Photoshop Oil Paint filter

I use Photoshop CC.... I tried experimenting with the 'Oil Paint' filter and it doesn't seem to be working correctly, I'm wondering if there's a plugin or something that I need. When I select 'Filter/Oil Paint' the panel comes up, but my image never appears in the panel. Just to be sure that the software wasn't choking on too big of a file I tried a very small image with the same results. However, once I hit 'OK' the filter applies changes to the current layer just as though nothing was wrong (even on a large image file).

I'm not sure if this is a filter I'll find useful or not, but it sure would make things easier if it were working correctly and I could see a preview of the changes being made.

Are you sure you're on the correct level and not in 32 bit mode?

Or, is an adjustment layer the active layer in your stack when you invoke the filter?

If the adjustment layer is the issue and you want to apply the filter to the composite of your layer stack, without flattening, use the keyboard shortcut

CMD-OPT-SHIFT-E (Mac)

Or

CTRL-ALT-SHIFT-E

To stamp a copy of the flattened stack at and below the currently active layer. If you want to stamp the entire stack into a layer, select the top layer of the stack first, then stamp. Select the newly created layer at the top and try applying the filter to it. This appoach is nice because it preserves the adjustment layers and edits below it, in case you want to go back.

Kirk

A1original wrote in post #16972637
Are you sure you're on the correct level and not in 32 bit mode?

Nope, it's not in 32 bit mode. Just for the heck of it I tried 32 bits/channel and that filter can't even be selected in 32 bit mode.

Nope, it's not adjustment layers. I get the same issue regardless of whether I have just opened an image and try to invoke the filter on the background layer, copy the background layer and try to invoke the filter on the copy, or whatever.

Turn GPU acceleration off in preferences and see if that resolves the issue.

Some filters will only work with 8-pbc images, so try converting the Image/Mode to 8 bpc?

Other than that, I have CS5 (not CS6 or CC) so I can't give all the answers!

kirkt wrote in post #16973073
Turn GPU acceleration off in preferences and see if that resolves the issue.

That had no effect.

I've been using 8 bit images, so that's not it. Besides, the oil painting filter 'works', it's just that the preview window stays grayed out.

Well, like I said, I don't have CS6/CC, and in my CS5 I don't see an "Oil Painting Filter"...

So, I guess someone who has the software could try it out and chime in!

Of course, you could also check out some online galleries where folks work a lot with those things, maybe someone with more experience would be around to help!

Does the blank display window area render if you resize the window - even just a little bit of a resize?

kirkt wrote in post #16973853
Does the blank display window area render if you resize the window - even just a little bit of a resize?

That's a good thought, I'll try it when I get home from work today.

Try it on a small image (like 800x600) and see if it makes any difference?

nathancarter wrote in post #16974604
Try it on a small image (like 800x600) and see if it makes any difference?

That's one of the first things I tried.

If it makes you feel any better - the Image > Image Size ... window does not let me use the hand tool that comes up to pan around the image in the preview window - this has been broken on my Mac since CC came out and has yet to be fixed. I can preview another section of the image by clicking on the image (outside of the preview window) like with most other similar previews (blur, etc.).

CC introduced a bug in the print preview window as well - if I soft-proof in PS, looks great. If I go to the print dialog and set up my print settings, etc., the preview is desaturated and the colors are wrong. In one update this appeared to have been fixed, but the next update broke it again.

Who knows.

kirk

A1original wrote in post #16972637
Are you sure you're on the correct level and not in 32 bit mode?

tonylong wrote in post #16973163
Some filters will only work with 8-pbc images, so try converting the Image/Mode to 8 bpc?

Filters that are only available in 8bit mode are not even selectable in 16/32 bit mode, they are greyed out. The panel comes up according to the OP which means it is available in whatever bit mode he's in.