Reveal technique not working in PSP 2018

[terrypin]

There's a technique I learned many years ago and have been using successfully ever since in PSP 8. But it doesn't work in PSP 2018.

I've shown the details in a short video. But the bottom line is that the Edit > Clear command in PSP 2018 removes the entire layer, unlike the behaviour in PSP 8.

I still rarely use 2018, so I'm hoping it's just some setting I need to change.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vu94c7xbp7edl ... .mp4?raw=1

[migf1]

I'm not sure why it isn't working in PSP 2018, Terry. I just tested it in 2020 and 2021 and it works. Maybe your video recording program screws things up? It's not unusual.

You can also try resetting the brush settings: http://prntscr.com/xxl39u (maybe for the eraser brush too). And maybe Promote the duplicated layer before start painting on it (if it is not promoted already). However, I'm not sure any of these would help in this case.

You can also try painting on a fresh layer on top of your map, instead of duplicating the map.

[LeviFiction]

EDIT: Additional testing, (after resetting PSP because the eraser wasn't acting right) shows that if you have the eraser tool active when you hit Clear you can un-erase it. But if you clear the layer before selecting the eraser tool (like mentioned below) the transparency will become permanent and the eraser tool will respect it preventing you from bringing it back.

In 2018 Corel "improved" the eraser tool to respect previous transparency. In older versions of PSP if you used the un-erase option of the eraser tool and it accidentally went over an area that never had any data it would show up as a black blob. This "improvement" would respect the transparency that already existed, this means that you can only un-erase areas that you erased while the eraser was still active. Choosing a different tool or moving away from the layer makes the erased areas permanent, making it a fully destructive tool.

Some possible workarounds for this are

1) Erase the line manually with the eraser tool but don't click off of the layer or change the tool, then while recording un-erase the line.

or

2) Use masks to hide and unhide the layer data.

or

3) Duplicate the background layer, hide it, then add the stroke to the bottom layer, reveal the duplicate again and erase the duplicate layer revealing the underlying layer with the stroke on it.

[terrypin]

I'm not sure why it isn't working in PSP 2018, Terry. I just tested it in 2020 and 2021 and it works. Maybe your video recording program screws things up? It's not unusual.

I wasn't running any video recording program.

You can also try resetting the brush settings: http://prntscr.com/xxl39u (maybe for the eraser brush too). And maybe Promote the duplicated layer before start painting on it (if it is not promoted already). However, I'm not sure any of these would help in this case.

You can also try painting on a fresh layer on top of your map, instead of duplicating the map.

[terrypin]

Works with PSP 8, works with 2020, works with 2021 .... just not 2018? My hunch remains that I probably have something set wrongly, affecting Edit > Clear.

EDIT: Posted the above before seeing your reply Levi!
Also, presumably my PSP 8 method does work OK for you too in 2020 and 2021?

[terrypin]

EDIT: Additional testing, (after resetting PSP because the eraser wasn't acting right) shows that if you have the eraser tool active when you hit Clear you can un-erase it. But if you clear the layer before selecting the eraser tool (like mentioned below) the transparency will become permanent and the eraser tool will respect it preventing you from bringing it back.

Thanks for the solid detective work, Levi.

I have not yet studied the remaining part of your post, as I interpreted your EDIT above as the straightforward solution. But I cannot get it to work. The steps I took were
1. Opened 2018 and opened a map as Background
2. Drew a rough track with the Paint Brush
3. Instead of now immediately using Edit > Clear, I selected the Eraser, and then Edit Clear. That removed the track.
4. But with Eraser still selected, unerasing with the right-click mouse drag did nothing. (Nor Background Eraser, or using left mouse drag.)

Have I misunderstood, or does this indicate some other distinction between our respective 2018 settings? I'm currently making 10 screenshots for each PSP version's Preferences to do a quick visual check.

[terrypin]

Meanwhile I've successfully used your #1 work-around, thanks.