nikonian Loc: Indianapolis

Several year ago I used Adobe Photoshop Home Addition. I am now on a 64 bit platform and it is not supported. It was easy to create and layer and cut or copy to paste into another picture. The "Magic Wand" or whatever it was called was extremely easy to use and very accurate. The reason is that when you traced the layer you wanted in the picture you only needed to place your cursor close by the objects borer and it would automatically sense the boundaries, analyze the pixels and then outline my selection for easy use.

It now appears that Adobe dropped that and now forces you to hand trace the object which is difficult and tedious and leaves in things that have to be erased later. Other software I have such as Abobe Elements and Corel's package grabs whatever. It is useless.

Does anyone know of a software photo editing package that handles layers like the old Adobe home addition did? I have C2 and no luck there and am thinking about the free Adobe C4 home edition. Thanks for any help. Carter

westitzer Loc: Central California coastal area

InPixio Photo Clip 8 should do what you want.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

No, Adobe certainly did not drop that, the Magic Wand tool remains the same, but with some added extras! It is way more sophisticated these days and easier than ever to make precise selections! I still have also a 20 year old version of PS on my computer and it is a far cry from what can be done with ease today!

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

It is just that Adobe buries features in menus and tool selections.

Wanderer2 Loc: Colorado Rocky Mountains

Affinity Photo is a capable editor and does layers. It's a one time price of $50 and is sometimes discounted. I believe they have a free trial but am not certain. If they do it's worth a look, although the interface is different than the Adobe products, of course.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Are you talking about Photoshop Elements?

Magic Wand is still there in the current version of Photoshop CC 2019. As is Quick Select Tool.

And it has Select and Mask, which really makes the selection process easier and more accurate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qcWeuWCkJ4

There is no need to go to other software titles - Photoshop has everything you need. Just subscribe to the latest version.

rond-photography Loc: Connecticut

Just opened PS to see. It has magic wand, lasso, and quick select. QS is the best. Lasso is as you described - hand trace. Magic wand (when I just tried it) was not magical at all - quick is much easier.
In latest versions of PS you have to right click on the select icon to see the choices. As pointed out by others, things are now buried, but still there.

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

The "Magic Wand" is available in Photoshop CC 2019, part of the Adobe Monthly Subscription Plan.
Mark

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

The "Magic Wand" selection tool is still a big part of Adobe Photoshop. So are a bunch of other methods of selection.... quick selection tool, lasso, magnetic lasso, polygonal lasso, color selection, just to name a few. There also a number of ways to modify selections... refine, enlarge, contract, inverse, feather and more. At times, I've used all the different methods of selection. They each have their purposes and are useful in certain situations.

You'll also find many of the same tools in Adobe Elements 2019.

Adobe Lightroom doesn't have those tools. Maybe you're confusing that.

Today Photoshop is only available via subscription. Photoshop and Lightroom are "rented" as a package for $120 a year, from now to eternity (unless Adobe decides to increase the price). If you let the subscription lapse, any work you've done with PS & LR isn't "undone"... the program just stops working and you won't be able to do more until you pay the rent.

Elements 2019 can be bought outright as a perpetually licensed version and is on sale for $70 right now (usually $100). It's sort of a "light" version of PS & LR, combined into one stand-alone program.

PS & LR are continuously updated and that's included with the subscription.

It's rare for Adobe to issue any updates for Elements. They pretty much just roll out a new version of it annually.... usually in October. To get an "upgrade" of it, you have to purchase it again. However, unless they incorporate some "gee whiz" feature that you just gotta have... OR you upgrade to a new model camera that's not supported by an older version of Elements... no one is making you update and buy a new version of Elements. The old, perpetually licensed version will continue to work as always.

There is lots of third party support for Elements, Lightroom and Photoshop: books, classes, plug-ins, actions, etc. Adobe is still the "800 lb. gorilla" of image editing and optimization.

If you're also into video, there are Adobe Premiere Pro CC ($240 annual subscription)... or the "lighter" Premiere Elements 2019 (on sale right now for $70, perpetual license... or buy bundled with Elements for $100 on sale, usually $150).

jamesl Loc: Pennsylvania

-------

What is the "free Adobe C4 edition"?

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

The "magic wand" has been in PS Elements since at least ver. 11.

The others in Elements:
https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop-elements/using/making-selections.html

I find the magnetic lasso excellent for the smaller details with little contrast.