Layer via Copy, Free Transform, Multiple Layers, Doesnt work?

Question

Hello,
I am using Adobe Photoshop CS6, latest version as of 05/25/12
I have 19 layers, each has a 1200x1200px texture. These are of course overlapped, so setting them all to visible will only show the top layer.
All layers are rasterized, and contain 1200x1200px:
1) I select all 19 layers using shift+click, all are highlighted (in the layer pane).
2) I select a region using the selection tool, in this case a rectangular region that is 172px high and 35px wide.
3) I right click the selection, and then select: layer via copy. (Note, Layer via cut is disabled for some reason)
4) *problem* It creates 19 new layers with the full image from the selected layers and not the selection which is what I wanted to place in the new layers.
5) *problem* when I right click the selection and select "Free Transform", the transform box surrounds the entire canvas and not the selection.
6) *problem* when I skew, it skews the entire image and not just the selection.
7) *problem* Previously, I have been able to select a layer from the layer pane, go to image menu, select adjustments, brightness/contrast, and adjust the brightness/contrast for just that layer. Now it wont let me.
8) *related problem* If I have 3 layers (background, 1, and 2) on a 1200x1200 canvas, with the image in layer 1 being 150px, and the image in layer 2 being 150x, each rasterized, and then stack the images on 1 and 2 over eachother, then select both layers, then select a region inside the stacked images, then select free transform, the free transform selection embodies all pixels inside the canvas (not the entire canvas this time) and performs the transform on these pixels and not the original selection.
If I do it making all the layers visible as well as selected, it behaves the same.
What appears to be happening is Photoshop is ignoring the selection and for some reason is using a pixel region (or if pixels cover the entire canvas, the whole image) when performing actions intended for the selection.
What's strange is when I made these textures, I started out with 19 150x150 pictures, I set the canvas size to 1200x1200, selected all the layers in the layer pane, selected the 150x150 image in the middle, and was able to move all 19 textures to the top right corner, able to switch to transform on all 19 pictures, able to rotate 180 degrees all 19 pictures, was able to flip horizontal all 19 pictures, then able to copy all 19 pictures to new layers, move the 19 pictures all at the same time to the right 150 pixels, rinse and repeat, to eventually come out with 19 1200x1200 textures tiled from the 150px pictures. In other words, I did exactly what I am attempting to do with the 1200x1200 pictures with the 150x150 pixtures and it worked like a champ.
Something has changed, maybe an option somewhere got clicked, something. I don't know.
The end goal of course is to take a selection of all 19 of the 1200x1200 pictures, transform, then skew that image to make a collage of images applied to an added background. Performing this on all 19 textures and getting the same exact skew, etc would take days considering I need to do about 15 of different portions of the tile.
Need some help here... is there an option somewhere that makes photoshop ignore the selection and perform the actions on all the images?
Best regards,
Dustin

Answer 1

Just ran into this problem today Dustin. You can only create new layers via copy from one layer. What I ended up having to do is copy all of my images that were on different layers. Then I merged them. Select all the images you copied>Layer>Merge. So now I have two copies of artwork on the same canvas. One that is all different layers and one that is now one layer.  Then I was able to select the portions of the new merged layer I wanted and create new layers via copy. Then I erased the extra, merged layer.
You don't have to copy your initial images. I just did in case I wanted to edit them separately later.
I hope I understood your first problem correctly.