Photoshop Select All Pixels...

[Ed Mohar]

Hi all,

I'm making a photoshop action, and need to copy all the invisable pixels from a layer, invert selection, and copy to another layer... if you ask why, I'll unload my life's story on you... but suffice it to say, I realized that doign CTRL+Click in the rastered layer's preview box can select most invisable pixels, but the tolerance level is other than 0% (probably 50%), so I lose portions of shadow effects or gradients.

I previously used the magic wand, set to 0 tolerance, and selected an uncommonly used portion of the canvas... BUT, if by chance I do I have a solid/gradiant object in that corner, it won't select all my invisable pixels (+ if objects have holes, but that isn't terribly important seeing as how when I invert the selection and past this selection to another layer, these regions would be copied correctly)

Is there a way to set the CTRL+click tolerance to 0? and when I record the action stage, have that reflect it?

Thanks for your input,

(I feel that describing my full purpose for may be confusing, but if you want me to I can.)

[Bart Walczak]

If you deselect "contiguous" in the magic wand tool menu, you will be able to select all transparent pixels with a single click regardless of whether they are connected or not, akin to select color range command.

But can't you just select all, copy and paste? Or just duplicate the layer by pressing ctrl+j?

[Ed Mohar]

I'm afraid Ican't perform select all, copy, and paste into another layer, becuase it then centers all the pixels from the pervious layer, on the new layer-- which some can be offscreen or have shadows.. Basically it doesn't retain positions.

But I guess upon further thought, I forgot about Edit>Paste into Place

Next problem is that if the original layer - which I am replacing pixels - has pixels off canvas, and are deleted before pasting new pixels, the past command creates a new layer instead of pasting in the original layer (I'm trying to preserve the original rastered layer's name while updating it's pixels for import into something that may not understand photoshop fx like shadows, masks, etc.)

ideas?

[Bart Walczak]

Select the layer and press ctrl+j (duplicate layer)?

[Walter Brokx]

So you want to paste invisible pixels?
Or do you want to move a selection to another layer?

Try making a mask from the pixels:

ctrl+j to dublicate layer with the invisible pixels.
use levels to set all values to 0 on dublicated layer
add a new totally white layer under the black dublicated layer
(Now you should see a black and white image where the invisible pixels are white)
merge black and white layer
select all
copy
make or select the layer where you want the invisible pixels move to
add mask
in the layer tab: choose channels
select alpha channel, deselect red,green and blue channels
copy black and white layer on alpha-channel:
volia!
You have your invisible pixels inverted without needing the magicwand.

(The magicwand is a location specific tool, so it's hard to program a batch with it)

NB. This methods also copies semi-transparant pixels: these are grey in the mask-layer.

[Ed Mohar]

That's interesting... however, putting this as an action that I will perform on several layers, will result in several alpha channels... and make it difficult if a single change is made to a layer (change in pixels and or position) to identify and delete the alpha channels

+ i don't know how avid will import photoshop layers properly with/without alpha channel settings---- and multiple alpha channels....

------
I guess its time to explain why I am trying to do this:

We're making FS pages of info (bullets and pics) that we will import into Avid and animate the layers (dissolves and moves). If word is misspelled/change needs to be made to a layer, the end result needs to maintain the same layer name, so Avid can re-connect the material (not as fluid as PPro, but w/e).

These are the actions I have currently been using:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B_0...Xdrbk9LQ1Y2bzQ

you will find that I duplicate and raster my text layers with "CS Copy>New Raster" so that layer effects and layer masks are merged into a new rastered layer that Avid can understand (Avid can't understand layer effects and masks... alpha channels is hairy...)

then when a new version of this layer is created with the last action, I can update an old version of this layer and maintain the name by placing the NEW layer abover the OLD layer and using "CS New Raster ABOVE Old Layer>Old Layer"

This second action is where my issue is, because I cannot copy the name of a layer to another layer in an action. Thus I need to preserve the pixel position on the canvas of the new layer (inclusing pixels of vrying opacity) so that I can paste them on the old layer to maintain it's name for Avid...

Perhaps I ask to much of photoshop's limited macro abilities