Command key not behaving like it did before the update to CC 2018

[nickc74518618]

I use to prolifically use the Command key to quickly move layers on the artboard. What I liked about it before was that I DID NOT have to have the cursor perfectly over the element I wanted to move. As long as I had the correct layer selected in the Layers panel, I could hold down the Command key and click anywhere within the artboard to drag the selected layer. Now, after updating, it no longer behaves like this. Now when I hold down the Command key and try to drag around a layer, whatever I click on becomes the active layer instead of the one I had selected in the Layers panel. Some layers contain very tiny elements which are very hard to perfectly click on. I hate this new functionality and would love to know how to switch it back. It's killing efficiency. Also when typing, I dont like the cursor hovering over what I am typing so I move it out of the way while typing. When I am done typing, I want to move the type layer which is still the highlighted layer in the Layers panel. Yet when I hold down the Command key and start dragging, most of the time I end up unintentionally moving other layers since it insists on switching layers first. Why!? Incredibly frustrating. I can't even drag a folder group from one photoshop file to another because even though I have the folder group closed and highlighted, as soon as I click, it instantly selects and starts dragging a single layer within the folder set instead of the whole freakin folder.

How do I switch it back to the much more useful behavior from previous version of Photoshop?????

[Cari Jansen · Accepted solution]

Pressing the Cmd key enables the 'Auto-Select' option the the Tool Options bar for the move tool. Which will then either auto-select a layer or a group.   I've tried to see if there's a way to disable this shortcut but couldn't find it (going through Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts), I might have overlooked it though so someone else might step in to correct me.

I can't recall the behaviour being different to what it was in previous versions of Photoshop though, what version where you using prior to Photoshop CC (2018)?

It will take some getting used to to NOT press the Cmd key I guess. But there is no need to press the Cmd key (unless you want to auto-select naturally ), when moving selected layer groups or layers into other images you can drag and drop, select the layer by right-clicking and choosing the layer, or clicking on the layer or layer group in the Layers panel.

[nickc74518618]

The most recent version of Photoshop that I had been using was the CC 2017 version. Although the behavior that I am use to has been around for years and years. Prior to this version, I could select any layer within the Layers window, hold down the Command key and then click anywhere within the artboard to drag the layer I had highlighted in the Layers window. I could also select a folder within the Layers window and then hold down the Command key and click anywhere within the artboard to drag the entire folder set around. I could even drag from one photoshop file to another as long as I had them both open. This behavior is now gone.

NOW, it makes zero difference which layer I have selected within the Layers window. As soon as I hold down Command key and click within the artboard, the active layer immediately switches to whatever I happen to click on. This is not at all the desired action. I use to be able to hold down the Command key and then right click to select layers that might be hidden behind other layers. And then hold down the Command key in order to click and drag the hidden layer around. I cannot do this anymore.

NOW, I have no idea how to drag and entire folder set around unless everything within the folder is also linked but that kinda defeats the purpose of a folder set. I now have a folder with a bunch of layers in it. I select the folder in the Layers window. As soon as I click anywhere within the artboard, the folder is de-selected and a single layer within the folder becomes the active layer and moves independently from the folder it is a child object of.

I promise you, this is not the same experience as before. I still use Photoshop CC 2017 at home and it works great. At my job, they use Photoshop CC 2018 and it does not work great.