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.

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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.

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

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?

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.

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.

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

Drag Select Inside Points With The Direct Selection Tool While Above An Object?

I'm trying to modify a path in InDesign CS5 (Fig. 2), as it is now I have to select each point individually. Becasue while you're zoomed in (Fig. 1), you can't drag and select the points. When you attempt to do that, you end up dragging the whole image.
Is there a way to drag select inside points with the direct selection tool while your directly above the image with the paths you want to select?
Fig. 1
Fig. 2

FAIL #1:
No. When you copy paste the Cliiping Path [NOT the frame] into Illustrator, then alter the path and paste back into Indesign, it pastes it back as a FRAME, NOT a CLIPPING PATH.
FAIL #2:
Why do people comment on this stuff without first testing what they are suggesting?
What you suggested doesn't work or even make sense.
Apprently in InDesign, you can't have a CLIPPING PATH without an IMAGE there to begin with. When a FRAME OBJECT contains an IMAGE the option to convert the object to an UNNASSIGNED OBJECT is greyed-out, as in UNSELECTABLE, as in NOT POSSIBLE, which is another way of saying IMPOSSIBLE, which in most circles pertains to MAJOR FAILAGE.
When you CUT [hold command then press X] the CLIPPING PATH, from the FRAME/OBJECT you can then unassign the object, but when you paste the CLIPPING PATH back in, it invariably pastes the IMAGE along with the CLIPPING PATH, and once again the UNASSIGNED OBJECT is simply an ordinary frame with an image, and thus NO LONGER AN UNASSIGNED FRAME.
People like you make life harder dude, seriously.
Again, like some of the folks above, you're confusing a FRAME PATH [that you can alter and create with the pen tool as well] with a CLIPPING PATH. They are NOT the same thing.
Know the difference between the two before you feel inclined to respond.
My kingdom for someone out there with some merit and sense of accountability.
It's like, where do you people work? Are you serious? SMH.

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.

Direct Selection Tool don't works cause points dissapear in shapes

Good evening,
I'm using Photoshop CC under a Macbook Pro Retina Display (15 inches), I've noticed that since lasts updates, when I use the direct selection tool for chaning a shape trace the points that should appear for selecting each anchor dissapears, and there's no way to get them back (sometimes by closing the program and restarting fixes this issue).
The tool is working because when I clic somewhere over a shape it gets highlighted on layers panel, but I can't see the points and so, can't modify the shape.
Does this belongs to any option? (I know in Illustrator there's an option to see or hide the points, but don't know if in Photoshop goes the same way or not) or it's a bug from the last updates? (I would say that it didn't happen at the beggining). But as I use a lot shorcuts, sometimes I can make a misstake and press cmd + wrong key, so I think it could be the reason for this... but I'm not quite sure.
Thanks in advice!
EDIT:
I've seen that if I hide the "extras" (cmd + H) it hides the guides but also the points from shapes (that shouldn't be this way, right?) and even I can see them when I turn them on, I can't pick just one as I did in CS6 by using direct selection tool and pressing on just one point (at the beggining all of them are highlighted cause you've got selected the whole shape layer, but when you press one, it should get this highlighted and turn off the rest of them), and the only way to get just one point is to pan with the cursor and make a selection, passing over the points you want to highlight, but this is annoying cause if you've got any other shape below, it will select it as well.

1000x this. My designs are 100% vector shapes, so if Adobe have changed this core behavior intentionally, they’ve just made my life a lot more difficult.
We should be able to use the Direct Selection Tool to select a shape layer (similar to how the Move Tool has done) by clicking on any visible pixel. But then we should be able to freely drag-select points on that shape (starting from any neutral area) without selecting other shape layers. This is how it’s worked since before I can remember.
Here’s why the two new selection modes don’t work:
Active Layers - I can no longer freely select any visible shape. Instead I’m forced to make a time-consuming roundabout to the layer palette, where I have to squint to find my shape layer, and activate it manually before continuing. (Hitting “V” to select a layer, then “A” to get back to the D.S. Tool is nearly as cumbersome. Plus, I leave off the Move Tool's auto-select mode.)
All Layers - Treats all my shapes as if they’re on one layer. Overlapping shapes are therefore impossible to work with -- mainly drag-selecting and deselecting points -- in situ.
We either need a “legacy” setting, or some way to constrain selection on drag, via a key modifier or something. This “all or nothing" thing doesn’t work for me... and apparently for others. Why would they change such a thing?
Or maybe there’s something I’m missing. Please let that be the case!

Why does the vector selection tool (white arrow) change layer selection to another vector mask?

I have been continually annoyed, when creating a vector mask-heavy document, with trying to select vector mask points by dragging a rectangle only to find that it instead selects a layer higher up which has a larger vector mask.
The only workaround is to manually select the points of my mask or to drag a rectangle from outside the canvas, meaning I have to zoom out or scroll to the edge - sometimes annoying if I am zoomed in quite far.
Does anyone know any resolution for this?
I know that the move tool can be set to automatically select a layer, depending on what part of the image is clicked, but why is there not an option to turn this off for vector editing?

