Direct Selection Tool Will Not Scale

For some reason my direct selection tool will not scale or stretch any vector or raster imgaes - CS5.  I can only grab a corner and simply move the art.  Does anyone have a fix for this?  Maybe I hit some quick command keys and did not know it?

The Direct Selection Tool (the white arrow, shortcut "a") has never had that capability. All it's ever done is select and move points. You need to use the Selection Tool (the black arrow, shortcut "v") to do those things.  If you want to scale, stretch, etc...  a sub-selection of an object, you can make your selection with the white arrow and then use the transform tool (shortcut "e") to modify what you selected.

Similar Messages

  • Direct Selection Tool will not choose individual "path" anchor points

    Photohsop CS4, 11.0.1
    Mac OSX 10.4.11, MacPro, Dual-Core Intel Xeon, 2.66 GHz, 9GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT-256 MB VRAM, 500GB Startup HD, 500GB HD (wlhere file resides and scratch disk), OpenGL enabled
    I am unable to select individual anchor points and line segments of a path, although the anchor points appear to be individually highlighted, copying them copies the entire path, not just the selected points, and deleting them deletes the entire path, not just the selected points. In effect the "hollow arrow" direct selection tool is working like the "solid arrow path selection" tool.
    I ran Disk Warrior, repaired disk permissions. I deleted old preferences by renaming file with Photoshop closed, and then restarted photoshop.
    After calling Adobe Tech Support, they are recommending I reinstall the entire CS4 suite, which I am hesitant to do. At the least I will lose all of my menu preferences in all programs. Should I just follow their advice and reinstall CS4?
    Thanks.

    When you click on it with path selection tool (black arrow) which option is enabled in options bar at top - add, subtract, intersect, or exclude?
    Can you combine paths?
    Have you tried drawing a new path and selecting points on it?
    Can you still add and subtract points?
    Edit: Can you pull on the bezier handles?
    Edit: is it a vector mask or a standalone path?
    I'm trying to simulate your problem – in the meantime I'm brainstorming, not sure how else to help. It seems like something restarting the program would fix.
    What about quitting the app. Then going to User: Library: Prefs: Adobe Photoshop CS4 paths, trash it then restart?
    Message was edited by: Printer_Rick: Added Edit: Can you pull on the bezier handles?

  • Selection tool will not select paths?

    I am new to illustrator. I created a few closed paths that I filled in with the gradient tool. Then, I made another new closed path. However, when I try to select the first path I made with the selection tool nothing happens. If I hover over the path, green type saying "path" or "anchor" will appear but I cannot click it and it does not show the actual lines of the path. However, If I hover over the last object I created, I can see that path fine, and I can select it. That is the only one. I made sure that the layer is not locked and that I am working on the right layer. It was working fine earlier, but now I have no clue what happened.

    There rare many reason this could be happening your item could be
    locked or on a locked layer
    inside a clipping or transparency mask
    has a large object on top, (happens to me often when I have a white plate)
    Good methods to troubleshoto this
    select all then hide - to test if item is selectable or locked
    hide the item on top until you dig down to why you want, make the change, then show all
    command click to get past items on top, each click takes you down a layer
    check your preferences that object select by path only is off, when that is on you need to be more precise with your clicks as will not select by fill only path
    I recommend using the 2nd bullet technique of hiding, this will help you learn a lot about Illustrator

  • Direct selection tool - how not to move the form/path?

    This thing keeps me working my stress ball: when I touch a path with the white arrow I am always first in a mode where the path can be moved. But I want to move a nod or handle - is there a place where I can set this tool to never move or or to never select the whole path? I have the normal selection tool for that! I think I oversee something. Thank you!

    orangestuff,
    Whichever way it works in each version should be consistent. If not, it may be time for a preference corruption removal, see the hint Move the folder here: http://www.bugge.com/Family-and-friends/Illy/illy.html
    This may be a reversible test to see whether you are forced to use older ways in newer versions.

  • The selection tools will not select paths.

    When objects are selected, the bounding box appears, but the neither the paths or anchor points appear. How do I rectify this? I'm guessing i've accidentally changed a setting but there seems to be little light shed online.
    Thanks for your time.

    bvnri,
    Ctrl/Cmd+H, View>Show Edges.
    It is the most likely mishit of all, completely surrounded by other keystrokes; you may have thought you you just repeated one of them because it did not work the first time, and then forgotten all about it.

  • Direct Selection Tools Randomly Stops Functioning

    Hello, I'm having some issues with Adobe Illustrator. For some reason, the direct selection tool will randomly stop allowing me to edit my anchor points. Instead of directly selecting a specific point on a path and giving me the option to move it/ adjust the curve, it just selects the entire path and simply moves it. This is very frustrating, because it forces my to make my paths perfect the first time I make them with the pen tool and doesn't allow me to edit them later. Before you ask, I am indeed using the plain white arrow (not the black one or the white arrow w/ the + sign) and I do not have any conflicting layers above the path or any strange groups that would cause this weird effect. The white arrow also makes the white box when I hover over an anchor point, but clicking doesn't do anything but select the entire path. Please help!

    Christopher,
    >This is very frustrating, because it forces my to make my paths perfect the first time I make them with the pen tool and doesn't allow me to edit them later.
    Obviously, Illy is trying to help you get perfect.
    If you want to cheat, you could try following the instructions in FAQ #2.

