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Duplicate Layer Mystery

Apr 13, 2012 8:01 AM

Tags: #duplicate_layer

Ok, this has been bugging me for years, have searched and searched with no answers, hope someone here has an idea. When I duplicate a layer, sometimes the layer will automatically duplicate as a copy within the same document, and sometimes it will open the dialog box that allows duplicating to another document. Does this happen to anyone else? Any ideas why? It seems to happen randomly, on both iMacs I use, as far back as I can remember (using CS4 now). I'm beginning to think I'm the only one this has happened to...

thanks

633 Views   9 Replies   Latest reply: troyjack1, Apr 17, 2012 9:46 AM
 
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  • R_Kelly
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    1. R_Kelly,
    Apr 13, 2012 10:04 AM   in reply to troyjack1
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    It depends on the steps your using to duplicate the layer.

     

    If you either drag the layer down to the new layer icon at the bottom of the layers panel (using no modifier keys) or Cmd-J, then you shouldn't get any dialogs.

     

    If you right click on the layer in the layers panel and choose Duplicate Layer or Layer>Duplicate Layer, then you will get a dialog.

     
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  • troyjack1
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    2. troyjack1,
    Apr 13, 2012 10:21 AM   in reply to R_Kelly
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    Thanks... sorry, I should have mentioned this previously, but this issue happens when right-clicking on the layer. So basically, it's sometimes acting as if I am dragging to the new layer icon, even though I'm not...

     
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  • R_Kelly
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    3. R_Kelly,
    Apr 13, 2012 10:36 AM   in reply to troyjack1
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    You would get a menu similar to this by right clicking on the layer and if you choose Duplicate Layer then you would get a dialog.

    If your were holding down the option key while choosing Duplicate Layer then that would skip the the dialog and duplicate the layer as if dragging to the new layer icon.

     

     

    Untitled-4.png

     

     

     

     

    Untitled-3.png

     
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  • troyjack1
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    4. troyjack1,
    Apr 13, 2012 10:52 AM   in reply to R_Kelly
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    Correct, though it still sometimes skips the dialog even without holding the option key, most commonly when it is the first time duplicating by right-clicking after opening the file. I just have no idea, it's really just something I've always been curious as to why it happens. It's happened so often through the years that I always make sure I'm not holding down any keys when right-clicking on the layer, yet still happens. The fact that it occurs on different versions and computers just perplexes me.

     
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  • Noel Carboni
    21,318 posts
    Dec 23, 2006
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    5. Noel Carboni,
    Apr 13, 2012 5:09 PM   in reply to troyjack1
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    It's not supposed to skip that dialog.  I can't say I've ever had it skip it.  I guess either you must be accidentally holding a key down that you're not aware of (or one is stuck) or you're witnessing is some kind of bug.

     

    -Noel

     
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  • Lundberg02
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    6. Lundberg02,
    Apr 13, 2012 5:18 PM   in reply to Noel Carboni
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    Have you tried a different keyboard?

     
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  • troyjack1
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    7. troyjack1,
    Apr 17, 2012 7:27 AM   in reply to troyjack1
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    Thank you all for your ideas and suggestions, though I'm thinking it must be a rare bug. It just now happened again... I opened a jpg photo, cropped it with the crop tool, then right-clicked on the "background" layer to duplicate into another file, and instead of giving me a dialog, it automatically created a "background copy" within the same document. No keys were accidentally hit, as my left hand was in a bag of animal crackers lol. Also want to note... as this happens on both of my macs, I've ruled out the keyboard... they are different styles of keyboards also, one being the old white bulky keyboard, and the other the newer flat aluminum model.

     

    It's really not a major inconvenience, though it can be slightly annoying sometimes, it's just something I've always noticed and wondered about.

     
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  • Noel Carboni
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    Dec 23, 2006
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    8. Noel Carboni,
    Apr 17, 2012 8:49 AM   in reply to troyjack1
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    One thing comes to mind, since you mentioned cropping...

     

    When you crop, and the [  ] Delete Cropped Pixels option is NOT selected, it automatically changes your Background into a layer, without prompting...  I wonder if the setup to avoid prompting in that feature somehow could be messing up the subsequent prompting for duplicating layers...

     

    -Noel

     
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  • troyjack1
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    9. troyjack1,
    Apr 17, 2012 9:46 AM   in reply to Noel Carboni
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    Interesting point, Noel... I'm not sure if cs4 has the "Delete Cropped Pixels" option, but there definitely could be an interference with the crop tool somehow. I just cropped another jpg, using the crop tool, but this time I adjusted the shield opacity before cropping. I was then able to create 11 layer copies in a row without a dialog box by right-click duplicating! Then clicked on Finder and back into Photoshop, and finally then I was able to get the dialog box. Craziness...

     
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