16 Replies Latest reply: Dec 24, 2011 2:54 PM by Pjgent RSS

    Spacebar move tool

    Pjgent Community Member

      When I press the space bar the cursor changes to a hand, as it should, but the hand does not move the image. Is this a software bug, or do I need to change a setting? There is no physical problem with the spacebar. All Photoshop software is up to date. Running Photoshop CS5 on a Windows 7, 64 bit system. Sony Quad Core Intel I7 laptop, 6 Gig memory.

        • 1. Re: Spacebar move tool
          Curt Y Community Member

          The image has to be larger than the canvas to see movement. 

           

          Hold down the spacebar and a left mouse button should work.

          • 2. Re: Spacebar move tool
            Semaphoric Community Member

            Good question. It works as advertised on my workstation, but as you describe on my laptop.Explicitly selecting the hand scrolls the image just fine.

            • 3. Re: Spacebar move tool
              Pjgent Community Member

              Image is larger than screen. Mouse button + spacebar does not help.

              • 4. Re: Spacebar move tool
                Curt Y Community Member

                Can you try a differnt mouse?  If wireless try a wired one.  Sometimes mice do goofy things, and it is near Christmas.

                • 5. Re: Spacebar move tool
                  Semaphoric Community Member

                  On my laptop, it does work properly with an external (wired) mouse, but not with the built-in trackpad. I wonder if there's some setting I could change.

                  • 6. Re: Spacebar move tool
                    Pjgent Community Member

                    After reading the replys to my question on this forum and to additional information on this subject, I have come to the conclusion that the problem is trackpads. The function works properly on desktops with a mouse, but not on laptop trackpads. I have tried two different laptops with different brands of trackpads and drivers, neither of the trackpads performed the function properly. Because of this, I can only assume that the problem is with the Photoshop software, and not settings, or trackpads, etc. If this is the problem, and if Adobe monitors this forum, I suggest that Adobe address this problem as soon as possible. I, and a significant number of other users, use Photoshop on laptops, and we need this function to work properly.

                    • 7. Re: Spacebar move tool
                      Curt Y Community Member

                      Have never used a trackpad, but is it possible to use the trackpad software to change it to be emulate a real mouse?  That would probably be a lot faster than Adobe coming up with a software patch.

                       

                      I would recommend you submit a bug report so they can work on the trackpad problem.

                      • 8. Re: Spacebar move tool
                        Pjgent Community Member

                        The trackpad works properly, as far as I know, on all other functions. I have tried adjusting trackpad settings, to no avail. I think your suggestion to register a "bug" with Adobe is probably a good idea. I will do that and see what, (eventually,) happens. Thanks to all for your responses.... Phil

                        • 9. Re: Spacebar move tool
                          Chris Cox Adobe Employee

                          Photoshop doesn't know the difference between your trackpad and a mouse or tablet.  Photoshop just gets events from the OS saying "this key was pressed", and "the mouse moved to here". The only time there is a difference is for tablets with pressure support (that have a different API for the pressure/tilt information).

                           

                          If your trackpad somehow behaves differently from a mouse or tablet (or other trackpads), then there probably an issue with the driver or OS settings related to the trackpad that causes it to send different events to Photoshop.

                          • 10. Re: Spacebar move tool
                            Pjgent Community Member

                            Chris, the problem is that Photoshop does see a difference. Both of my laptops, and and others on this forum have the same problem. It is not reasonable to assume that all have faulty touchpads or drivers.

                            • 11. Re: Spacebar move tool
                              Semaphoric Community Member

                              It's not just Photoshop. Even the Windows Desktop exhibits this behavior: holding the spacebar renders the cursor immobile via the trackpad (a Synaptics). Again, a wired mouse works properly.

                              • 12. Re: Spacebar move tool
                                Curt Y Community Member

                                Pjgent,  You might submit a bug report to Microsoft also that the spacebar + right trackball does not work the same as a wired mouse.

                                • 13. Re: Spacebar move tool
                                  Chris Cox Adobe Employee

                                  Because of the code, Photoshop CANNOT see a difference - there is no code that would allow for such a difference, no knowledge of different pointing devices that could allow for such a difference, etc.  Any difference must come from something outside of Photoshop.

                                  • 14. Re: Spacebar move tool
                                    Pjgent Community Member

                                    Semaphoric, I tried what you described, and experienced the same result. Looks like it is any trackpad device. To bad that Photoshop or the touchpad driver programmers cannot code around this problem. My Wacom tablet works OK on the laptop, but I don't want to have to carry it with me all the time.

                                    • 15. Re: Spacebar move tool
                                      Semaphoric Community Member

                                      I ended up buyimng a second Wacom Intuos, the small size, to use with the laptop (they're about the same size), and keep the medium sized one at the workstation. I get nervous about losing the stylus when carrying it around, though.

                                      • 16. Re: Spacebar move tool
                                        Pjgent Community Member

                                        I velcro'd a small piece of plastic conduit to the underside of the top of the Intuos tablet and put caps on the ends of it. If I want to use the tablet on top of the keyboard, it holds it up off of the keyboard keys and I keep the Intuos pen inside of the tube when not using it.