Simply use the hollow point tool, select a point on the live shape, and see the "live shape properties" reappear...

I may have spoke to soon?

Looks like it's working but it seems buggy or not fully understood.  It'd be nice if it were more usable. But it is working like a vector editor in photoshop and I love it.

I'm hear because I cannot select a vector point with the path tool and edit a shape.  Makes this version of PSD totally useless to me if I can't find a fix.  I'll see if there is an update. I have skimmed the posts above and not sure I can understand if it's been fixed or there is a work around. Been using vectors since Day 1 with Illustrator 88.  WTF ?

David, it's a multi-step process. You have to 1) select the layer, 2) click on the actual shape with the path tool so you can see the vector points, and 3) click the "Live Shape Properties" button at the top of the Properties panel (it defaults to "Masks") OR click on the layer thumbnail in the Layers panel (though that doesn't always seem to work).

Hi David,

It sounds like you're encountering the new Active Layers mode in 14.1. When you're in Active Layers mode, you can only work with paths on canvas that belong to currently selected layers. If you want to skip the step of selecting a layer first, then choose either the Path Selection tool or Direct Selection tool and choose "All Layers" in the options bar dropdown. Now you should be able to click on canvas to select shapes, regardless of which layers were selected in the Layers panel.

Also, if you need to switch between the two modes on a regular basis, you can assign a custom keyboard shortcut to "Direct Selection Mode Toggle" under the Tools section of the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog.

3) click the "Live Shape Properties" button at the top of the Properties panel (it defaults to "Masks")

The behavior where you have to click on the Live Shape Properties button is a known bug. When a live shape is fully selected (anchor points visible, at least one anchor point filled), the Live Shape Properties panel should show by default, and this is not currently working. So for now, you do have to make sure to switch over to the Live Shape Properties panel by clicking the button. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Excellent, glad to hear it! It would also be REALLY helpful if the Live Shape Properties were available any time a layer containing a single live shape was selected. As a UX/UI designer, live shapes are one my most commonly used tools, so the extra hoops to jump through really add up.

Just for some background, the reason we implemented it the way we did is that without specifically targeting a subpath (or more than one subpath) Photoshop has to make assumptions about what counts as selected and the assumptions led to lots of bugs with the Properties panel. Since we allow multiple subpaths per layer/path and we allow multiple layers/paths to be selected at once, things can get really complex. By requiring the user to fully select specific subpath(s), the Properties panel a) knows exactly which controls to display, and b) the controls work properly.

So what you're asking for is that an exception be made to this rule: if a single shape layer with a single live shape subpath is selected (even if the anchor points are not visible), show the Live Shape Properties panel?

Thanks, Jeanne.

Yes, that's right. I frequently work with layers containing only a single shape/path, and infrequently work with layers containing multiple paths. For layers with multiple paths it definitely makes sense that you need to select the specific subpath (in fact, I just assumed you'd lose the Live Shape functionality at that point), but if Photoshop is able to tell the difference between layers with a single path and a layer with multiple paths, it would be a huge help to have access to the Live Shape Properties with no further clicks.

+1 for kavaXtreme's feedback.

I usually use this for making buttons. I just want to resize the button later without having to redraw a new one. Boom.

KavaXtreme:

Thanks, seems to be working now.  I was in the heat of a job and was frustrated that something basic was not working. I don't mind new features.  Seems to be working ok now.

I'm too frustrated after spending the better part of the last hour trying to figure out how to do something that seemed straightforward (return to the editing state for a simple rounded rectangle I'd created last week) to be very productive here. But I want to make sure this thread has as much support as possible, as this is a huge time sink for a lot of people, apparently. That sucks for a pricey pro app. I do believe you guys at Adobe have our best interests at heart though.

I've never done anything more complex with shapes than make a rounded rectangle with a fill and maybe a layer style or two. So I don't follow all the edgy use cases you have to cover. But I'm hoping that I'm in the 99% and that the interaction can be focused on that bulk.

Hi, I have found another solution for this.

The issue is that whenever you make a live shape it creates a mask as default, so regardless of the fact that you still have a live shape, whenever you use the (V) tool it acts like a mask.

To solve this once and for all, go to your layers panel, panel options (right hand extra options on panel) and uncheck "Use Default Masks on Fill Layers".

Now everytime you make a new live shape it doesn't come with embedded masks.

Hope this helps!

Rodrigo, brilliant! This works for my button-making purposes, which is literally all I care about. Nice job.

