Duplicating layers with different opacity problem

[Instant]

I don't quite understand the problem, who is this guy who is flattening your psd files? If you need to hand off your work to someone else for additional editing, just rename and save a copy of the psd first for yourself. Then you can go back and do whatever you wish, regardless of what the guy does.

No, no. I do not hand out my work to anyone. I do the edit myself. I'm just using another guy's technique but I find it is not appropriate because of all the flattening he does.

I'm the only one editing my pictures.

[hawkeye]

No, no. I do not hand out my work to anyone. I do the edit myself. I'm just using another guy's technique but I find it is not appropriate because of all the flattening he does.

I'm the only one editing my pictures.

I don't recommend his technique. If you really need to flatten an image, and there are times, make another copy first.

In the bottom of the history palette the far left icon will create a new document from the current state including all the layers, then you can flatten this new copy and keep the original in tact.

The middle icon will create a snapshot of the current state, to which you can return later if necessary. You can create more than one of these snapshots if you wish as your work progresses. Note: These snapshots are lost if you close the image.

[iDad]

like hawk said, just save the files with layers before starting edits ie:flat psd "name" one file #2 file layered psd"name"..........

[Instant]

Hawkeye

I agree that his technique, the flattening part of it, sucks... but in terms of results, I have to admit that this guy knows what he's doing. So I do not wish to dismiss his technique but I really wish that someone could tell me how to work around this problem, without flattening, without taking snapshots... that would only revert my work to a previous state and lose all that was done after??? or if it's not the case, will the mods made on that "snapshot" apply on the actual present state of the work?

I'm starting to wonder if what I am asking is even at all possible....

[hawkeye]

Why not just ask him why he flattens the image? Is there a actual reason he needs to do it, or is it just a habit? Everyone here is saying the same thing, make a second copy if you need to flatten the image. That way you can always go back, that is the workaround. For some reason you seem adverse to the second copy solution.

[Instant]

Hawkeye,

Sorry if I come out as adverse to this copy solution.... it's just that I honestly don't know how this would help me. Maybe I'm a bit "thick" and I would appreciate if you'd be kind enough to put your solution in context and explain it to me.

Thx mate!

PS: I think it's pretty obvious why he flattens his work... it's his work around that problem. I do not wish to do that because a flatten image cannot be changed/edited.

[hawkeye]

It's not obvious to me at all why he needs to flatten the entire image, and you haven't said why. If I knew the why of it, (perhaps an example) it would be easier to help.

[SeniorS]

So i think i got it and it's probably crazy.
So algorimt would look like:
1. make new group with "background" image name ir "ground Zero"
2. do all you can do without needed to flattern image (at some point it could happend)...all undestractive stuff...opacity/chanell mixer and so on.
3 . now you NEED image to be plain...merge all that group (just that group) in new layer, name it background2
4. make new group call it group2 put background2 in it.
5. do all you want and can do without flattering image or part of it.
Now you need plain it again for some reason (don't know what).
6. do what 1. said but call group3 and background3.
and so on and on until you finish

So what to do if you noticed that you need change let say something in ground Zero?

.....just do it!

Now merge that ground Zero to new layer (just that group) name it background2 and replace background2 in group2
if you have group3 then do merge group2 (just group2) and name it background3 and replace it un group3....and so on on
hope you get a point.

the last merged group is result!

(group can be merged by holding ALT+ choosing Merge Group.

In that case you have all posible adjustments alive but most of all isn't "active" but with some action you "alive them".

I don't think that if there just a few adjustments that it's worth it but if you have hundreds then it could help.

You can make mask to some group but it will make it more dificcult to understand what a hell is going on.

Still think it's crazy but should work.

[dv8_fx]

I had this same problem years ago with co-designer... he flattens things...

I assume you guys to be working on one computer?

A SIMPLE SOLUTION .... we would not flatten the file done by the other guy. PERIOD. ...lol .... If there's a need to flatten, we save the file with different names.

We'd save our work files with our initials and work stage number... ie. work_dv8_08 ..... work_flatter_08 ..... It worked well. Which is why... always save the file at different major stages of the work with a number. You can go back later in an emergency. It may take up space in your hard drive, but you can always delete that later when the job is done.