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Why are my ruler cursor-markers inaccurate (though the rulers are accurate)?


C

ColonelMolerat

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Hello!
I was wondering if I could have help with this problem - I can't find anything about it online!
When I move my cursor around a document on Photoshop, there are two dotted lines on the X and Y rulers, showing the cursor's location...
However, these dotted lines are off by a varying amount depending on the zoom. If I zoom in and out, the amount they are off by sometimes changes. Sometimes one axis might be correct while the other isn't.
For example, in the attached image, when the cursor is at the position marked (X) (approximately), the dotted lines show where the arrows are pointing.

The ruler lengths themselves are correct (I've adjusted the pixels per inch). Any ideas please?

As a bit more info:

Precisely, if I put the cursor on 0,0 (according to the rulers), the cursor indicators (rulers set to %) show 13%, 0%, though this can change depending on zoom, window size and other things.


Edit: PS CS6, sorry!

1.jpg

Edit 2:

Mr ToM has posted a (temporary, but repeatable) fix! Here's the YouTube link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0j9RXieC3g

Basically, you scroll the canvas to either the far top or far left (depending on the axis you want to fix) and then scroll left/right (if it's at the top) or up/down (if it's at the left) and the markers will reset themselves!

The YouTube video gives a much clearer understanding.
 
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You haven't mentioned which PS version this is relating to but I'm using CC 2014 and its the same for me.

To be honest I've never had cause to need the markers so I've never noticed they are wrong.

I would put money on it being an 'update' thats buggered it up....it happens all the time with PS...they have a motto...

"If it ain't broke it soon will be!"

(Take 2015.5 for instance....you couldn't transform paragraph text..the whole point of paragraph text is that you can transform it!...and it worked fine in 2014.) :banghead:

I'll do some investigating but to be honest I don't think it interferes with anything, not even measurements, so unless you really need them to be accurate I wouldn't worry about it.

The cursor 'position' should be OK for anything that requires it, its just displaying the position of the 'markers' that's wrong.

Regards.
MrToM.

EDIT:
I checked out another PC running 2014 and it was fine.
I closed the faulty PS and re-opened it and it too was fine again.

I can only assume its one of those 'glitches' that sometimes happens when everything is fighting for attention at start-up.

See if restarting PS fixes it....it did for me.
 
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MrToM said:
it happens all the time with PS...they have a motto...

"If it ain't broke it soon will be!"
Click to expand...
:bustagut:

Aint that the truth!!!!!
 
Hey! Thanks for your help.

I *always* forget to include the version number - I've updated my post. It's PS CS6.

I've tried closing and reopening Photoshop, and the problem persists for me. You're right that it doesn't seem to affect anything though - for all operations, the cursor works correctly. I just (try to) use those indicators occasionally as they save time over laying down guides.

I seem to notice this problem every few weeks - I'm trying to remember whether it only occurs every few weeks, or I only use the indicators every few weeks!
 
No worries.

I appreciate it'll be difficult to notice when it happens again and more importantly remember what it was you were doing when it does, but thats probably the only way to nail down what 'procedure' makes it happen.....and this is one of those things that could just happen completely 'randomly'.

I'll keep an eye out and see if it happens with mine again on 2014 but if it happens with CS6 as well then its more than likely a internal issue with PS.....and by the sounds of it a long standing one too! (Nothing new there then.)

The only other thing I can suggest is to turn off any extensions or plug-ins you may have loading at start-up and see if that does anything.

If you do find out anything please post again so we know for future reference.

Cheers.

Regards.
MrToM.
 
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Thanks for your help!

I was really wondering if it's a bug (which I can learn to live with) or a weird setting I'd applied. Looks like it's a bug, so I'll keep my eyes open for how it behaves. It doesn't seem to happen on Illustrator.
 
Some news!

Ok...I played around with this and have a kind of 'two-part' solution....yeah I know but bear with me...you'll see what I mean.

I also thought I'd record it to show my findings but in doing so I found additional info.

When recording the UI I either do so in HD720 or HD1080. For HD720 I change the PS window to those dimensions so as to fit all the UI into the frame.

In the smaller window the problem didn't happen, typical, but on restoring the window to its 'maximum'....BINGO!

So....the problem seems to happen when the PS window is minimized, maximized or just simply changed in some way.

I've tried this in CS6 x64 (Extended) and it happens there too on changing the window size.

Now....the second 'interesting' part.....how to 'fix' it!

If I close PS and re-open the problem (can) persist....sometimes it doesn't.
If I open a 'New' document the same dimensions as an existing document then the problem persists....BUT...
...if I create a 'New' document of DIFFERENT dimensions then the markers reset themselves!

Oddly, swapping between the documents also changes the markers' behaviour, in other words they don't reset themselves for all documents.

I didn't try saving and re-opening a document so thats something else you could try.

Its an odd one to say the least but try it out for yourself....its either changing the window size, new documents at different dimensions or a combination of the two that either creates or fixes the problem.

I'm guessing it will be different for everyone so finding a solution may have to be on an trial and error individual basis....but at least we now know how to make it happen and how to 'reset' it....how and when that is done will depend on the workflow of the individual.

Sorry I don't have a permanent solution, its obviously been happening for years and still not fixed so Adobe are probably aware of the problem.

Regards.
MrToM.

