Pen tool and masking in cs6.

In previous versions I could create a custom (vector) mask using the pen tool in 2 easy steps.
Draw a shape then drag that shape to the image i wanted the mask on. Done.
This "feature" has been removed from CS6 and its extremely annoying. Or has it just become a lot more complicated to achieve this?
I know i can create a clipping mask using the shape layer but that requires another visible layer in the layers panel. Having "roto'd" 50 elements in previous versions in the same workspace gave me 50 layers (cleaning up the solid black shapelayers after). In CS6 it gives me 100 layers.
I know i can select the shape as a selection and then apply a mask but that would make the mask a solid. I want to be able to move my tangents around etc. 100% non-destructively.
I work 100% non destructive and yes, my psd's become very large but thats no biggie, my computer can handle it. I don't want to rasterize.
If you have CS5.5 or earlier versions, create a shape and drag that shape to the layer you want to mask, remove the fill layer and you'll see what i mean. Thats what i want to be able to do in CS6.
Is this 100% gone from CS6?

Kenneth Mcitalo wrote:
"If you have CS5.5 or earlier versions, create a shape and drag that shape to the layer you want to mask, remove the fill layer and you'll see what i mean. Thats what i want to be able to do in CS6.
Is this 100% gone from CS6?"
You are being affected by an almighty f**kup by the Photoshop CS6 User Interface designers.
With CS6, Adobe try to pretend that Shape Layers are a wonderful new type of layer. The reality is that they are the old type Fill Layer with Vector Mask and the addition of a stroke attribute. There are numerous workflow disruptions caused by the "new Shape Layer" pretense.
Here's how to get the functionality to which you are accustomed...
The VM of a Shape Layer is only displayed in the Layers panel when the VM is disabled. To disable it, shift-click its "Shape Path" thumbnail in Properties panel. (You can record an Action of shift-clicking that thumbnail to create your own Disable Vector Mask command which can be run when the Properties panel is closed.) The revealed VM can now be dragged to another layer in the Layers panel.
By the way, you can draw a path and directly create a Vector Mask for a regular pixel layer without making a Shape first. Draw the path with the Pen Tool or with a shape tool set to "Path" mode in its options bar, then Cmd/Ctrl-click the Add Mask button at bottom of Layers Panel when the pixel layer is targeted.

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