Hmm, doesn't seem to make any difference for me. I still have to switch it from Masks to Live Shape Properties in the Properties panel every single time I need to edit a shape.

I'm finding earlier layers pallet view easier to use/view.  Now there is a Proportional image/shape in a white window. Before the color swatch helped a bit in finding a layer.  Also the line/shape menue is annoying as I now have to scroll and pick an option instead of clicking a box like before.  In addition, I'm finding the color of a shape is not sticky but reverts to the lower layers color.

Alt-click on shape layer brings live shape properities window active if this is what you're looking for.

That little trick is proving to be a huge help. Thanks for the tip!

Had the same problem. Turns out I needed to use the Path Selection Tool and click the path right on the canvas, not in the layer panel. This re-enables the Live Shape properties.

Here is a short video with more details if you're interested -> http://www.michalkopec.com/blog

Excellent. Not sure that is the way it should work but at least a solution!

This is still really buggy in Ps CC 14.2. I have live shapes that I just can't access the properties on still, no matter whether I select them with the Path Selection Tool or anything else! Things seem to get messed up when you start copying shapes (ie. when you try to make a duplicate of an existing shape). Would REALLY love to see a permanent fix for this!

Agreed. I seem to also have trouble on files that I saved and haven't opened in a few weeks. I know that doesn't make sense, but here we are.

http://youtu.be/6EeTEFNsR8g

Short SILENT demo on the Live Shape Properties Panel

Jeff Yarbrough

This is good but as I mentioned above, even when selecting the shapes with the Path Selection Tool, it doesn't always return the properties. There still seems to be an issue with it not working ll the time.

I've tried all of the above, but still cannot get live properties to show.

Ive tried:

- selector tool

- clicking on active layer

- command + j

- turning off auto masks in panel

etc

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

Thank god I'm not the only one complaining about live shapes in Photoshop.

Working with live shapes is really a pain to me.

It's the most unintuive and buggy feature in Photoshop.

Hi everyone,

I was going nuts too with the live properties disappearing and only the mask option visible:

What solved it for me was that after selecting the Path Selection Tool, you need to literally place the cursor on the very edge of the shape and SELECT THE PRECISE EDGE/PATH OF THE SHAPE ITSELF in order for the live properties to become visible again...

Hope this helps!

hi,

i'm glad some of you at least see the live shape properties once in a while because i have never had the good luck to even see them at all. I've tried everything and i just cannot call them alive.

-Created a vector shape, nothing appears

-Did as said before and click with patch selection tool on the very edge of a shape, nothing appears

-closed and restarted PS, nothing

-turn off default masks for fill layers, nothing

It would thrill me to see this feature at least once so i know i can die a happy man...

Where is Adobe in this? Seems this issue has been going on for at least a year now!

Thx

I'm in the same boat as Adobart. Never can bring up the live shape properties on a saved file I got from someone else. Tried everything mentioned here including clicking on edges and using path selection tool. I'm not really surprised that a simple thing like editing a previously created shape isn't working but I am disappointed.

CC 14.2.1 x64 on a Mac running 10.8 Mountain Lion.

Using Photoshop CC 2014 and same problem here!

I'm noticing that using the Path Selection tool brings up the Live Shape panel on shapes that I make with the pre-dertimined tools (that are circles, rectangles, rounded rectangles, etc.), but if I add points to modify those original shapes (say, add a little pointer thingy to a rounded rectangle) the Path Selection tool no longer triggers the Live Shape Properties panel, which is a bummer. See below:

HELP!

Can confirm that this is still very broken and regularly completely prevents you from changing live shape properties.

Same problem, CC2014 live shape properties accessible only on shape creation. If I select another layer and then come back to shape, only mask and feather options are visible, no live shape properties.
Please fix it!

Something I discovered, is if you've got the shape layer linked with another layer, the panel won't work. For instance, I created an arrow and a drop shadow converted to it's own layer and linked the two. Wanted to change the fill, but couldn't do so until I disabled the link.

Still same thing for me.  It was working last week and now when I select my shapes with the Path Selection Tool or the Direct Select tool the only one the Live Shape Properties comes up for is rectangles.  Nothing else works.

Yeah, actually I'm encountering the same thing as you now. There's a limited tool strip in the control panel that comes available when you select with the path selection tool, and apparently the problem with not being able to select a shape if it's linked to another layer has been sorted out, but now the ffucking properties panel shows nothing even upon drawing a shape initially! Oh... don't like the bad language, Adobe? Then fix the goddam problem! How hard can it be????