Can't see spot brush on dark background

[Doug_...@adobeforums.com]

I have just installed Photoshop CS4. When I try to use the spot healing box on a dark background,the target area is invisible as the target circle is black, as is the background. It's like trying to find a black cat in a coal mine.

What can I do to see the brush target circle.

[Mathias_...@adobeforums.com]

Try adding a temporary adjustment layer, say a curves adjustment, lightening the image in order to contrast the tool against your work layer.

[Ge...@adobeforums.com]

I like that trick when selecting a dark object from a murky background.

[John Joslin]

When the cursor is really lost, as happens sometimes, pressing the hand tool will locate it. Once you know where to look, you can usually make it out sufficiently to use it.

[dave_...@adobeforums.com]

When the cursor is really lost, as happens sometimes, pressing the hand
tool will locate it. Once you know where to look, you can usually make
it out sufficiently to use it.

that works, but I like the control key myself. it brings up the move tool's arrow cursor AND if you set option to show pointer location when CRTL is pressed in the control panel> mouse> pointer options tab, you'll get a quick flashed diminishing circle effect (like a radar "ping") over your cursor.

[Lawrenc...@adobeforums.com]

Ugly fixes for stupid programming, IMO. This isn't fixed in the CS4 update?

[David_E_...@adobeforums.com]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmm......... nope

[Lawrenc...@adobeforums.com]

That renders CS4 far less useable than CS3. I saw this problem on my inital trial installation, on 3 separate computers and assumed it would be fixed.

Sigh. Why should I buy?

Why!!:-(

[Doug_...@adobeforums.com]

You know, I purchased Lightroom when I upgraded to CS4, and have found, as a photographer, that Lightroom does almost everything I need a program to do, and does it simpler, more intuitively than the PS, and has the benefit of a database and slide show generator.

If all you need to do is adjust exposure, clean things up a bit, resize, convert to BW or Sepia, and stuff like that, Photoshop is not needed. I wish I'd stayed with PSCS3 and simply gotten lightroom.

[KatW...@adobeforums.com]

we have asked for option to modify cursor lightness for over 4 versions or
to make it a color like red that can been seen on gray areas
Windows users are dissed once again by Adobe (blaming Microsoft OS) who say
it is not possible

I have been told Mac users get a cursor that changes color as it it used
over different areas
it is super annoying to try to use heal or clone on a gray background image
which applies to most film scans of B&W

I bought a scanner with ICE that was supposed to remove dust, only to find
it only works on COLOR images
ICE does not work to remove the dust from B&W negs so much spotting is
required
and the point to circle is really not a good workaround, we need to see the
brush size

I use the above mentioned adjustment layer method too
at least that feature has been improved to ignore the layers you don't want
included

[liz...@adobeforums.com]

There should be an "global" comand: colouring the mousarrow, or whatever its tool, in a suitable colour. This would be useful in tuitotial videos f.ex. where it sometimes is difficult to see where the heck is the man pointing.

[liz...@adobeforums.com]

There should be an "global" comand: colouring the mousarrow, or whatever its tool, in a suitable colour. This would be useful in tuitorial videos f.ex. where it sometimes is difficult to see where the heck is the man pointing.

[Chri...@adobeforums.com]

The cursor is not a fixed color - it changes color to provide contrast over the image behind it, because no fixed color is going to work over all other colors in an image.

Do you have OpenGL drawing enabled or disabled?
Do you have any utilities installed that would change the appearance of the cursor?

[roger...@adobeforums.com]

The odd thing is that it is only the cursor for the spot healing tool that does not show up. All the other brushes, tools, etc. are differentiated OK, but the spot brush needs either the Hand , or the Ctrl key to make it visible.

Roger

[Lawrenc...@adobeforums.com]

Chris, when I ran CS4 on the i7 platform, all was running. It ran fine, until I tried the clone tool. No dragging cursor, hell, no cursor at all!

I don't see this in CS3, so what's the big issue in CS4? Fix the damn thing! I cannot use CS4 as is; I would have to revert to CS3 every time I need a brush tool. Is that with which orporate is satisfied ?

Look, in order for me to graduate to CS4, it will take a major HW revision, costing far more than I spent to run CS3 well. So, since CS3 runs fine as is, I am not buying, mobo, cpu, ddr, case, etc up to the OS and apps.

That's the down side, and I'll bet there are others agreeing with me.

"For the lack of a nail....."

[KatW...@adobeforums.com]

So Chris youare saying CS4 added the changing cursor color for WIN users?
yeah just have to buy a new comp to run it LOL

[Chri...@adobeforums.com]

No, Photoshop has had changing cursor colors for a long time on both platforms (well, except for some Mac OS X breakage).

[Lawrenc...@adobeforums.com]

So then, why don't I see it? Is the luminosity different? In all three tested platform, I found the cursor disappearance common, and in the same place on the same image.

[John Joslin]

It works correctly with CS3 on my old XP machine and now on Vista 64 with CS4. The only slight problem is in the transition areas.

[Lawrenc...@adobeforums.com]

CS3/XP ok. CS3, nope. One time, on the Intel machine, it showed a change as it went from light to dark. Upon restarting the app, it went away. I was time limited so I couldn't investigate it further.