Stupid problem with Lasso tool - self-closes

[Jody S]

I'm having a ridiculous problem with the Lasso tool. I'm making a selection, and it randomly closes on me. At first I thought I mistakenly hit something on the keyboard, or clicked 2 points on my path a little too quickly, but I've since realized that it happens when I'm not touching the keyboard. Or the mouse. I can spend 10 minutes on a selection, answer the phone or go get a cup of coffee, and while I'm away my selection path closes and it has to be redone.

Why? Is this some setting I don't know about (this is a new CS4 install, no custom settings of any sort)? Do I have a ghost in my 'puter? Is there some way of 'un-closing' a selection path if you've closed it by mistake (backspace, ctrl-alt-z and ctrl-z don't work)? Because right now I'm having to make selections with no more than 20 or 30 points, cutting that to a new layer, and then merging all the layers I've made this way to get my complete selection. If I try making a whole selection in one go, it invariably closes before I'm finished, and I have to start over. This happens at least a couple times a day. There has to be a better way?

I have not yet tried a new mouse. I suppose if mine were defective, it might send 2 clicks close enough together to be interpreted as a double-click, which will close the path. But that still doesn't explain why it happens when I'm not even sitting at my desk.

 

[IamSam]

Hello Jody and welcome to PSG.

There's not a problem with the tool! The Lasso Tool is specifically designed to close the path as soon as you release the mouse click or Pen touch. I'm not sure what your attempting to do, but the Lasso Tool is not the choice for making selections. You need to be using either the Magic Wand, the Quick Selection, or the best..........the Pen Tool.

Edit: Based on your thread title and my lack of reading your post thoroughly (I was skimming), I failed in understanding that you were referring to the Polygonal Lasso Tool which is a different tool than the Lasso Tool. I now suggest that you reset the tool.If that does not work, reset Ps prefs. I still rigidly stand behind my suggestion to learn the Pen Tool!! It deal with an actual path that is editable.

 

[Jody S]

Hello Jody and welcome to PSG.

There's not a problem with the tool! The Lasso Tool is specifically designed to close the path as soon as you release the mouse click or Pen touch. I'm not sure what your attempting to do, but the Lasso Tool is not the choice for making selections. You need to be using either the Magic Wand, the Quick Selection, or the best..........the Pen Tool.

OK, I do recall reading a couple of threads here where others were encouraging people to learn the Pen tool. I'll give it a try tomorrow. I'm not really sure what the difference is, I'm entering a bunch of points with the polygonal lasso tool which form a selection, which I either delete (background) or cut to a new level (whatever I need to adjust, usually transparent packaging that has to be desaturated and made partially transparent to show the new background).

I am always open to suggestions that might make my life easier. I've been a photographer for decades, but I've never had to do the graphic design work of editing my own photos for publication.

 

[IamSam]

Take a look at these Pen Too tutorials:

http://psd.fanextra.com/tutorials/become-a-master-of-the-pen-tool-in-under-30-minutes/

http://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/photoshops-pen-tool-the-comprehensive-guide--psd-718

http://helpx.adobe.com/en/photoshop/using/drawing-pen-tools.html

http://www.photoshopessentials.com/basics/custom-shapes/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9vUqFSH1lc#t=17

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b86**M8HgtU