Border Selection // Alt+[ shortcut removal

[MarkDN]

Hello - I wan't to remove the alt+[ / alt+] keyboard shortcuts but can't seem to do so through the the options menu in Photoshop.

I'm using Photoshop CS2 and a Wacom IntuosII. The primary pen button is bound to alt for the eye-dropper tool, and I'm continually pressing [ and ] to change my brush size. I frequently accidentally hit both alt and [ or ] which changes the active layer to previous or next respectively, and can be infuriating, especially if I keep painting without noticing straight away that the layer has changed.

I've looked for the alt+[ / alt+] keyboard shortcuts in the options (in the Edit menu) but I can't find them listed - I even saved out a full list as an HTM file; they're nowhere to be found.

The question is how can I remove this keyboard shortcut?

[J Wilson]

I don't know the answer to your question, but I wanted to offer an alternate system that you might like. I bound my [ and ] keys to the two pen buttons so I don't have to reach for the keyboard as much, as I found that those functions were the ones I used most. If you made that change I doubt you'd ever hit alt and those keys at the same time by accident. When I'm painting my hand is normally positioned on the lower left side of the keyboard for easy access to Z for Undo, the alt key for color picking, and the X key for color swapping (so I can effectively keep two colors loaded in my brush at the same time). With brush sizes on the pen itself I can do most of my painting without too many other keyboard functions.

One day I'll get a new Wacom and just bind those functions to the pad's hot keys and not have to use the keyboard much at all.

[GriNGo]

I believe that the alt shortcuts can't be modified at all, since it has a different function depending on the tool you're using. THey are software standard defaults, just as the tools are.

[MarkDN]

Hmmm, ok, I'm starting to suspect you're right, Gringoloco.

The Dweller, I guess I'll have to do something like that.

Cheers, people.

[Edit] -

In the end I went with Sketchling's suggestion to change the [ and ] keys to A and Z (removing whatever tools they were bound to before), which also has the effect of centering the keys I used most in the bottom left part of the keyboard.

[MarkDN]

Ok, new question.

Say I wan't to make an even border on a new layer around the whole image. One way that seems logical would be to select all, and then contract the selection area by a given number of pixels, however the only selection modifier available if you 'select all' is 'border'.

This looks good as a selection, however it always seems to give soft edges, regardless of the feathering settings. Is there any way to stop the 'border' command giving soft edges, is it there a better technique (besides using the rulers) to make an even hard edged border?

One easy way to do it might be to fill a layer, set its internal opacity to 0%, and then just give it an internal stroke of the required thickness... and then merge it down into another layer. Not the most straightforward technique imaginable.

[daveneale]

the 2 ways I do borders (it is wiered there isnt an easier way...though I may just not have found it yet) is to either a: increase the canvas size after cropping the image to make sure there are no bits sticking off the canvass, or do the select all thing, contact and fill the selection-then just duplicate the selection and merge it till its edges are no longer feathered (pritty quick if your just ctrl+j/Ctrl+e'ing it up.