select and mask tool reset itself to first selection

[janquirin]

Hello,

i found a bug, no googlesearch and no tip helped me so far. Here is what happens:

I draw a dirty mask (oldschool i know) before, then i open up "select and mask"

it shows the mask, i start redrawing it, it precaches the view, but when i release the pen, the selections jumps back to basic.

i attached a video for you to understand easier, as im no native englisch speaker:

https://youtu.be/jqnUX34eZnc

[Barbara Ash]

Yes, I see what is happening. I would suggest that you start with a selection of the person instead of the background. Also, if you have to make a choice between selecting too much or selecting too little, select too little.

For example, if it's difficult to select the hair, start with selecting too little of the hair, like this

:

With the Refine Edge Brush tool, try different diameters for the brush. I've found that sometimes a larger brush is better.

[janquirin]

this kinda helps when drawing masks, and yes - all you said its true.

but my problem persists:

i cannot edit the mask _at all_  via the "select and mask" tool, as all im doing, resets itself as soon as i lift the pen.

it computes then jumps right back to normal... all while showing the pre-cached selction the right way. .... this is SO frustrating.

restarting ps, pc, deleting cache files... nothing worked so far

[Barbara Ash]

I can't tell from the video -- are you using the Refine Edge Brush Tool?

If you're using the Quick Selection tool, that could be the problem.

[michelew83603738]

One thing I notice is that you are on the History Brush when you are clicking out of the select and mask screen. So you are virtually undoing what you did.

[janquirin]

the hell to me lol...

now it works again, but i tried out everything, even paint a new mask in "select and mask" tool... it was eather a bug or im just an idiot.

thanks for your time

[michelew83603738]

Glad to help and that it is working again!

[Barbara Ash]

It happens to all of us from time to time. Happy to know that it's working again.

[janquirin]

Hey,

am i blinded again? the problem re-occured after some images, see below the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cy5l0DXbLw&feature=youtu.be

[Barbara Ash]

You seem to be painting in a layer mask and that is why it's not working. Target the layer thumbnail.

[janquirin]

wait...i can select the picture layer, start the select and mask via menu, then it accepted and worked, as you said.

i then felt nuts, because i pre-draw masks and ALWAYS click on those.... - so i cancelt, selected the mask, and did the VERY same thing as on the video... and it worked again too!

it was working again when clicking the mask, and NOT like you said, the image. this must be a bug, right?

the outcome is: problem reoccures, then it works, then it repeats again

[Barbara Ash · Accepted solution]

I don't know what the purpose is of the duplicate layer, but if you are trying to select the area with the jeans, this is how I would do it:

Select the light area in the center -- seems like it would be easier than to select the dark areas. I used the Quick Selection tool.

Select > Inverse

Create the layer mask.

With that said, I probably wouldn't use the Quick Selection tool or the Select and Mask command for this photo. Those are great for selecting nebulous edges like fur, feathers, and hair. But for a precise selection like this, I would use the Pen tool to make a path and then create a selection from that.

[janquirin]

its not my validated way to work either, just did the video to show my problem with erroneous masks and processes.

see, its not really the problem how i did mask and stuff, just trying to show that the mask resets itself, without any difference to before when it worked.

FINALEDIT:

so i found the solution to the bugging, itself resetting masking: i had work-volumes (dont know the right name) on C: which was getting absurdly full. Also gpu support was deactivated. those two things lead to the mask resetting itself. since changed, everything is fine.