Groups of layers

[Jayell]

Using Photoshop Elements 5
When I'm changing a DVD menu, I find (in the layers section) multiple folders with groups of layers in them. I want to do that in a photo project I've created myself, but can't find any info in Help, because I don't know what those groupings are called. . How do I create folders to put groups of layers in (as I'm currently using a single file to create multiple photos .. or bookmarks in this case). I know I can lock the layers together, but that doesn't help in this case.

[Steve Grisetti]

It's usually possible to edit layer sets with Photoshop Elements, but you can't create them.

That's a feature reserved for the full version of Photoshop.

[Jayell]

I was afraid of that, not being able to find any info on it.
So if I got really desperate to have that setup, I could take an existing DVD menu file .. rename it .. empty out all the photos/layers in it .. and put all my own stuff in it .. right?

[Chuck Engels]

That would definitely be worth a shot Jayell
Never thought of that, good thinking !

[Jayell]

It works! It works! This is sooooooo cool! I have soooo many projects that I'd really like to keep in one file, but create a bunch of different combinations with it. Now I can!!

[Jayell]

I may want to re-consider my conclusion. Seems I may be running into problems after shutting it down and re-opening. Works great if I don't close it

[Jayell]

In case anyone's interested ..
It appears the problem relates to the fact that the original DVD menu I'm working from wants to be hooked to the scenes menu (as I almost forgot). If I save the 'scenes' menu in the same folder as the 'main menu' .. with the same naming convention, everything works great! I can delete layer folders, add folders, change names, etc. I'm a-l-m-o-s-t there.

Edit 8-24:
After more experimentation, I find that having the scenes menu in the same folder is not related to what makes this work or not work.

[Jayell]

This subject has me intrigued now. Does anyone know why ..

1. I can open a DVD menu (psd file from PrEl2) in Photoshop Elements 5 and make some minor changes and save it retaining access to all the group layers .. BUT if I send that same main menu and scene menu to a friend with Photoshop Elements (directing her to put them in the same file folder) she loses access to the layers inside the groups. She can turn the layers on and off (using the file folder icon), but she has no access to them.

2. Similarly, if she creates a psd file in Photoshop (not Elements) with layer groups (or sets) and emails them to me .. I can open them and turn the layers on and off but DO NOT have access to the layers inside the sets.

What is allowing me to have FULL access to all the layers from my own machine, but lose that when simply emailed to someone else?

[momoffduty]

I'm using PSE5 and have run into the problem of not being able to open folders.

http://www.elementsvillage.com/forums/s ... php?t=9533

[Jayell]

Thanks for the thread reference, Cheryl. I'm aware of why we shouldn't be able to access those files, but curious that you CAN access the ones in Premiere Elements DVD template folders. And if you're very careful you can make s-o-m-e changes and still access them. But if you make the wrong change, access is suddenly lost

[Steve Grisetti]

In my experience, whether or not you can open the "folders" of layer sets with Photoshop Elements depends on how much power and RAM you have on your computer.

I've opened standard DVD templates and had no problems working with the layer sets. But then I've opened hi-def disc templates and found the layer sets impossible to access! Even stranger, if I've got more than one DVD template open at a time, sometimes I get into the layer sets on one template while those on the layer template seem to be flat!

It's definitely a your-mileage-may-vary thing -- though RAM load seems to be a factor. (And, just a word to the wise: NEVER save a file if the layer sets are flattened when you open the file in Photoshop Elements. Otherwise you'll flatten them permanently!)

[Jayell]

In my experience, whether or not you can open the "folders" of layer sets with Photoshop Elements depends on how much power and RAM you have on your computer.

So what you're telling me is that if I have enough RAM, power, whatever .. Photoshop Elements opens that file and shows the little triangles next to the layer icons and I'm in business .. if I don't, those don't show up . I'm having a little trouble with this story. If I delete the _mm at the end of the file name, I also lose the layers, but if I do more involved functions, they remain. I'm going to keep playing with it.

[Chuck Engels]

Jayell, I think you are on the cutting edge (or bleeding edge as some say). Hang in there and keep experimenting, somebody has to be the first to discover new stuff. It might as well be you

[Jayell]

This information is extremely useful for me. So although I haven’t seen a lot of interest, I’d like to post it here to document it in case someone might be interested in the future, or can build on this information. The goal is trying to retain Layer Sets within Photoshop Elements, which were created in Photoshop (they cannot be created in most versions of Photoshop Elements). So in other words, by starting with a Photoshop file, you can use Layer Sets within Photoshop Elements (which is not otherwise available).

This experiment uses a DVD Main Menu pulled from the DVD templates in Premiere Elements.

The following will retain access to the layers withing the Layer Sets (after saving, closing, then reopening the file):
1. You can delete any Layer Set EXCEPT the Main Menu.
2. You can change the name of any Layer Set, EXCEPT if it’s the Main Menu you must leave the (+^) in place as part of the Folder Set name.
3. You can delete any or all of the layers inside the Layer Sets (including the Main Menu)
4. You can rename the file (EXCEPT you must leave the ‘_mm’ as part of the file name).
5. You can add photos, graphics, etc. to any Layer Set.
6. You can drag layers from other Photoshop Elements files into this file
7. You can duplicate layer sets

The following changes will deny access to the layers within the Layer Sets (after saving, closing, then reopening the file), although they will still turn on and off within the document.
1. Emailing the file to someone else (I don’t understand this at all). That person did NOT have Premiere Elements, so not sure if that was an issue.
2. Removing the ‘_mm’ from the end of the ‘main menu’ Photoshop file name.
3. Deleting the Main Menu Layer Set.. or removing the (+^) part of the file name, if renaming it

For the experiment I used Premiere Elements 2 .. Photoshop Elements 5
If anyone finds conflicting or additional conclusions, or this works different in different versions, I’d be most interested.

[crmajor]

Don't know if anyone has answered this yet or not. I have my old pc with Elements 7 (Both PSE & PRE). I can open, edit, create menus. I can create, and edit Layer Groups, such as "(+-) play movie" to create very nice DVD menus. I have recently upgraded to a more powerful PC and loaded only Photoshop Elements 7 on it. When I try to edit one of the DVD menu templates I have created on the old PC, same version of PSE, I am not able to open any of the layer sets/groups?

This is driving me insane, any help would be appreciated!

Thanks
Chuck
crmajor@comcast.net

* Don;t know if this info helps. The reason I only loaded PSE on the new PC is that I also have CS4 Production Premium on the new PC. For quick editing I like the Photoshop Elements interface better.