Layer Checkmark

[Alan9940]

Hello All:

Somewhere on these boards (can't find it now, otherwise I would have posted my comment therein) I saw a discussion regarding the removal of the checkmark indicator for the current active layer and I'd like to voice my 2 cents worth...

Just recently installed PL on my Windows computer--not sure if that makes any difference because I use calibrated screens on both Windows and Mac platforms--and I activated "Black Mode" under user interface in Options. I have my background color slider set to 136 which provides a nice middle gray for the right-hand panels. However, it appears that the active layer highlight color must be something close to middle gray, too, as I really can't see it unless I stare at it. Is there some Options preference that allows me to modify this color? If not, the checkmark on the active layer is the only way I know which layer is currently active and I'd not like to see that go away.

Best regards,
AlanH

[Herbert123]

The devs are working on this. Expect more in the next beta. And the check marks aren't going anywhere, as far as I am aware.

[Alan9940]

The devs are working on this. Expect more in the next beta. And the check marks aren't going anywhere, as far as I am aware.

Thanks! As long as I have the check mark I'm good.

Best regards,
AlanH

[photoken]

I activated "Black Mode" under user interface in Options. I have my background color slider set to 136 which provides a nice middle gray for the right-hand panels. However, it appears that the active layer highlight color must be something close to middle gray, too, as I really can't see it unless I stare at it. Is there some Options preference that allows me to modify this color?

I don't know if the next beta will allow setting the colours for the active layer indication. For safety's sake, you ought to consider using a dark enough setting so the Active Layer is colour is easily visible -- those checkmarks are showing all the layers that are selected, not just the active layer.

And just in case you weren't aware of this, here's the setting that determines the background colour that surrounds the image itself in the main editing window:

bkgrnd options.png

[Alan9940]

I don't know if the next beta will allow setting the colours for the active layer indication. For safety's sake, you ought to consider using a dark enough setting so the Active Layer is colour is easily visible -- those checkmarks are showing all the layers that are selected, not just the active layer.

Thanks, Ken. Since I usually have only one layer active at a time, the check mark works for me and is a quick visual of the active layer. I will play around with the darkness of the gray to see what setting allows me to see the highlight, but I generally prefer a medium gray for all workspace around my image. I will accept a tad darker, but going very dark gray is not what I'm looking for, regardless of active layer visibility.

Thanks, too, for pointing out where I can control the color immediately surrounding the image.

Best regards,
AlanH

[Martin Huber]

I will play around with the darkness of the gray to see what setting allows me to see the highlight,

The same preference page, that let's you adjust the UI brightness, has a control for the selection color, too. If you set it to an opaque color, this color will be used, though the selection in the Layer List will always use the corresponding gray, because the Layer List usually can't have the input focus.

Martin

[MikeFromMesa]

Hello All:

Somewhere on these boards (can't find it now, otherwise I would have posted my comment therein) I saw a discussion regarding the removal of the checkmark indicator for the current active layer and I'd like to voice my 2 cents worth...

Just recently installed PL on my Windows computer--not sure if that makes any difference because I use calibrated screens on both Windows and Mac platforms--and I activated "Black Mode" under user interface in Options. I have my background color slider set to 136 which provides a nice middle gray for the right-hand panels. However, it appears that the active layer highlight color must be something close to middle gray, too, as I really can't see it unless I stare at it. Is there some Options preference that allows me to modify this color? If not, the checkmark on the active layer is the only way I know which layer is currently active and I'd not like to see that go away.

Best regards,
AlanH

Perhaps I am missing your question but I read your post as asking about finding a way to display a dark app interface while still having the layer selection visible.

I also recently changed the default color of the GUI to something much darker but on my system the dialog box for the interface looks like this screen shot:

DisplaySettings.jpg

I just adjusted the Selection Color control until I had a color that I could easily distinguish from the new interface color. I work on a Mac so I am not sure that your Display controls look the same, but you can easily see the layer selection on my system with the colors I have selected.

If I have misunderstood your comment I apologize.

[Alan9940]

Hello Mike,

Yes, thank you, I knew where to set the darker interface and about the selection color. I did play around with different selection colors but, ultimately, decided on just enough of a dark gray setting on the slider which still allowed me to easily see the mid- to light-gray highlighted active layer in the layers panel. I decided against any color because I don't like extraneous colors around or near the image I'm working on; it distracts my eye. Back some time ago when I played around with GIMP, all the various color highlights just drove me crazy! I quickly realized that that interface just wasn't going to work for me.

Also, not that it really matters but I'm now running PL on both Windows and Mac platforms. I was using it only on my Mac, but decided that I want to knuckle down and really learn PL so that someday when CS6 stops working I'll be fully up-to-speed with a powerful image editor. Therefore, for now I've decided to try and use PL, only, for all my editing needs.

Oh, and like you I decided to sit down and read the entire manual. Told ya I was serious about using PL! I'm only about 1/2 way through it, but I've already learned a few useful things that I didn't know before!