  • CS2 - Can't select points with direct selection tool

    Noramlly in CS5 and any other version of Photoshop or Illustrator that I know of, if you click a point in an object, it will show the handles for transforming the line. As I'm creating something today, it works for a while and then stops. Yesterday I had the same problem. I drew a few things and then suddenly, the Direct Select Tool is not showing any transform handles.
    I can get them to show if I can click and drag a box over the point, but this is slow and doesn't work well for layered art. I already tried resetting my illustrator preferences. Any other ideas?
    EDIT: Also, in CS5 there's a simple icon that you can click to convert the currently selected point from a curved point to an angled point. Is there not such a thing in CS2?
    I ask because at work I only have access to CS2.

    Gregor,
    Sometimes Illy gets distracted an confused when others start intruding. The usual suspects are listen in Item 7 in Other options .
    You did get rid of the preferences while Illy was alseep, no?

  • Direct select tool won't select anchor points

    I can't get the direct select tool to select an anchor point on an embedded picture. I'm trying to squash a square image, but the direct select tool will only select the entire object, not individual anchor points. It worked in version 10, but in CS3 13.0.2 it just gives me the solid points. What changed?

    >The direct select tool used to highlight the entire object, and the anchor(s) would become white circles. Then, you could move just one of the anchors at a time to make asymmetrical changes.
    Not with placed images. Not ever.
    >I can still do this with a shape I've drawn, but not with an image I placed.
    Yes. That's the way it has always worked in Illustrator.
    I have AI 8, 10, and 12 installed on this PC and on a Mac in my studio, so I'm not relying on (my failing) memory.

  • Direct selection tool not working

    Im trying to use the direct selection tool, but instead of moving objects its only moving anchor points.. how can i fix this? it doesn't usually happen!! Im using illustrator CS6
    THANKS!!!

    godcoma,
    I believe the (normal  black arrow) Selection Tool is what you are after here.
    If you ClickDrag an Anchor Point of an unselected object with the Direct Selection Tool, only that Anchor Point will be dragged along. If the whole object is selected, the whole object will be dragged along. You may select the whole object in the Layers palette if that is what you wish.

  • Why is my direct selection tool not responding?

    I have Creative suit 5.5 upgraded last year but cannot use ID as a couple of the application tools including direct selection tool just dfont respond. Any ideas?

    Thank you. Please see InDesign tools and panels don't respond to mouse clicks (Windows 7/Vista)
    If you have large fonts enabled in Windows 7 interface customization you cannot run an Aero theme with ID. You can leave the large fonts and use a classic theme, or return the font size to normal and keep the Aero theme.
    The symptoms of this problem are not always restricted to the article description.

  • Direct select tool in illustrator CC not working

    I think i might of, at some point, hit a shortcut key by mistake that has rendered my direct select tool duff. But after a lot of search and going through options i can't figure out what's going on.
    If i select the direct select tool (A), click on my expanded stroke split into dashed lines. Usually i'd be able to use direct select to target each dash, but instead now nothing gets select when i use my direct select. Nothing at all. It's bugging the hell outta me as it's effecting my workflow. Is this a bug, or an option that's been switched on/off?

    Doidge,
    Is the Direct Selection Tool working normally for other tasks?
    If it is, there must be something strange about the former dashes. You may have a closer look at them in the Layers palette.
    If not, there may be preference corruption. You may press Ctrl+Alt+Shift/Cmd+Option+Shift during restart of Illy, or Move the folder (follow the link with that name); the latter is reversible.

  • Hi. I can not use "direct selection tool".

    Hi. I can not use "direct selection tools". When i click the direct selection tool, mouse like on image.
    I use illustrator cs 6

    Thanks Monika, i am noob

  • Direct selection tool not showing anchors illustrator CS3, Mac 10.5.8, MBP 2.6 GHz

    With the direct selection tool (white arrrow) moving over an anchor they show up, but even if the anchor is selected the anchor blue box disappears as soon as the mouse moves away, so its impossible to select a handle.  I can still move an anchor, but its hard to select two anchors to joint the paths etc., sort of like driving blind.  If I click on a path, then hold down the command key, the hollow box anchors show up and the cursor changes into the selection tool.  The hollow boxes show up on selecting using the selection tool (black arrow).  I am pretty direct selection tool was working correctly last week (am an occasional user).
    I've know the difference between the select tool, direct selection tool, and group selection tool.   I think this happened a year ago and deleting a preference file helped.  I, quit illustrator,  deleted "com.adobe.illustrator.plist" in my user library, and tried again.  that didn't help.

    Adobe Camera Raw

  • Direct selection tool not showing points

    I'm using Illustrator 11 and Windows XP
    When trying to select anchor points using the direct selection tool it is no longer highlighting them as little boxes. I've obviously pressed something accidentally but can't work out how to get them back ! Help please.

    If you'd like a more verbose explanation, please see
    FAQ #13

  • Please fix the direct selection tool that you broke

    When you create a curved path with at least four anchor points that is not a complete circuit, clicking on that path with the direct selection tool only selects a portion of the path, whereas before, it would select the entire path. This odd new behavior, whether intentional or not, is a result of the new Path Segment Reshaping functionality.
    The problem is, it is very annoying to have only a portion of the path selected because it makes it look like the path is non-contiguous. (Selecting with the regular selection tool isn’t necessarily a solution if your paths are grouped, since it will always select the entire group, and not just the one path you’re interested in.)
    This does not happen with closed paths, and it does not impede the Path Segment Reshaping functionality at all. Therefore, there is no reason why open paths shouldn’t/couldn’t behave the same way — the way they previously did before this update.

    Thanks for thoroughly explaining the problem. I can reproduce the issue. I blamed it on improper screen redraw. I've noticed other screen redraw issues in 17.1.

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