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Transform Property Bar issues


S

Sark

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Hi all.

In both PS6 & PS7 I've always had issues with the Transform property bar. If I scale up, the figures I type in the Width & Height boxes are rarely accurately applied when scaling smaller shapes up a reasonable amount.

The following is an example:

Original path shape size W=37px & H=24px

Change to W=300px & H=222px

Result when applied W=300px & H=230PX

When I click Edit/Free Transform Path, the Transform property bar shows the H=222px I typed, is now 230px.

Sometimes it's just a single pixel out on H or W. If I change it again it will be applied correctly. It seems it cannot accurately jump by too much in one go. Constraining doesn't help either...Strange.

Just wondered if it's my system, or a common fault with PS. You can test this by creating a rectangle under approx 50px X 50px. Then, rescale by typing into the W & H boxes to approx 300px X 300px. Sometimes it's right, sometimes it isn't

Sark
 
2 words... constrained proportions. ;)

Turn that option off; by unticking that small chain link between the boxes. :B
 
I was wondering if you have View > Snap or any of the View > Snap To... options checked. I believe the issue you point out is a result of that. If you turn them off that odd behavior will cease.

Just a guess... \:]
 
Welles & theKeeper

Constrained proportions is not turned on. The sizes I gave where just approx to give an idea of the increase I was applying.

I'm pretty sure "Snap to" is not enabled, but will double check tonight.

The objects size changes according to the settings I use, but when I apply these, then go back into Free Transform, one or other (more often than not) is at least a pixel out.

Sark
 
hmm... ok i just tested something and i'm niticing that when i switch from % to px in the H&W transform pallete, and i enter new numbers, it switches back to % and the true pixel amount doesn't even take. \:]

So... considering how little i actually type in number values for something like this, i'd simply suggest you grab the control handles and drag out your preferred size manually. Use the Info palette to check the exact size.

I know this isn't a solution, and barely qualifies as a workaround. But to me, this isn't something i'd even waste time wondering about. It's appears to me that there are issues with this tool, and since there's alternative ways to use it, that's what i'd go to instead.

Perhaps you should post this question to the Adobe U2U board and see what their tech guys say? :B
 
theKeeper said:
hmm... ok i just tested something and i'm niticing that when i switch from % to px in the H&W transform pallete, and i enter new numbers, it switches back to % and the true pixel amount doesn't even take.
Click to expand...
Strange. I made a rectangualr selection, went to edit/free transform and was able to enter px values without a problem \:]
 
the Keeper

Firstly, the pixels back to % issue is one I've had. I figured out that when you type in the H box in pixels, as soon as you type in the W box, the H box reverts back to % (or vice versa).

The solution to this is to always use the px suffix after typing a figure. This is daft because you don't need to change to the pixel settings if you do this, so it is clearly an issue of some kind.

As for using the control handles. I always get fractions that are difficult to set accurately by dragging. :(


JoeD

Here's a simple test. Type a letter, about 36pt. Convert to path. Layer/Type/Convert to path. Delete the original type leaving only the path.

Now, scale using the transform boxes using pixels. On my system, even when I type a number in the H or W box, the figures in the Info palette are completely different. 8}

Sark
 
There are no dumb questions...

Sark said:
On my system, even when I type a number in the H or W box, the figures in the Info palette are completely different. - Sark
Click to expand...
Greetings Sark,

Question:
Are your Ruler Units set to Pixels?

This can be set in the Info Palette pop-up menu under Info Palette Options and can be set to a variety of units. It can also be quickly set in the Ruler (cntrl/cmd+R to show rulers) by right+clicking on the ruler (on a Mac hold down the control key). Make sure the units you use in the Transform control bar match your ruler units.

One small caveat with the Info Palette is that it will truncate decimal units to the nearest whole number when set to pixels. Pixel fractions are not allowed since one pixel is the lowest unit when in that measurement mode.
 
Hey nice follow-up info guys, thanks muchly.

And thanks sark for the info specific to me.

Thanks Klaatu, i love it when i learn something new about PS. :righton:
 
Klaatu Baradda Nikto

This problem occurs even when the Info palette and Transform bar is set to the same Pixel units. It is most noticable when scaling anything other than a simple rectangle.

I guess this is just something to do with my system. I'll just have to get used to looking at the Info palette while scaling with the control handles.

Thanks for all the replies, they're much appreciated.

Sark
 
Sark said:
Klaatu Baradda Nikto This problem occurs even when the Info palette and Transform bar is set to the same Pixel units. It is most noticable when scaling anything other than a simple rectangle... -Sark
Click to expand...
Okay, Sark.
Needless to say, this just shouldn't be happening like this and we have tried numerous methods to recreate your problem without success. Every change with the Transform Path tool is mirrored by the Info Palette.

There is a "slight" difference in the numbers with the Transform Path because the path calculations can 'bisect' a pixel into fractions. The Info Palette will show only the truncated dimension without the fractions. The differences, however, are NOTHING like the disparity you are experiencing (i.e., from 222 px to 230 px). There should usually be only a 1 pixel variation due to rounding off in the Info Palette.

Since we use a Mac instead of a PC, perhaps sPECTre's suggestion would have some effect on this.
 
Sark said:
Just wondered if it's my system, or a common fault with PS. You can test this by creating a rectangle under approx 50px X 50px. Then, rescale by typing into the W & H boxes to approx 300px X 300px. Sometimes it's right, sometimes it isn't
Click to expand...
Shark, you've given me the impression after reading your posts again that you've seriously tried everything and that you still have this problem. That convinced me that there must indeed be something wrong so I did some extensive testing myself. I deleted the preference file and started from scratch with PS CS on an XP machine.

My conclusion
You're right; the results can be very unpredictable and makes me think that we're dealing with a bug here. Transforming a 50x50px rectangular shape to 300x300px, doesn't always create a 300x300px shape, at least that's what the new values tell me.
You're absolutely right when you wrote: "Sometimes it's right, sometimes it isn't". Transforming a 50x50px to 300x300px shape should always give the same results and not 300.1x299.9px and then 300x300px after we've stepped backwards (ALT+Ctrl+Z) and tried again, that doesn't make any sense.

The option bar might show different values, but I've only found them .1 lower or higher than they should be, but not 8px as in one of your examples. The strange thing is also this: after I transform a shape that is for example 299.9x300.1px to 300x300px it reads 300x300px in the option bar. But surprisingly the info palette still shows 300x299px. \:]
Many times I thought I had a solution, but quite often when I tried my solution a second time, it turned out that I still had the same problem.

I really think that this is a bug
bug6xp.gif
, because I can transform a 50x50px shape to 300x300px and sometimes it works, but sometimes it's .1px lower or higher (and that's without changing any other setting in Photoshop between the tests).

I also have found one old newsgroup article in which someone mentions the same problem, but sadly nobody ever replied.
 
JoeD

Well at least I know I'm not going mad now. The problem was on PS6 and now PS7, which is why I wondered if it was my system.

I mostly get 1px error, but if you try scaling a shape other than a simple rectangle, it can be quite considerable.

Like you have discovered, if you re-apply the correct figures a second time, all is well.

Will try writing over my preferences as suggested, but don't hold out much hope. Will just have to accept it I guess.

Shark (aka Sark)
 
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