Pen tool selection acting strange

So, lately Photoshop has been getting into the habbit of erasing my tool's settings. The latest in such events is the Pen Tool. After I trace a path around an image like the one below, I right click and choose "Make Selection". To my horror, I find that it only outlines the selection and it completely ignores the path's i traced along the inside of the image.
In this example, I traced the stethoscope so as to isolate it from the background. When I choose "Make Selection", it only creates a selection around the stethoscope. See? There are no marching ants inside of the loops!
i'm sure there is a simple solution to this, but for the life of me, I can't figure out what setting to choose.

In the far right line of the pen tool do you have the correct option? Exclude overlapping paths?

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Photoshop CS5 Pen tool Selection problem?

I've been using photoshop for a while, and have never encountered this problem. I've had CS5 for about a year now and this is the first time it has done this, so hopefully someone can help me!
When I open photoshop, everything works. I make a new layer, go to use the pen tool, make my shape and then complete it, and the line solidifies showing its a complete shape. I right click, and select the option: Make Selection.
Instead of turning the inside of the shape into the selected part, it selects everything outside of it!
I can't for the life of me figure out how this started happening, as it didn't do it a few days ago. I must have hit a button or something, but its still very annoying. Hopefully someone can help! Restarting both the program and the computer, does not help.

There's a button for that up in the options area, when a Path Tool is active. It's been a while... Ah, here:
I'm betting you have the one next to it pressed.
Look at your path icons in the PATHS panel. If they're white inside, you're creating an enclosed path. If they're gray inside with a white surround, you're removing a path from the surroundings.
-Noel

Pen Tool Selection Keyboard Shortcut

Hi Sir/Mdm,
I am using Photoshop CS5 and I am humbly seek help and tip to perform a keyboard shortcut to make selection after pen tool has traced the image. Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

Here's one way:
Choose Edit - Keyboard Shortcuts
Choose Shortcuts For: Panel Menus
Expand the Paths section
Click on Make Selection... and press the key you want assigned.
When you use this key I believe it will cause a dialog to open, which you can confirm with the Enter key.
If you want to do it without any prompt at all it can probably be done through creation of an action.
-Noel

Transforming pen tool selections into marching ants

I have a PS issue that is bewildering to me:
I am creating a mask for a purse that has a chain link strap. I used the pen tool to make a selection around the outside. Then, I made a second selection on the inside part of the strap. Next, I went to paths and loaded the selection so that I can transform it into a mask.
The outside selection loaded just fine, and is currently part of my mask.
I still have the pen tool line around the inside of my purse strap, but I cannot get it to load into marching ants.
Is there something I am missing?
Thanks!
Ellen

After you make the paths select the path selection tool and set the option to Exclude Overlapping Shape Areas, then the complete
paths should load as a selection.
MTSTUNER

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Ctrl not working with Pen Tool - Can't move shapes or paths

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This is what it looks like when I hold down Ctrl when using the pen tool and try to move my path. I cannot select it.
Please help me, I have a project due and the only way I can move my paths or shapes now is by clicking ctrl+t and it's very annoying.
Thanks in advance.

What you describe is how it works with one of the Shape Tools selected in the toolbox.
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Photoshop 7 Pen tool help

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What is the purpose of the pen tool in CS5.5?
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Tools
Pen Tool
Select this tool to set or select keyframes, or to adjust connector lines in a Timeline. Drag a connector line vertically to adjust it. Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) on a connector line to set a keyframe. Shift-click noncontiguous keyframes to select them. Drag a marquee over contiguous keyframes to select them. For more information about using the Pen Tool, see Select keyframes.

My macbook pro started acting strange after a safari reset. the mouse no longer: animates the dock, activates hot corners or selects pages from the 'top sites' page.

my macbook pro started acting strange after a safari reset.
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pRam restart caused airport to quit and say there is no airport card, and wouldn't respond untill another reboot.
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You don't say which year you have, however...
...there are known problems with the mid-2010 models (see http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4088?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US) as well as early and late 15" 2011 models (see https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4766577?tstart=0).
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One the 2011 models Apple has admitted no defect. You'll just have to skim the articles to get an overview of the problems that people are having (usually showing up as screen glitches at first and then going downhill from there).
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Clinton

How to select a shape from pen tool for paint bucket

I was under the notion that I could make a shape with the pen tool and if I closed the the shape it would then be selected in a way that would allow me to color the interior with paint bucket.
However, when I splash the paintbucket inside my shape, it paints the whole layer, not just the part inside my shape.
Obviously I don't understand how it is supposed to work.
Apparently I've gone at this the wrong way.. I want to create a freeform shape, that once created will be a selected region in the same way a rectangle or elips would.
What is the best way to do that? I'm shooting for thought bubble sort of shape, something along the line of the outline of an egg, but with a tail at one end.