Best regards,
AlanH

[photoken]

...I don't like extraneous colors around or near the image I'm working on; it distracts my eye.

Oh, yes! I couldn't agree more! Have a nice, cool cyberbeer on me, bro....

[MikeFromMesa]

Also, not that it really matters but I'm now running PL on both Windows and Mac platforms. I was using it only on my Mac, but decided that I want to knuckle down and really learn PL so that someday when CS6 stops working I'll be fully up-to-speed with a powerful image editor. Therefore, for now I've decided to try and use PL, only, for all my editing needs.

Well, the more I use PL the happier I am with it (presumably because I am learning how to do things I could not do properly before), but I don't understand your comment about CS6 stopping. Why would it stop working? Are you worried about the OS outrunning CS6?

My biggest concern with 6 (which I had before I switched to CC) was that Adobe would not fix bugs. I was not worried about ACR because one of the really nice things about CS is that you can replace ACR with other software and I had a good version of PhotoNinja which acted as a nice ACR replacement.

Oh, and like you I decided to sit down and read the entire manual. Told ya I was serious about using PL! I'm only about 1/2 way through it, but I've already learned a few useful things that I didn't know before!

Ha! I am not nearly that far. Stopped last night at page 101 so I have a way to go.

It would be nice if someone re-wrote the manual in common English usage, either British or American. I, at least, have a hard time in some sections where the English seems to be a direct translation of the original German. Usually I can figure out what it means, but not always.

[Alan9940]

...I don't like extraneous colors around or near the image I'm working on; it distracts my eye.

Oh, yes! I couldn't agree more! Have a nice, cool cyberbeer on me, bro....

Haha! Cool cyberbeer or the real thing works for me. So many beers...so little time!!

Best regards,
AlanH

[Alan9940]

Well, the more I use PL the happier I am with it (presumably because I am learning how to do things I could not do properly before), but I don't understand your comment about CS6 stopping. Why would it stop working? Are you worried about the OS outrunning CS6?

I agree. The more I dig into and use PL the more I'm coming to realize that it's pretty much the "leather man" tool of image editors. Regarding CS6, yes, I have to think that some day Windows OS updates/upgrades will cause CS6 to stop working and/or be problematic. I've been doing this since 2000 and I've seen it happen over-and-over, again. Additionally, I don't have CS6 on my Mac and need a powerful editor there, too; ergo my use of PL.

My biggest concern with 6 (which I had before I switched to CC) was that Adobe would not fix bugs. I was not worried about ACR because one of the really nice things about CS is that you can replace ACR with other software and I had a good version of PhotoNinja which acted as a nice ACR replacement.

You do know that Adobe has agreed to keep ACR updated in CS6? That was one of the backlash items when they moved to the subscription model.

It would be nice if someone re-wrote the manual in common English usage, either British or American. I, at least, have a hard time in some sections where the English seems to be a direct translation of the original German. Usually I can figure out what it means, but not always.

Couldn't agree more! And, even when things are written in English such that it's understandable there are many errors. But, like you I can usually figure it out.

Best regards,
AlanH

[MikeFromMesa]

You do know that Adobe has agreed to keep ACR updated in CS6? That was one of the backlash items when they moved to the subscription model.

No. I did not know that.

I upgraded to CS6 when it was first released at what I believe was the standard upgrade price of $129, but shortly after that I decided to give CC a try for a year. They gave me a refund of my upgrade for CS6 and I signed up for a year with CC. After about 6 months I decided it was a bad idea and thought about going back to CS6 but, by then, the price had increased to $199 and I did not know that they agreed to keep ACR up to date.

Of course I could always have used an ACR replacement like PhotoNinja but I decided that I had given Adobe enough of my money and that now that I could no longer expect to have the software for as long as it would run without paying a subscription fee, I decided to change and hence PL.

[Alan9940]

Hello Mike,

Yeah, I know your dilemna...I had the same situation, albeit with LR5. I had upgraded to LR5 shortly before (but, out of Adobe's normal refund window) they came out the the "Photography Program" or whatever it's called; I decided to give the Creative Cloud a try and requested a refund for my LR5 upgrade. It took Adobe something like 3 months to issue the refund, but, to their credit, they did. I made it almost a year with CC...but, over that trial year I found the dashboard to be error prone and problematic (it actually crashed my system a couple of times) and it all seemed to result in a large performance hit on my system, even when I wasn't using Adobe's products! This was under Windows 7, FWIW.

Just before my year anniversary, I canceled my membership and went back to using CS6; I own a perpetual license for that software. After removing every tidbit of the Creative Cloud off my system, performance returned to expected normal. When I got my new iMac, moving back to Adobe's subscription model was not even considered; hence my move to PL on the Mac. Now I have it on my Windows machine, too, and I'm using it exclusively in an effort to learn as much as I can about its usage, and to feel as comfortable with it as I do with PS (been a PS user for 14 years!) Wow, how time flies...

Best regards,
AlanH