What version of Photoshop are you using????
The White Arrow tool is the direct selection tool and it work best way you point it at a path segment line and click once. When you do all the control points in a close path segment will be marked with little squares and the two control point adjacent to where you clicked will have handles you can adjust.
You can also drag out a rectangle with the direct selection tool. When you do you may select many closed paths in a path a path may have many sub paths and each has a mode like add, subtract, intersect etc, and each has a stacking order like in a layer stack. So if you drag out a rectangle many paths control points will be marked and control point adjacent to crossing rectangle will have handles. Can be very confusing.
Here are two screen capture the first on shows the layer palette and path palette. You can see many shapes and path with sub paths and modes. I also targeted layer a vector mask. The selected the direct selection tool and in the image window I pointed at the 45 degree oval path near the top right. You cab see the four control points and two with handles. The second screen capture I only captured the image window. I used the direct selection tool and draged out a rectangle and you cab see many segments control points and many have handles. I have no problem selecting what I want to select

Gradients gets cropped with the Direct selection tool

I discovered another strange thing with gradients in InDesign.
I could see this problem in both CS6 and CC.
1. Make a gradient fill and apply it to a square object
2. Use the Direct selection tool and select two corners
3. Move the corners and you will see the gradient fill being cropped away
4. Change to the Selection tool and make the object wider. It does not reveal any more colors. They are cropped away for good now.
According to the color palettes this is still a gradient fill but it looks like one color now more or less. I couldn't find any way to release the cropping. I suppose it would have to be reveresed with the Direct selection tool.
The gradients in Illustrator stay inside the object when using the Direct selection so both selection tools works the same way. I also tried with vector objects in Photoshop and the gradient fill effect. Both selection tools in Photoshop works the same way as Illustrator. Gradient stays inside the object.
So is it a bug or feature?

Adobe has provided a very large tool box. Why not just do this in
Illustrator and place or copy/paste the frame. You obviously don't like
InDesign's way of doing things and you have at your disposal a tool that
does work the way you like.
I like InDesigns way of doing things very much. It's easily my all time favorite software after 25 years in this business.
And I can understand different behavior between the Adobe apps. This app can only do a little bit of what the other app can do.
But it don't like when three apps have the exact same tools, and one app is programmed to do something else with these tools, when it just as easily could have been programmed to do the same thing.

Direct Selection Tool - Shape Layers in Photoshop CC Issue

I just upgraded to CC and the first major road block is the new way the direct selection tool works. In my CS6 work flow I would use the direct selection tool to jump between shape layers within the document layer. Then once the correct shape was selected I would click drag select the anchor points I want to adjust. This seems to be impossible now in CC. You can still jump between shape layers but you have to be in "All-Layers" which really hurts when I want to click drag to select specific anchor points because it selects all shapes below it. And with Active-layer selected you can't jump between shape layers with the tool but you can click drag select anchors with out selecting and shapes below the layer. The basically cut functionality right down the middle…
Below I made a very simple video showing the issue (CS6 = first PSD and CC = 2nd PSD)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/pjlvwzmli9ihczd/CCProblemBroadband.m4v
As you can see in CS6 I could fly between layers and adjust everything with out ever changing to another tool or jumping to the layers window… I can no longer do that in CC with out having the dumb issue of also selecting the layers below it, which I don't find useful 99% of the time. Is there a setting to make this work like it did in CS4-CS6???? In my line of work, we work a lot with shape layers and this is causing more time to my work day.
Thanks

1000x this. My designs are 100% vector shapes, so if Adobe have changed this core behavior intentionally, they’ve just made my life a lot more difficult.
We should be able to use the Direct Selection Tool to select a shape layer (similar to how the Move Tool has done) by clicking on any visible pixel. But then we should be able to freely drag-select points on that shape (starting from any neutral area) without selecting other shape layers. This is how it’s worked since before I can remember.
Here’s why the two new selection modes don’t work:
Active Layers - I can no longer freely select any visible shape. Instead I’m forced to make a time-consuming roundabout to the layer palette, where I have to squint to find my shape layer, and activate it manually before continuing. (Hitting “V” to select a layer, then “A” to get back to the D.S. Tool is nearly as cumbersome. Plus, I leave off the Move Tool's auto-select mode.)
All Layers - Treats all my shapes as if they’re on one layer. Overlapping shapes are therefore impossible to work with -- mainly drag-selecting and deselecting points -- in situ.
We either need a “legacy” setting, or some way to constrain selection on drag, via a key modifier or something. This “all or nothing" thing doesn’t work for me... and apparently for others. Why would they change such a thing?
Or maybe there’s something I’m missing. Please let that be the case!

How do I turn off preview of hidden areas when dragging an image in frame with Direct Select Tool?

CS5, Not sure how to word this...
In previous version of ID, if I had a graphic in a frame, I could drag the image around inside that frame with the Direct Selection Tool. I can still do this with CS5 but it seems to want to show the entire image in a ghosting way that is outside of the frame. Is there a way to turn this preview type look off like it was in previous versions? I feel like its slowing my computer down bigtime because I am dealing with a large image. Everytime I click to drag it, everything slows to a crawl and unusable.

Go to the Prefernces and set Live Screen Drawing to Delayed.

Why is my direct selection tool not responding?

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