Added tips from Tip Merchant ($200 consulation fee)
- on mac - command/ numeric keypad Enter turns the path into a selection. Option delete then fills.
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These are ways to avoid he paths panel altogether. Best way may be to use the TINY fill path icon in that panel as was pointed out by John

Delete the Adobe Photoshop Settings file? at startup / Tools act strangely. (Mac Os 10.6.5, 10.6.6)

Symptoms: Every time you start Photoshop, you receive the prompt to confirm the deletion of Photoshop's preferences, or
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AND: You are running Mac Os 10.6.5 or 10.6.6.
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a) Upgrade to 10.6.7
b) An Adobe Employee has made an unofficial interim fix for this bug. You can download it and have more information on this post: 72.
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Note that the post to reset the preferences or reset the tools to their defaults when they are acting erratically is located here:
One of my tools is behaving strangely. How do I reset it?

Sounds to me like Adobe was probably relying on undocumented behavior in the CGEventPost routine. Apple is free, of course, to change undocumented behavior of any of their system APIs all they like, since you're not supposed to be using such things. Developers are supposed to stick to the documented behaviors in the APIs. If they don't, they can try to save face as Adobe is by blaming Apple, but the fact is, it's not Apple's fault, any more than it's my fault if someone picks up a flower pot from my front porch and misuses it by throwing through someone else's windshield.
As Barbara has observed, sounds like a case of Blame-Displacement Syndrome.

Photoshop CS3, using pen tool to make selection or path without any color

OK, here is my problem. I'm using CS3 photoshop right now. Last time I was using it regularly was in 2001, so it was version 5 or 6. At that time you could use the pen tool to make a selection or a path without ANY color. I'm trying to cut out something that needs precision (therefore the pen tool) but I need to be able to see what I'm doing. Therefore, would prefer no color option. This used to be easy, with paths, it was the default.
Can't figure it out now, HELP is no help. And, the User Guide is no longer available on Adobe.com. Looked for the one for the CS4 suite, not much much luck there either. I can call them tomorrow about that. *Right now, all I'm trying to do is put together a little pasted together thing for my niece. Two stuffed animals with antlers and santa hats on a Xmas background. Everything is done but cutting out around the stuffed animals. They need their little tufts of stuffing, so I need a tool that can create a smooth path without blocking what I'm doing with color.* Any help will me appreciated. I've tried for days to figure this out on my own, since last time I posted, I figured it out before someone responded. And, the response was quick, so I didn't want to waste anyone's time.
The pdf user guide for this is unavailable, I just ordered a book to help me with the stuff I can't figure out by myself. Thanks for everyone's quick help. –Suze

{quote:title=Suze159 wrote:}
I'm trying to cut out something that needs precision (therefore the pen tool) but I need to be able to see what I'm doing. *Right now, all I'm trying to do is put together a little pasted together thing for my niece. Two stuffed animals with antlers and santa hats on a Xmas background. Everything is done but cutting out around the stuffed animals. They need their little tufts of stuffing, so I need a tool that can create a smooth path without blocking what I'm doing with color.*{quote}
Suze,
I too use CS3 and I may be confused about your post. If so, I apologize for wasting any reader's time.
When I need a precision tool for rotoscoping a subject, I usually choose the Polygonal Lasso tool. Of all the Lasso tools, using the polygonal is the most labor intensive, but gives you the highest degree of control. With a little practice you can get quite good at it. If necessary, blow up the image to help you see what you are doing.
-- Duplicate the background layer
-- Rotoscope the subject
-- Click Refine Edge and adjust Radius, Contrast, Contract/Expand, Smooth and Feather to taste
-- Choose New>Layer via Copy or Cut
-- Hide background layer(s) and Save As or Move this layer onto your original graphic.
There may be other ways of doing it but this is what works for me. I hope that helps.
Eddie

Pen Tool Multiple Path Selection

Just upgraded to CC 2014. I frequently remove photo backgrounds by creating paths with the pen tool. I have always been able to create multiple paths for areas that I want to delete using the pen tool, then upon completion, right click, choose "Make Selection" and then delete all the areas at once. Since upgrading, only the last path region is selected using this method and the other areas disappear. Any help would be greatly appreciated, have been going crazy trying to figure this out.

That particular aspect should work the same as previous versions. When you make the first path, click outside that path in the Paths panel, and then click back on it. You only need to do this if you have left the previous path open (not closed it by joining the two ends.
Continue using the pen tool and the new path segments will be there in the same path.
You need to be aware of the Pen tool options, like Combine, Subtract, Intersect.
If you use that path for making a selection for instance, and then use the Pen tool again, you will lose the first path. A quick and easy way to save paths is to drag them to the New Path icon at the bottom of the Paths panel.
This graphic might be of help.

How do i select everything under my pen tool path.

I have made a path with my pen tool around an image that i desperately want. But if i delete the pentool path everything underneith stays alive. They are both in the same layer so i do not know how to do it. Any help?
Yours sincerely,
Joep

Joep,
My guess is that you will obtain the desired appearance if you select both the Pen Tool path and the image and Object>Clipping Mask>Make (Ctrl/Cmd+7).
That will show what is beneath the path and hide what is outside it.

Pen tool selection acting strange

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