.
2. Select Pen tool.
3. Choose "work path" by selecting button at top menu.
4. I draw my shape with the pen tool.
5. Now comes the problem... I can not select this shape, or assign it a color. When I create a clipping mask, it does not recognize my path. When I throw away the layer, the shape is still there in outline only. What am I missing here? I'm familiar with doing this in Illustrator, but I don't understand how it works in PSD.
I need some help, please.
Thanks.

The main thing i use paths for in photoshop is extracting objects from photos.
Other uses include stroking paths with the paint tools. For example, if you had
a powerline to remove, one could trace the line with the pen tool and then stroke
the path with spot healing brush set to content aware fill.
more info on photoshop paths:
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/photoshop/cs/using/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-73ada.h tml
MTSTUNER

Bug related to making a vector mask in 2014 release of Photoshop CC?

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