Pick Mode Lock or Default?

[REDdimension]

Hello, PSP experts.

I've been a PSP user since the days of JASC & PSP4, but in recent Corel versions there's one function that drives me batty, and I can't possibly be alone. BTW, I did a forum search and only found this mentioned in passing in reference to "what I don't like about PSP 2020" or the like, but no discussion or solution.

When in Pick Mode (K), modifier keys like Ctrl & Shift change the mode from Scale (what I want 99% of the time) to perspective, or shear, or some such thing. But the mode NEVER automatically returns to Scale. This results in me having to change this mode back every darn time I use it because I will have certainly used Shift or Ctrl since the last adjustment.

This is a huge impact on my productivity -- easily adding 15% effort to most projects between clicking on a selecting, realizing it's not Scale Mode anymore, going up to change it to Scale Mode, and then doing the adjustment. And if I happen to need to undo with Ctrl-Z to try again -- Ctrl will have blown out the Scale Mode requiring this cycle to start again.

Can anyone advise how to just LOCK this down to Scale Mode somehow, or at least make the mode revert to Scale if no modifier key is currently being held?

Thanks for your wisdom.

-Jon

[migf1]

I would also very much like to know if there is a workaround for this. It drives me nuts too!

[LeviFiction]

Cannot help with this, it always jumps back for me. I've never had it stick.

[hartpaul]

No problem here.
Red circle on transparent background, Pick tool chosen , shows in Scale mode.

Hold Control key down - switches to Perspective , release control key switches back to Scale
Hold Shift key down - awitches to Shear , release Shift key switches back to Scale.
Hold Shift and Control keys down - switches to Free , release keys and switches back to Scale.

PSP 2020 version 22.2.0.8. Windows 10 vers 1909 build 18363.1016

[migf1]

Yes, it sometimes works and sometimes it doesn't. I haven't found when it starts loosing the Scale setting as the default option (no keys down), but once it starts loosing it it never stops

[Kathy_9]

My experience has been that using Shift and Ctrl keys works well and it will switch back to Scale. However when using the drop down box on the Menu Tool bar to switch modes exhibits the problem of not switching back to Scale.

[REDdimension]

You're all right, oddly!

When I first launch PSP, most of the time, the first few times I use the Pick tool it auto-reverts to Scale for me. But once it has decided it has lost its mind there's no going back to normal without a restart.

[Scribzy]

It appears to be a bug caused by pressing CTRL Z to undo, which also causes CTRL to jump to perspective when pick is selected and lock the default to perspective.

The solution I am using is:

Changing CTRL Z to ALT Z in:

View> Customise>
Keyboard>
Category: Edit

(scroll to bottom)
Undo>
Click on CTRL Z and then remove

Click in Press new shortcut key:
Press ALT Z
Click Assign and close.

I am guessing other CTRL/SHIFT shortcuts may cause the bug to be caused also so Ideally it would be nicer to change perspective to ALT instead of CTRL is there anyway of doing this?

[migf1]

I'm not sure that Undo is the cause of the issue in my case, I couldn't reproduce it. It seems to happen quite randomly (funny thing it was working fine during my latest tests.. I guess until it doesn't).

[Scribzy]

I think I must have just been lucky for 2 days with ALT Z as I have just reproduced it, although using Ctrl Z I can reproduce the bug much faster.

It seems to be when moving the cursor whilst holding CTRL down .... The mode menu jumps to white and releasing at this exact time it jumps perspective as default.

[REDdimension]

I've decided I'm not buying another update until this is fixed. I'm currently using 2022 - can any early adopters verify if this is fixed in 2023?

[Kathy_9]

I'm not seeing an issue in PSP2023 but it's not something I do often, so if it's intermittent, I may not notice.

Corel offers a 30 day free trial so why not check it out for yourself? https://www.paintshoppro.com/en/pages/free-download/

[LeviFiction]

Since this topic has been resurrected. Just out of curiosity, does this happen to most people while in the middle of using the Pick tool? Or after switching to another tool temporarily? Scribzy's post suggests it's while using the pick tool it can get stuck on perspective mode.

I can tell you that PSP's default behavior of remembering your last used settings can create this appearance when switching away from a tool and coming back. For example if you hold CTRL and do a perspective warp. You release the CTRL key and the mode reverts to scale. You grab another tool like the eye dropper to sample a color really quick. You go back to the Pick tool to adjust the position of the layer and suddenly it's on perspective mode. This happens because perspective mode was the last used mode and PSP is just restoring the UI to the settings last used. Meaning the only way to guarantee it'll always be Scale mode is to always make sure you use Scale before leaving the Pick tool, which is nuts and not practical.

But that requires moving away from the tool and coming back. Which I don't think is what people are complaining about here. But I wanted to double check.