editmamei

Create a non-destructive adjustment layer above the active layer — hoisted out of the active layer's group by default even though Photoshop's own Mk-AdjL placement rule would otherwise nest it INSIDE that group (pass into_active_group:true to keep that native nesting). Supports the full real-Photoshop tonal/color surface: Curves (with S-curve presets), Levels, Hue/Saturation, Brightness/Contrast, Black & White (with optional tint), Color Balance, Photo Filter (preset or custom color), Vibrance, Channel Mixer, Selective Color, Gradient Map (preset), Exposure (stops + offset + gamma), Color Lookup (3DLUT presets or custom file path), and Invert. Values are editable, maskable, and removable. This is the canonical entry point for tonal/color adjustments — EXCEPT global tone/color on raw-sourced documents, which starts with a Camera Raw develop pass when a camera-raw develop tool is registered (see ps_open_document's is_raw_source); the old destructive bake tools (auto_levels / auto_contrast / desaturate / invert) were removed on 2026-05-31 — if you genuinely need a pixel bake, follow this call with `ps_merge` (mode=visible). Optionally clips the adjustment to only affect the layer directly below it. If a selection is active at call time, the new layer is automatically masked by it (toggle with mask_from_selection / mask_inverted). For destructive ops that don't have an adjustment-layer equivalent in Photoshop (Shadows/Highlights — single-pass shadow/highlight recovery), use `ps_apply_adjustment` (type=shadows_highlights) which auto-duplicates the active layer to keep the original intact. Returns context (the new adjustment layer becomes active) plus parent_path — the actual containing-group chain, so placement is never silent.

Add a non-destructive SOLID COLOR or GRADIENT fill layer (an editable content layer — distinct from ps_fill_layer, which bakes color into the active pixel layer). fill_type=gradient is the go-to for sky fades, color washes, and vignettes (radial + reverse + multiply blend); combine with opacity_stops 100→0 for fade-to-transparent, or ps_bake_layer to rasterize. For fading a layer out via its MASK use ps_layer_mask op=gradient instead. Hoisted out of the active layer's group by default (pass into_active_group:true to keep Photoshop's native nesting). The new fill layer becomes active.

Apply a layer style (drop shadow, stroke, outer glow, inner shadow, inner glow, or color overlay) to the active layer. Non-destructive and editable. For PHOTO workflows: `stroke` = print-style border around the image (apply to the flattened photo on a transparent canvas, or to a duplicated background); `outer_glow` = atmospheric lift on highlights (halo around the sun, glow around a window or lamp); `drop_shadow` = depth on text overlays and layered composites. Drop shadow uses Multiply blend; outer glow uses Screen; stroke uses Normal. Cannot be applied to a background layer (duplicate or convert it first). Returns context — applying a style changes what exists on the layer (the Lefx descriptor).

Apply a DESTRUCTIVE tonal adjustment that Photoshop does NOT offer as an adjustment layer — chosen via `type`. Runs on a DUPLICATE of the active layer by default (auto-duplicate-first — the original is preserved; revert by deleting the copy); pass `apply_to_active_layer: true` to bake in place. Auto-rasterizes text/smart-object layers. `shadows_highlights` recovers blown highlights + crushed shadows in one pass (defaults match Adobe's dialog: 35 shadow amount, +20 color correction); `equalize` stretches/flattens the histogram (parameter-free); `color_lookup` bakes a 3DLUT grade (cl_lut_name required — leaf name of a file in Presets/3DLUTs/ or an absolute .cube/.3dl/.look path). For EDITABLE tonal/color work, prefer ps_add_adjustment_layer.

Composite a source layer + channel onto the ACTIVE layer using a calculation blend mode (Image ▸ Apply Image). **Reach for this** for luminosity blends, frequency-separation re-blends, texture overlays, or pulling one channel into another. Source = a layer (merged or named) and a channel (rgb/red/green/blue/alpha). Bakes into pixels, so by default it runs on a DUPLICATE of the active layer (set apply_to_active_layer=true to bake in place). The active layer must be a normal pixel layer. (AM-only; verified live on PS 27.2.0.)

