CS4 - Bring back old way of masking PLEASE!!!!! (or at least a toggle/pref)

[Dam...@adobeforums.com]

Please, please, please add a preference or toggle to allow CS4 to mask objects in the old way.

Whilst I can see the benefits to CS4’s new way of masking it also has some big disadvantages for many reasons. It would be handy if there was a toggle or preference that allows users to work in the old or new way.

[Steve_F...@adobeforums.com]

Yep, I'll drink to that :-) One way for Freehanders and another for real Illy people. A toggle in prefs would be excellent.

[Scott_W...@adobeforums.com]

What are the disadvantages?

You can still use the direct selection tool, Outline mode, the Layers Panel, or Isolation mode to tunnel into the mask if needed

[James_...@adobeforums.com]

Not needed. Not at all.

JET

[Dam...@adobeforums.com]

Don't get me wrong of course I can see the advantage of now not being able to 'accidentally' select objects outside the mask (all personally this has never been a problem to me as long as I grouped my masks) but what makes this new way of masking a little unworkable is the fact that when you select a Mask and its contents the only path that is highlighted is the mask itself. I can make this new way of masking work for me and I can see its advantage but it needs tweaking -

1.I’d like to see a change so that when you select a mask and its contents that all the paths are highlighted, not just the mask shape, even if the paths that are highlighted are just the clipped contents within the mask shape but as long as its more than just the clipping path. Otherwise it seems pretty easy to pick objects up and not realise they are a masked group, especially when picking up complicated files that have been created by another person. Also this will enable ‘snap to point’ to work within the mask at least. (All though I have noticed that by turning Smart Guides on you can get around this)

2.Despite what one or two of you say there are occasions when I need to edit the contents of a mask, inside and outside a mask so I would definitely like to see the direct select tool marquee option re-introduced. This will enable people who need to work at high speed to only have to work with one tool selected and by using a combination of ‘shift’, ‘Alt’ and ‘Command’ can still carry on working without having to flick between different tools. One example for editing contents outside the mask would be adjusting blends that follow a path/spine shape. (I haven’t tested this yet but I really hope this is still workable with the new way of masking).

3.There are lost of occasions when we set up an Artwork on a packaging cutter guide with various images placed around the pack, these images will be masked and the images are all set to a template size so that it enables us to work very quickly across 100 or so language packs. Quite often these images will move around the pack as the client changes their mind where they would like them. Normally its a simple procedure of using the picture image corner (Outside the mask) to ‘snap to point’ to another position/guide on the template but as we cant select outside the mask we can no longer do this. All the masks could be completely different shapes so we can’t use that to ‘snap to point’ so the only way around it now is to replace the links instead of moving them, which is a lot slower. (I could explain why but I’m sure you know). So that’s one good reason why it would be really handy to have a toggle or pref to quickly flick between one method or another.

[Scott_W...@adobeforums.com]

The point is.. it's not one or two of us, Damo.

The current CS4 masking behavior has been requested ad nausium for more than 5 years on these forums. Now, you're a single voice asking for it to go back to how it was.

Personally, I don't hold any real preference on the masks. Both methods work for me. But I do find CS4's behavior a little cleaner.

[Dam...@adobeforums.com]

I'm not asking for it to go back to how it was, i just want the new way tweaked a little so its more user friendly.

[Doug...@adobeforums.com]

I'm with Damo. If, for whatever reason, I want to work with paths and points on masked objects that are themselves beyond the edges of the mask, I'd like to be able to marquee select them with the direct selection tool (that I've most probably got active anyways) rather than having to switch to the lasso tool. If I can marquee select with the lasso, why shouldn't I be able to marquee select with the direct selection tool?

[Wade_Zi...@adobeforums.com]

If I can marquee select with the lasso, why shouldn't I be able to marquee
select with the direct selection tool?

So you don't accidentally select it when you are trying to select and object or path or text object that is behind the mask but not a part of it.

What Damo33 suggest is fine if the mask is your art and is the only art in your file or document or artboard.

Just think about it you have a mask of a shape and an image then you have a logo partially exposed behind the mask of many paths closed and opened know you decide to marquis select just some point of the object in the masks that lies on top of the Logo art but is outside of the mask. You draw you marquis selection and what do you have everything selected. Yes in a situation like that you should select the anchors one at a time in order to save time by not having to deselect a lot of unwontedly selected paths.

But using the lasso tool you have a fighting chance or using isolation mode to get down to a point where everything except the target object is protected and only that object is selectable.

Now say you want to select just the logo or part of the logo you drag a marquis selection with the direct select tool and now you have all the objects outside and inside the mask selected even though you did not select the objects that are masked an you do not want
selected.

So now on the reverse side of this you defeat the very purpose for which you wanted this feature. Now you have no progress and you are causing yourself a great deal of work just so that in the rare occasion that you use this frequently for you can be a few clicks but make many more clicks in the vast majority of the time.

It seems to me to be a complaint about absolutely nothing and though under certain circumstances it might be good to have there is a limit to how much makes sense.

I found the best way to do what you want is to isolate it completely in isolation mode which actually gives you total freedom to work on the object without concern about accidentally deselecting any anchor points or activating any anchor points on any of the art.

What Think would be better is a triple click on an object to bring it into isolation mode grouped or otherwise using the direct select tool.

That is what I think. But only be able to do this when selecting with in the part of an object that in visible in the mask so not to lose the ability to do the same to objects outside the mask.

I do not think you have this thought out properly.

However I think you are a great contributor for starting this thread.

[Ray_Cr...@adobeforums.com]

I'm with Damo as well. Yes, the direct tool works on masked objects, but ONLY after you click on a portion of the path within the mask. This is an extra step that is tedious and unnecessary in other versions.

[Wade_Zi...@adobeforums.com]

Yes craig and extra click but a better way you say you understand but how many times have you accidentally selected the mask objects when you did not want?

Let's see what happens.

[Dam...@adobeforums.com]

That's what layers are for Wade. You would never have a partially hidden logo on the same layer as the masked object you refer to.

Believe me I've thought this through, I don't think Adobe have actually thought this through properly. I can see the advantage of not being able to 'accidentally' click outside the mask but I don't think they implemented it correctly.

Whilst on the subject of 'accidentally' doing things - I've lost count of how many times I 'accidentally' go into isolation mode when I don’t want to.

I have a bigger problem with the lack of highlighted paths shown inside the mask shape, if they tweaked this at least we could see what is definitely masked at a quick glance.

[Ray_Cr...@adobeforums.com]

Wade,
Sorry about that. I took your advise and place my feature request in this thread. I am telling Adobe how I use Illustrator and prefer to see it work. I've had plenty of issues with Illustrator over the years. Dealing with masking wasn't one of them, until now.

[Wade_Zi...@adobeforums.com]

You can turn the option of double clicking to enter isolation mode off in the preferences.

I am not certain I understand the second problem.