Adaptive Wide Angle Filter - Preview is Different Than Result

[DaveStaffordROCLEDGE]

I am having trouble with the Adaptive Wide Angle Filter.  I have photo merged images taken from a single point, consolidated it as a smart object, then moved into the Adaptive Wide Angle Filter screen.  When I apply my constraints, it looks excellent in the preview mode.  Once I APPLY the filter and move back to the main Photoshop screen, the filter has not applied the constraints as I needed.

I have tried this on multiple images, and it does the exact same thing.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what I am doing wrong?  It MUST be me, as I know the Adobe products are excellent.  I have restarted the programs, my computer, installed up-to-date drivers for my display, etc. 

HELP!!!

[D Fosse · Accepted solution]

Are you sure all the layers are in the SO? You still have individual layers in the Layers panel. There shouldn't be if they were all incorporated in the smart object.

In any case you really should merge the layers before transforming in any way. The mask edges get transformed along with the content, and that blurs the edges and results in faint visible lines.

[DaveStaffordROCLEDGE]

YES!  Thank you so much, D Fosse.  This was exactly the problem.  Feel like a fool, but glad the problem is solved.

Thanks so much!