8 Replies Latest reply: Dec 21, 2010 8:11 AM by Jd_Johnson8 RSS

    Using Command Click to select nontransparent portion of a layer

    Jd_Johnson8 Community Member

      Hello all,

       

      Recently we upgraded from CS3 to CS5.  My coworker discovered an irritating issue - in CS3 if you pressed command and then clicked on a layer's thumbnail, the nontransparent portion of the layer was selected.  if you do that in CS5, you select all levels of transparency from that layer.  Is there a way to disable that feature in CS5 b/c it is very frustrating when trying to create different effects on different layers in Photoshop...

       

      tia,

       

      JD

        • 1. Re: Using Command Click to select nontransparent portion of a layer
          c.pfaffenbichler Community Member

          Either I misunderstand you or you are subject to a misconception.

          Command-clicking a Layer’s icon in the Layers Panel loads that Layer’s transparency – as it did in CS3.

          • 2. Re: Using Command Click to select nontransparent portion of a layer
            Mike Gondek2 Community Member

            If I understand correctly the original poster is saying CS5 command selects all levels of transparency as 100% opaque. So command selecting semi-transparency would fill with 100% foreground color, rather than the original level of transparency.

             

            I don't have CS5 at work, can someone else respond.

            • 3. Re: Using Command Click to select nontransparent portion of a layer
              [scott] CommunityMVP

              I think c.pfaffenbichler is correct here... I see no difference in behavior. I'd rephrase it slightly differently though....

               

              Command clicking a layer's thumbnail loads that layer's opacity, not transparency. Since, what is selected are the filled pixels, not the transparent pixels.

               

              I just tested CS3 and CS5.. behavior is identical.

              • 4. Re: Using Command Click to select nontransparent portion of a layer
                Jd_Johnson8 Community Member

                Ok you all were right - i was saying it incorrectly in my op - command-click selects the opacity in the layer, not the transparency. i personally don't use this feature that often (although i might now b/c i didn't realize that it selects all levels of opacity).  but my coworker uses it a lot, and is only having difficulties recently, since we switched to CS5.  my suggestion to him was to use the magic wand tool, select the transparency within the layer and then invert the selection.  is there a better way to do this?

                 

                Thank you all!!

                 

                JD

                • 5. Re: Using Command Click to select nontransparent portion of a layer
                  [scott] CommunityMVP

                  Actually the command-click is the best method and much, much, better than the Wand tool. Why he's seeing a difference between CS3 and Cs5 I don't know. There's absolutely no difference here.

                   

                  He may need to trash prefs in one or both apps to get the behavior the same.

                  • 6. Re: Using Command Click to select nontransparent portion of a layer
                    Jd_Johnson8 Community Member

                    He really does prefer the command-click method.  however, for example, say he is creating some clouds using a variation of opacities with a brush.  he likes the perimeter of the clouds he created and wants to use that, but wasn't happy with the initial results and he wants to experiment with different variations of opacities.  so, he uses the command-click to get an identical selection to what he is creating - however, he doesn't want to preserve the  opacities of the layer, he just wants that outside selection.  the only way i could think of to accomplish this was to use the magic wand instead, but i know that his method is much cleaner and more exact. however, doing it that way, he can't simply create a new layer and start over b/c command-click has saved the various levels of opacities and that is what he is seeing as he tries a different approach.  any thoughts on how to accomplish what he wants to do? i hope this made sense...

                     

                    JD

                    • 7. Re: Using Command Click to select nontransparent portion of a layer
                      [scott] CommunityMVP

                      Ahhh.. that explains a lot more.

                       

                      You can't achieve a hard selection via the command-click. (Which you know ) If there are varying levels of opacity, you will always get those levels with Command-Click.

                       

                      I don't like the Wand tool. Just me, but I find it too inaccurate and uncontrollable.

                       

                      What I would do is utilize Channels. If you duplicate a channel with decent contrast, then apply a Levels or Curves adjustment to further boost contrast and get everything as close to black and white as you want, then Command-Click the Channel thumbnail and make a selection. (Or you can double click the Channel, select "selected areas" and click OK. Then you can Load it via Select > Load Selection. )

                       

                      Another option would be to Command click the layer, then enter Quick Mask mode to apply a Levels/Curves adjustment to boost the contrast of the Quick Mask. Exit Quick Mask and you've got a more solid selection.

                      • 8. Re: Using Command Click to select nontransparent portion of a layer
                        Jd_Johnson8 Community Member

                        SW - thank you very much.  Those ideas were very helpful and I have passed them along to my co-worker.

                         

                        I appreciate your input!!!

                         

                        Sincerely,

                         

                        JD