New to OS X. How can I cycle through select boxes in CS6 with my keyboard?

[circa7]

On my windows PC, I could click a select box and then cycle through the options with my up and down arrows. For example, changing blending modes in Photoshop is easier and quicker when I have this capability. On OS X, when I click a select box it doesn't "stay" selected, so I have to keep using my mouse to go through the options. Is there a way to enable this? Or is this just a part of having a Mac that I'm going to have to get used to?

[Laird Knox]

Have you tried the arrow keys even though it doesn't stay open? I find that they often still work after you have clicked on the popup list once.

[circa7]

Originally Posted by Laird Knox

Have you tried the arrow keys even though it doesn't stay open? I find that they often still work after you have clicked on the popup list once.

Yeah, thats what I mean. It doesnt stay open on Windows either. I can usually cycle through them because the box stays selected. With OS X this doesnt happen, the box does not stay selected.

[Consultant]

On a Mac, clicking item, then using keyboard up / down arrow keys work fine as desired. Works with CS6, CS5 on OS X 10.6 to 10.8.

Of course, with your post history I would suspect nothing works for you even though it works perfectly for countless in the creative industry.

[circa7]

Originally Posted by Consultant

On a Mac, clicking item, then using keyboard up / down arrow keys work fine as desired. Works with CS6, CS5 on OS X 10.6 to 10.8.

Of course, with your post history I would suspect nothing works for you even though it works perfectly for countless in the creative industry.

While I find your ending remark kind of funny, and also a bit insulting, I'm not a newcomer to using a computer. OSX, sure, which is why I'm asking for help on a Mac forum (screw me, right?).

It actually does NOT work for me. So even if your comment was intended to be snide it actually was helpful; since you don't have this arguably insignificant issue then something must not right with my cs6 install. Or perhaps it's user error? No. I've been using photoshop and the like for 15 years; I think I have a firm grasp on clicking and using my keyboard.

[spacedcadet]

I have just clicked and released on the layer blending option drop down in the layers palette in CS6. The options stay open and I can use the arrow keys to go up and down them.
I perfer to use the mouse wheel to do the same though.

Click and release.

Same thing works in the typeface selecter etc.

[derangedcow]

Not sure if I completely understand what you mean...

Do you mean on Windows, every time you press the arrow key, the blending mode will change & apply its effects? Because currently on Mac, when I click & release then use the arrow keys, I can toggle through the blending modes but it's simply moving through each option; the highlighted blending mode won't be applied until I select it.

[derangedcow]

Originally Posted by circa7

On my windows PC, I could click a select box and then cycle through the options with my up and down arrows. For example, changing blending modes in Photoshop is easier and quicker when I have this capability. On OS X, when I click a select box it doesn't "stay" selected, so I have to keep using my mouse to go through the options. Is there a way to enable this? Or is this just a part of having a Mac that I'm going to have to get used to?

It's been a month but I found a solution to your problem. I actually forgot this thread and stumbled upon the solution by accident. I felt the need to return to this thread to answer you because of Consultant's rude response.

Select a layer, and then with a non-drawing tool (Meaning all tools except brush, fill, stamp, dodge/burn, etc.) hold Shift and press - or = to cycle through blending modes. Shift - moves up one blending mode and Shift = moves down one blending mode

There are quick hotkeys such as Shift+Option M for Multiply and Shift+Option N for Normal. Some of them are hard to remember, such as G for Lighten and L for Hard Mix.

Edit: for certain Adjustment Layers, you might have to use Shift+Option - or = instead of just Shift - or = because Shift - or = will edit the settings within the Adjustment Layer instead of cycling through the Blending Mode

[spartig]

Originally Posted by circa7

While I find your ending remark kind of funny, and also a bit insulting, I'm not a newcomer to using a computer. OSX, sure, which is why I'm asking for help on a Mac forum (screw me, right?).

It actually does NOT work for me. So even if your comment was intended to be snide it actually was helpful; since you don't have this arguably insignificant issue then something must not right with my cs6 install. Or perhaps it's user error? No. I've been using photoshop and the like for 15 years; I think I have a firm grasp on clicking and using my keyboard.

Don't know why that guy was being so rude. Don't stop coming to MacRumors because of that person! We are not all so rude.

MacOSX has an option to use the tab key to cycle through controls. It is off by default. You have to go to the keyboard settings in system preferences to enable it. This should work for Photoshop unless Adobe decided not to use Apple's APIs. I recently bought a new Mac (was using CC on a windows box) although I haven't yet enabled this to see if it works. I'm not in front of my Mac right now to try. But I've noticed this too, and have found it kinda annoying.

Somebody else also commented that there is a keyboard command to cycle through the blending options. Glad I saw this thread!

Edit:
Enabling tabbing in System Pref doesn't work as Tab shows/hides the interface. In Windows selecting the control with the mouse you can then use the arrow keys just like the OP said. In MacOSX this doesn't work. Which I suppose is why they offer a key command (not sure if this key command work on Windows as well).

[chrono1081]

I think someone probably posted this but do this:

Select the move tool (a few other tools work too)

Click on the box you want to change (like blending modes)

Hold Shift and press the + or - key.

[Consultant]

Since he only "got" the computer days before making the post, he should have a new CS6 license, thus he should have contacted Adobe for support.

I can cycle boxes in CS5 to CS6 fine with my keyboard.

By the way this is his posting history after he noted he mucked around with the computer hardware:

- Just bought a Thunderbolt display - it hurts my eyes.. is it the monitor or my eyes?
- Why does my calibration settings change when I hit SAVE?
- 2012 MacBook Pro keeps crashing - fresh install of ML
- Just got a Magic Mouse.. Is it supposed to be this rough?

Originally Posted by spartig

Don't know why that guy was being so rude. Don't stop coming to MacRumors because of that person! We are not all so rude.

MacOSX has an option to use the tab key to cycle through controls. It is off by default. You have to go to the keyboard settings in system preferences to enable it. This should work for Photoshop unless Adobe decided not to use Apple's APIs. I recently bought a new Mac (was using CC on a windows box) although I haven't yet enabled this to see if it works. I'm not in front of my Mac right now to try. But I've noticed this too, and have found it kinda annoying.

Somebody else also commented that there is a keyboard command to cycle through the blending options. Glad I saw this thread!

[spartig]

Originally Posted by Consultant

Since he only "got" the computer days before making the post, he should have a new CS6 license, thus he should have contacted Adobe for support.

I can cycle boxes in CS5 to CS6 fine with my keyboard.

By the way this is his posting history after he noted he mucked around with the computer hardware:

- Just bought a Thunderbolt display - it hurts my eyes.. is it the monitor or my eyes?
- Why does my calibration settings change when I hit SAVE?
- 2012 MacBook Pro keeps crashing - fresh install of ML
- Just got a Magic Mouse.. Is it supposed to be this rough?

Regardless of the OP's posting history this issue he is having is real (not saying that his other posts aren't). It works differently on Windows as it does on Mac OSX. Your commend sounded rather rude, whether or not you intended it or not.

Are you cycling the boxes by the arrow keys? Is there a way to enable this in CS in Mac OS? Or are you just using a key command like shift "-/+". My suggestion doesn't work, as the tab key hides the interface in Photoshop; and selecting the box with the mouse and trying to use the arrow keys isn't working for me either (it does work this way in Windows).