photoshop: Could not complete the Crop command because a linked smart object file is missing

[pragmatic_user]

Hi, I'm working as a dev in a company and I get a ps file from the designer.

I want to crop some images from the ps file and my general approach would be to go on top of all existing layers, create a new layer (cmd+alt+maj+N), and flatten all layers in that new layer (cmd+alt+maj+E), so that I have only one layer to deal with.

(I do so to have all effects flattened and so I don't loose time searching things in layers which I have not organized...).

Anyway, once I have the flattened layer, I do a selection around the part of the image I want to crop,

and then I try to crop but I get the following message:

"Could not complete the Crop command because a linked smart object file is missing"

This invalidates my approach, forcing me to find workarounds, and is quite frustrating.

So the simplest workaround I've found is to duplicate my flattened layer to a new document, and from the new document, cropping executes without problem.

Now I'm just curious:

I don't see how a missing linked smart object file can prevent me from cropping a flattened layer.

Why does Photoshop say that "error message"?

[c.pfaffenbichler · Accepted solution]

I don't see how a missing linked smart object file can prevent me from cropping a flattened layer.

Well, you did not flatten the image but »Merge Visible«, so the SO is still present in the file.

Edit: The Crop Tool crops the image, not just one Layer of the image.

By the way: cmd-alt-shift-E (Layer > Merge visible + shift-key) creates a new Layer if the active Layer is not empty, so you would not need to create a Layer before.

[pragmatic_user]

Thanks, today I feel like a better photoshoper