Ability to fill selections or empty layers stopped for some reason

[sunshadow]

Would appreciate some troubleshooting suggestions, since I have not encountered
this problem in twenty years of using photoshop. I am on a Windows 7 machine using CS5 extended.
Reverting to default Preferences did not help.

Please take a look at this graphic below which shows how I can only fill on top of existing pixels (just selecting
the layer) but I currently can't use edit > fill on empty canvas with the layer selected or into a marque or
lasso selection, although other tools like the brush and gradient tools work normally.

 

[IamSam]

Hello and welcome to PSG.

A layer is just a normal layer until it's influenced by a particular tool (or converted to a smart object). A normal layer becomes a rastor layer when you use a raster based tool such as the the Brush Tool. A normal layer becomes a vector layer when you use a vector based tool such as any of the Shape Tools, even though Ps is not capable of creating true vector. You can't have a blank rastor layer, you can only have a blank layer.

Let me see if I'm understanding you.

If you have a layer with a shape in it you can no longer........



You can't turn off the layer, add and new layer.............


Make a selection of the existing shape layer by mouse clicking the shape layers thumbnail........


Then fill with a new color??????

 

[IamSam]

What are your settings on EDIT > FILL?


Do you have the mode set to normal? Is the opacity set to 100%? Is preserve transparency checked/ticked off?

Can you post the PSD file?

 

[sunshadow]

IamSam,

A big thanks to you for quickly alerting me to one of the possible contributing factors. I am not used to getting direct help with Photoshop,
so it has ignited further interest in participating.

Prior to your forum reply I was not aware that having the "preserve transparency" box ticked in the the edit > fill menu could cause
the problem I described. I have all my Photoshop templates set to preserve transparency when I go to create a new PSD. I am wondering if that is
at all related. Maybe the most direct precaution is to make sure my Photoshop workspace settings don't have that edit fill/preserve transparency box ticked.
I noticed that my "Essentials (default)" workspace has the box unticked, so I think I was creating workspaces with the box unticked thinking I was keeping
more options open. Ironic, that doing so blocked simple fill functions with no warning messages given within the program.

I took a look at the half dozen workspaces I have been using since 2015-2018 and about half of them have that box ticked. The infrequent
times that I had this problem in the past I figure I tried a different workspace and lucked out. My most recent workspace that I saved for
current and future work has the box ticked. So I will change that and all the others to unticked.

Related questions: Is there anything about preference settings that matters as far as keeping that box unticked? I think the answer would just
be to make sure it is unticked each time I close Photoshop. But I am wondering if there are some gotchas to be aware of when I have all my
custom templates set to transparent.

I have an idea for a thread and believe responses to it could form a kind of resource to have available through the forum. With all the versions
of Photoshop, and the availability of text and video tutorials that don't always specify applicable versions for the info given, I wonder if a list of
feature changes coming and going with different versions is available online that someone is updating. I know Adobe will publicize what's new
in each version, but I haven't seen anyone talk about what hasn't changed much or at all from say CS5 to present. It would be comforting to know
what features and tools haven't changed much since CS5. I could probably find Adobe pages that announce new features and changes version to
version have accumulated. I was hoping someone online who is looking out for us non-renters who will propbably stay with pre-CC indefinitely.

I looked into joining a Photoshop user group since I am in a big city, but I feel my Photoshop uses are less about enhancing images per se
and more about sharing psychological ideas and bits of philosophy. How would I most efficiently find others on that frequent this forum who are similarly inclined?

 

[IamSam]

Maybe the most direct precaution is to make sure my Photoshop workspace settings don't have that edit fill/preserve transparency box ticked.

This is how it should be done. Preserving transparency is specific to only a few situations and should not be used as a default. This is what I stack up to "lack of knowledge" on the users part.

Is there anything about preference settings that matters as far as keeping that box unticked?

None that I'm aware of. The interface will remain ticked or unticked depending on how you left it during it's last usage. If you want it off, just untick it and leave it alone.

I have an idea for a thread and believe responses to it could form a kind of resource to have available through the forum.

This is a great idea, as long as the list is posted to the forum without links to off forum resources.

How would I most efficiently find others on that frequent this forum who are similarly inclined?

Just create a new thread with a specific topic and wait to see who responds.