Photoshop: Don't understand the undo/redo system

Try this script as a workaround for the behavior where step backward changes the selected layer (remap the step backward keyboard shortcut to the script):

http://www.polycount.com/forum/showpo...

In Photoshop CC (2015) update, step backwards shouldn't change the layer selection.

It certainly seems like multiple undos on Command-Z (Ctrl-Z) with redo on Command-Shift-Z is the norm these days, unlike 10 years ago. I'd be all for seeing this in Photoshop as well, to bring it in line with Illustrator, InDesign and most modern apps.

I don't know if there's any technical issues with including layer selection as a history state, but that seems to make sense as well.

You're touching on two separate issues:
1. The keyboard shortcuts used for undo/redo
2. Layer selection changing upon undo

1. Photoshop's unusual Cmd-Z mapping is due to the fact that the app lets you toggle across multiple history states in one keypress.

For example, you might do something, then click 10 steps back in the History panel. Let's say you then hit Cmd-Z. Would you expect Photoshop to undo the most recent operation (getting you back to where you'd been prior to the last click), or to go to the 11th-back history state (that is, to go further back in time)? I'd expect PS to do what it does now: it undoes the click instead of digging me deeper.

I'm not sure it's possible to preserve the current (and to my mind correct) behavior while also making Cmd-Z work in the more common way (which is also correct). Of course PS could ask customers to make a choice via a dialog, but that's just a recipe for blank stares.

2. I can't think of a good reason for the current behavior. It seems like a rough edge that didn't get polished when PS added multiple layer selection. It's worth asking the team whether it can be changed.

Thanks for the response John. I'm not sure I agree with you on 1 but you do present a good case where the current behavior makes sense for some people.

Sounds good on issue 2 though, I'd be very happy if that was changed. If there's some disagreement, perhaps an option could be added in the "History Options" section of the History palette. There's already an option "Make Layer Visibility Changes Undoable". Adding a "Make Layer Selection Changes Undoable" option could be one way to address this.

Right now selecting a different layer doesn't show up in History.

The common issue with this looks like that:

You change current layer from A to B. You make a stroke. You hitg 'Step Backward'. Photoshop undoes stroke AND selects layer A. You continue to work on layer A thinking you're actually on layer B.

This thing bugs _lot_ of people.

Can you please consider to add an option to make layer selects undoable?

It could be the same History option like with 'layer visibility' right now: turning this on allows you to undo layer visibility changes.

Please please please

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled
Make layer selects changes undoable!.

Often when I undo a step in Photoshop, a different layer is selected from the layer I was working on. How can I turn off this super-annoying feature?

It even happens after I've done several steps on the current layer but only undo one step. WHY would it jump to a layer from 3 steps ago?

Brett Gilmour
Brett Gilmour Photography

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled
Photoshop: After "undo", different layer are selected.

I also would like to voice my opinion of hating it when Photoshop changes the active layer. I decide which layer I want to paint in, dammit!

Thanks a lot for the script, but would it really be so hard to make a "don't switch layers automatically EVER!"-tick in the preferences menu?

edit:
AWESOME!
The script works perfectly! I can't stay mad, this thing did everything I wanted. Thank you Jeffrey!

Please make Photoshop's "step backward" command maintain current layer selection (like the "undo" command's behavior). So that when using the "step backward" to undo something it doesn't unnecessarily select a different layer . The current "step backward" layer change issue is inconvenient because it causes unnexpected layer selection change.

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled
Make "step backward" command maintain current layer selection (like the "undo" command's behavior)....

i really hope adobe officially fixes this in the next version!

but in the meantime, someone make a script you can use to workaround the issue...
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showth...

Say you have 2 layers in a Photoshop document:
[] layerA
[] layerB

And you have layerB selected:

[] layerA
[] layerB < selected

Then you select layerA:

[] layerA < selected
[] layerB

Then you paint a brush stroke on LayerA

[] layerA < selected, now with one brush stroke
[] layerB

Then you undo that brush stroke. (CTL+Z)
What you get is:

[] layerA < brush stroke removed
[] layerB < selected,

It undoes not only the brush stroke but the layer selection operation.
What I'd prefer would be to end up with:

[] layerA < selected, with brush stroke removed.
[] layerB

I can't tell you how many times I've been working on an image with multiple layers, selected a new layer, painted something that I didn't like, undone that operation, and then discovered sometime later that I've been painting on the wrong layer for a while because of this behavior.

It's not a huge deal of course, and there are plenty of workarounds, but the behavior seems a bit strange and unintuitive. Lesser programs could not be bothered with such minor issues, but Photoshop, and the near pinnacle of perfection that the program represents, might have the motivation to address this tiny blemish on it's smoothly polished interface.

It's like a chip in the paint of a car. For an ordinary car, this wouldn't matter, but Photoshop is a Lamborghini, and it needs to shine.

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled
Photoshop: Can't understand why step backward changes layer selection.

Dear Adobe Gripes #15685 & #12793

"Why does the "Step backward" command also switch back to the layer that
was previously selected? It forces me to make dummy strokes before
painting on a new layer so I don't accidentally switch back."

"Please stop photoshop going back to the previous layer when undo, it gets tiresome having to reselect the layer over and over again when experimenting with changes."

If you are working on a layer and you select another layer and perform an action there and then you hit "Undo", Photoshop doesn't just undo the last action but "takes you" to the previously selected layer too.

So, if you have made say a brush stroke and you want to just undo it and try again, you have to take the extra time and reselect the layer.

Anyone else with the same "problem"?

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled
Photoshop: Poor undo functionality?.

will this make it into CS6?

Hi Jeffery,

Any instructions on how to install and use the script you provided?

Thanks.