EDIT:
Just for a laugh I tried this out in the latest version CC 2015.5.1, no wait, version 17.0.1...no hang on.....version 20160722.r.156 x64...yeah, that's it....no.....version 100.064... :banghead:

Whatever it's called.....it still happens.

> sigh <
 
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Love this bit, classic :thumbsup:

I would put money on it being an 'update' thats buggered it up....it happens all the time with PS...they have a motto...

"If it ain't broke it soon will be!"
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for your help! Here's some more info:

I can't get my markers to 'reset' for most documents...

HOWEVER. If I create a document with the same dimensions as my monitor (1920x1080), then the markers are correct.

The greater the difference between the document size and my monitor, the more the markers are off by.

Also, the distance on the rulers the markers are out by is the same, regardless of zoom level. So (on a ruler set to cm), on a low zoom they might be 10cm out, on a high zoom, they'll only be 10mm out (but be the same distance out along the ruler).
 
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No worries.

I'm kind of narrowing it down...slowly.

Its all a bit random as there are many variations of workflow but...

It seems that creating a new document in a reduced size PS window is the culprit.
Maximizing that window throws the markers out.

Creating a new document, with the PS window maximized, sometimes resets the markers, sometimes not.

Changing the 'Zoom' level has no effect whatsoever for me....its all to do with the PS window size changing.

Regards.
MrToM.
 
This is so ridiculous but also funny at the same time....well, you have to laugh otherwise...well, ya know.

So...latest update!

I wondered about this 'Zoom' thing and why it didn't do anything for me...it obviously does something as you've said but why not here?

Well....it does do something....I normally have the preference to 'Zoom' with the mouse wheel....so thst exactly what I did when the markers were off....and guess what?

If I rapidly zoom in and out a enough times with the scroll wheel the markers eventually reset themselves.

I haven't the faintest idea why or what or how or who or anything, but it works.

Ho hum.

Regards.
MrToM.
 
Hah!
It's not to do with creating a document in a reduced window - I almost always open PS full screen, then create a document docked in that full-screen window. Changing the document size doesn't seem to be doing anything for me.
I've not managed to 'reset' the markers by zooming in/out, but I have noticed that occasionally, by zooming in-out I will hit a 'sweet-spot' where the markers are correct - but it's wildly impractical (working at 837% zoom, anyone?).
I've just noticed it only happens to me on documents smaller than my screen resolution. Anything above 1920x1080p works fine - if I specify size in pixels when creating a document (EDIT - nope! Bigger documents are bugging for me too now.) Creating a 55"x55" document at 300dpi will still result in dodgy ruler markers!

(Edit... that last line about resolution... It seems to hold true, but I'm not sure. I get some oddness if I experiment with different paper sizes and ppi settings, as well as different units of measurement.)
 
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Well, like I said, it will be different for everyone.

To 'reset' the markers I have found that all 'I' have to do is actually just zoom to 3200%.....at which point the markers jump back to the real cursor position.

I have also just discovered that this only works if the document is in the very bottom right corner of the workspace.

This is regardless of how the markers are initially displaced.

Regards.
MrToM.
 
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Oops, sorry if that initial 'Hah!' sounded like it was laughing *at* you/doubting your experience! I meant to be laughing along with you at this bizarre Photoshop experience. I've just noticed it could be taken either way!
But yes, it seems to be affecting us all slightly differently (though based on the same issue of window size/resolution etc). Very weird!
 
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No worries....I read it the 'intended' way. :thumbsup:

Here is my experience with it...(CC 2014 x64 but does the same in CS6 Ext x64)

0:53 NO AUDIO.

It's not an ideal solution, but workable....ish.

Regards.
MrToM.
 
Oh wow! Your version of the bug is much less severe than mine!

For me, any document size less than 1920 pixels across, and the X axis marker is off. The Y axis marker is normally correct, except with documents that are very very short (on the Y axis).

If I create a document that is 1920x1080p, everything works fine. Make one different on the X axis and that marker goes off. Make one *much* different on the Y axis and that marker goes off. I can't 'reset' them like you can.

EDIT:

GADZOOKS! You're right! I had to move the canvas about, swing the scroll bars about, a bit, but eventually the markers DID reset! Thank you!! That'll help out a lot!
 
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No worries.

ColonelMolerat said:
...Oh wow! Your version of the bug is much less severe than mine!...
Click to expand...
Well its about half the workspace...that's bad enough isn't it? :biglaff:
It could have been worse, it depends on what I do before maximizing the window....totally random really.

ColonelMolerat said:
...I can't 'reset' them like you can...
Click to expand...
You have to move the document ALL the way to the bottom, and ALL the way to the right in order for the markers to 'reset' themselves....as I do in the video. (Probably not obvious)

From my tests the size of the document is irrelevant, as is the zoom level, resolution in fact everything, but that's not to say this will be the situation for everyone.

What causes it to happen for you, if you never change the window size, I don't know, but at least this will get everything back in order....for how long who knows?

Regards.
MrToM.
 
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IamSam said:
...And you guys wonder why I stick with CS6!!...
Click to expand...
The OP is using CS6 but unfortunately this problem seems to be with every version, (that I've tried so far at least), not just CS6.

Regards.
MrToM.

PS...but I do still wonder why, yes. :bustagut:
 


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