Flatten the active layer's CURRENT APPEARANCE — the layer plus any adjustment layers clipped to it plus its layer styles — into a NEW pixel layer named "<name> (baked)". Non-destructive: the originals are left intact. This is how you get real baked pixels out of a non-destructive stack: clip a Hue/Saturation (saturation -100) or an Invert adjustment to a layer, then bake to get a desaturated / inverted PIXEL layer for techniques that need actual pixels (line art, blurred-layer blends). Also works on a lone layer with nothing clipped to it — it rasterizes that layer's own appearance (layer styles, smart-object or text content) into a flat pixel copy. The active layer must be top-level (not inside a group).

Blend TWO sources (each a layer + single channel) into a NEW alpha channel via a calculation blend mode (Image ▸ Calculations). **Reach for this** to build advanced selections/masks from channel math — e.g. difference of two channels to isolate edges, or multiply two channels for a luminosity mask. Non-destructive: adds a new channel (delete it to revert); the result is loadable as a selection via ps_selection_channel op=load. (AM-only; verified live on PS 27.2.0.)

Clip or un-clip the active layer against the layer directly below it — choose with `op`. `create`: use the layer below as the alpha source; PS paints the active layer only where the layer below has pixels. Non-destructive — the upper layer is unchanged. Common for constraining a texture/photo to a shape, or masking an effect to a single underlying layer (the add_adjustment_layer tool already accepts clip_to_below for the adjustment-layer-specific case). Equivalent to Layer > Create Clipping Mask (Ctrl+Alt+G). `release`: the inverse — the layer returns to compositing against the whole canvas. Both ops are idempotent: create no-ops (already_clipped:true) on an already-clipped layer; release no-ops (released:false) on a non-clipped layer.

Close a Photoshop document — the active one by default, or a specific one by name or id. Destructive if save=false and the document has unsaved changes. If two open documents share the requested name the call fails rather than guessing. Returns the closed document name plus a fresh context block (which document, if any, is active afterwards).

Quantitative region comparison — the NUMERIC verification answer when "does it look right?" via get_preview is too subjective. Captures the histogram of two rectangular regions on the same document and reports per-channel mean / stdev / median for each region plus the deltas. **Reach for this when**: (a) "did the placed image match the room's lighting?" — sample a region of the placed image vs a region of the surrounding wall; (b) "did this adjustment do anything visible in the shadows?" — sample the same dark region before and after; (c) "is region A noticeably warmer/cooler than region B?" — read the channel means directly. Single-pixel sampling via a 1×1 rect is supported. Read-only.

Convert the document color mode (grayscale / rgb / cmyk / lab). Destructive and document-wide: the image is FLATTENED and, for grayscale, color is discarded (the confirmation prompt is auto-accepted). Use grayscale as the base for halftone / line-art workflows, or rgb to bring a CMYK/Lab doc back for normal editing. Returns updated document context.

Convert the active layer to a Smart Object, or (mode=new_via_copy) copy an existing Smart Object to an independent new one. `convert` (default) wraps the layer content so every subsequent filter becomes a Smart Filter — fully editable and non-destructive. PREREQUISITE for Camera Raw Filter, non-destructive frequency separation, and any workflow where filter parameters need to stay adjustable after the fact. Works on pixel, text, shape, and adjustment layers. Auto-promotes the background layer if needed. Wrapping an already-Smart-Object layer creates a nested Smart Object (valid in Photoshop — the inner SO is preserved as-is). `new_via_copy` requires the active layer to already be a Smart Object and yields a copy with its OWN source (unlinked). Use ps_rasterize_layer to go the other direction.

Copy the current selection into a NEW layer above the active one — Photoshop's "Layer via Copy" (Ctrl+J) — hoisted out of the active layer's group by default even though the underlying CpTL event carries no placement target and would otherwise nest the new layer INSIDE that group (pass into_active_group:true to keep that native nesting). The source layer is left untouched and the new copied layer becomes active. With an active selection only the selected pixels are lifted; with no selection it copies the whole active layer (a plain duplicate). Reach for this to isolate a region for independent transforms or filters (stretch, light rays, a local grade) without altering the source. Returns context so the caller sees the new active layer.

Create a new empty Photoshop document with given dimensions, resolution, and color mode. Returns the new document id and name plus active context. Use this when starting from scratch; prefer ps_open_document to load an existing file.

