CS3 Photoshop extended question

[Gypsum]

I have CS3 PhotoShop extended under XP. For some reason I can no longer edit a picture. That would be brush, heal, etc. Select the tool and run it over the picture but no change. Create a copy of the layer, ziltch. At this point I have discovered I can create a new file,but cannot paint. I can create text. I have deleted the Preferences but that has had no effect. There is probably a simple setting that has gotten out of whack but I can't find out what it is or how to fix it.

Any ideas before I reinstall? Thanks in advance.

[realfEZ]

Hi Gypsum,

 

What color mode and bits/channel is your image?

[Gypsum]

Well, I opened a blank file an it is RGB/8. I cannot paint using the paintbrush/pencil. I can fill using the paintbucket on it.

The other photos were also RGB/8. Some of these I have worked on previously with no problem. Others I have downloaded as part of tutorials so there is nothing special about them. Apparently I stepped on something that made an unwanted change.

Thanks,

[Travis]

Hmmm....that's a strange one. You're in the right document mode. Are you on the layer's palette and not in the channels palette? The only other idea I have is that perhaps your brush opacity is set to zero. Click your brush, and in the tool options bar, look at the opacity for your paint brush. It should be 100. Also check the mode of your brush. It should be set to Normal. The layer mode should also be set to normal with 100% opacity. You can also check the flow value of the paint brush. That should be set at 100.

[Gypsum]

Well, I think I hit all the criteria. I created a new file. When I looked at the base layer, Normal was grayed out. I created a duplicate layer and now Normal was bold. I still could not paint in it. I lassoed an area and filled it with black. I then tried to draw on it with white. Ziltch. Here's a screen cap at the end of that exercise:

http://www.scrollsawvillage.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=191&pos=0

The brush is soft but I changed it to a hard brush with no change. I just didn't feel like running through all the steps to correct the image.

Thanks.

[Travis]

Hmmm...I don't see anything out of the ordinary. Does the pencil work at all? It would be under the paint brush I'd imagine. Click the the lower left corner and hold and you'll find a fly-out where you can choose a pencil.

[Gypsum]

Well, you're not going to believe this but I found the problem. I have a Wacom Bamboo Fun Tablet which has a wireless mouse (it's wireless but only works on the tablet). Normally I don't use that mouse but I let it sit on the tablet when I'm not using the tablet (2 years and no problem with this practice). I had some problems with the normal mouse last week and found that the Wacom was part of the problem (the cursor when using the normal mouse froze in the middle of the screen and vibrated). I took the Wacom off the tablet and the normal mouse worked. The normal mouse was defective and I replaced it. I never gave it much thought until responding to the question about the pencil and my brain light blinked. I have had problems with PS before and rebooting normally fixed it. I had rebooted several times but never moved the Wacom mouse. Sorry for wasting everyone's time but many thanks for your efforts.

[Travis]

LOL...that's great! How is it the smallest thing is the greatest source of frustration? I'm glad you got it working again!