PSP X4 - Adjustment layer mask bug

[Amamba]

I bought PSP about a year or so ago, but grew frustrated with it and reverted back to Gimp. Now, however, I think I am ready to jump back.. and I need help with a bug I encountered originally back then.

Basically, in some of the adjustment layers (Local Tone Mapping, Fill Light & Clarity) the mask doesn't work. When I click on the mask control the mask color in the dialog switches from white to black, but the screen doesn't revert back to underlying layer.This is very repeatable. It only happens in some AL, others like Layers and Curves work reliably.

Is there a fix for it ?

I am on W7 x 64, PSP X4 v 14.2.01

Thanks !

[LeviFiction]

No fix for this that I know of, no. Though there might be a workaround. Can honestly say I've never noticed it because I never use the "invert Mask" button, which seems to be the only way I can get the mask to stop working right away. At least for now.

The masks themselves continue to work properly, it's simply using the invert mask button that messes things up. And, far more interesting, if you actually fill the mask with black (Fill bucket tool) or edit the mask then the everything starts working just fine.

[photodrawken]

I am on W7 x 64, PSP X4 v 14.2.01

If it's any consolation, that seems to be working here with PSPX5 -- I can hit the "Invert Mask" button in the Layers palette, and the Local Tone Mapping adjustment layer correctly switches the affected area. Might have to upgrade to X5 to get the "fix"....

[LeviFiction]

I'm also using X5 and I notice the same bug mentioned in this post.

[photodrawken]

I'm also using X5 and I notice the same bug mentioned in this post.

Maybe I'm not understanding how to reproduce that behaviour, but here are my steps:

1. Open an image.
2. Use any of the selection tools to create a selection.
3. In the Layers palette, click on an Adjustment Layer (Fill light/Clarify, or Local Tone Mapping).
4. Apply the effect in the adjustment dialog box and click "OK".
5. The Layers palette shows an Adjustment Layer with an automatically created mask, with the selection as the "show" area.
6. The adjustment effect is applied only to the area showing through the mask.
7. Use Selections...Select None to get rid of the selection.
8. In the Layers palette, select the Adjustment Layer and hit the "Invert Mask" button.

The Layers palette shows the mask colours inverted, and the effect in the main editing window is inverted to the proper area. Repeated hits on the "Invert Mask" button correctly invert the mask colours and adjustment area.

[LeviFiction]

Don't edit the mask at all first. In your case you're editing the mask by making a selection.

So just apply the adjustment to the whole image. Then click on the invert mask layer button. I noticed in my tests that if I edited the mask then everything behaved normally. But if I left the mask alone and inverted the mask then it started acting funky.

Admittedly, if you aren't actually using the mask it makes no sense to invert it, simply turn off the layer. So this bug isn't a huge issue.

[photodrawken]

OK, without having any specific area masked, inverting the adjustment layer's mask has no effect.

Admittedly, if you aren't actually using the mask it makes no sense to invert it, simply turn off the layer. So this bug isn't a huge issue.

You got that right....

[Amamba]

It's an issue when you're not working on a previously defined selection but rather are "brushing" changes into the original layer throughout the photo.

E.g. I would use LTM, invert it, and then slowly - and to the various degrees - brush it back in different parts of the photo. I don't need to make any selection.

Using the bucket fill works, though.

Now if only the brushes stopped lagging..

[photodrawken]

Using the bucket fill works, though.

The workaround is even simpler and quicker than that:
1. Hit Ctrl+A to select all.
2. Apply your adjustment layer.
3. Hit Ctrl+D to de-select all.

Now you can use the "Invert Mask" button in the Layers palette. The mask will be inverted and the adjustment effect will not show in the editing window, and you can now paint with white to only show the adjustment effect where (and at the strength) you wish.