Create a new empty raster layer above the currently active layer. Non-destructive. Use ps_text (op=create) for text, ps_add_adjustment_layer for adjustments.

Crop the document to a region — EITHER anchor-relational `placement` (preferred: a region relation like inside/gap → the crop is the resolved, gate-verified region bbox, no pixel-guessing) OR absolute pixel bounds (left/top/right/bottom in document space). Destructive: pixels outside the bounds are permanently lost. Idempotent for the same bounds. Returns updated document context.

DESTRUCTIVE: Delete a layer. With no arg, deletes the currently active layer (backward-compatible). With `name`, recurses into groups and deletes the first LAYER matching that name — useful for cleanup workflows where the dead layer is not currently active. A name that matches a group is refused rather than deleted; use ps_group(op=delete) to delete a group and all its contents. Recoverable only via Edit > Undo.

The cheap, narrow read: labeled bounding boxes only — faces and/or COCO-80 objects (person, dog, car, chair, sofa, …) in DOCUMENT-pixel space. LOCAL on-device computer vision; the image is never sent anywhere. Use this for real coordinates before a spatially-targeted edit when boxes are all you need — far more reliable than estimating positions from a preview. For the full scene model (regions, horizon, tonal zones, composition, and a menu of selectable named regions), use ps_read_scene instead. `target` selects faces / objects / both. Read-only: renders a throwaway duplicate, never modifies the working document. Boxes are [x1, y1, x2, y2]. Pass `annotate:true` for an annotated preview JPEG (faces cyan, objects magenta) when you need to visually confirm a surprising result.

See and steer WHICH documents are open, without touching their content. op=list answers 'what is open, which one is active, and does it have unsaved changes' — and it is the one document tool that works when nothing is open at all, so it is the recovery read after a 'No document is open' failure. op=activate switches the active document by name or id, which is how you fix having edited the wrong one. Read-only with respect to pixels; use ps_open_document to load a file and ps_close_document to close one.

Duplicate the active layer. The new layer becomes active. Returns context so the caller sees the new active layer. Not idempotent (each call creates another copy).

Export the active document to a flattened image file — JPEG or PNG, chosen via `format`. Operates on a duplicate, so the working document is unchanged. Optionally downscales so the long edge equals long_edge_px. JPEG: quality 0-100 (Save-As scale), optional sRGB convert + profile embed. PNG: transparent background (alpha preserved) or flattened onto white, compression 0-9.

Fill the active layer (or the current selection within it) with a solid RGB color. Idempotent for the same color. Throws on fully-locked or text layers — rasterize text first if needed.

Apply a Photoshop filter (op=apply, the default) to a DUPLICATE of the active layer by default — the original is preserved, undo by deleting the copy. Pass apply_to_active_layer:true to bake into the original instead. Choose the filter with `type` (see the `type` field for its params); pass as_smart_filter:true on a Smart Object to apply it as a re-editable SMART FILTER instead of rasterizing. This same tool also reads and manages that re-editable Smart Filter stack: op=list (every filter's index/name/type/enabled/opacity/blend), op=set_visibility (toggle one off/on), op=set_blend (restyle opacity/blend_mode), op=remove (delete one). Management ops need a 1-based `index` from op=list first — index 1 is the first-applied filter, at the bottom of the stack. Covers blur, sharpen, noise, high_pass, pixelate, distort, displace, and oil_paint.

Whole-image (or per-channel) histogram — the quantitative answer to questions get_preview can't reliably answer by eye. Returns 256 bin counts plus mean / stdev / median. Cheap (~50ms), read-only. **Reach for this when**: (a) clipping detection — bins 0 and 255 carry the count of crushed shadows / blown highlights; you can't see clipping reliably in a downsampled JPEG preview; (b) exposure verification after a levels/curves/exposure adjustment — confirm the histogram actually shifted; (c) "is this image neutral-gray?" — compare R / G / B channel means; (d) confirming a destructive op did anything (two identical histograms = no-op regardless of the tool's success message). Composite reads the visible flattened image (any color mode). Per-channel reads require the document have that channel.

Numeric verification: compute the per-edge pixel deltas between a layer's actual bounds and a target rectangle. Returns left/top/right/bottom deltas (actual − target), scale ratio (actual_size / target_size), centroid offset, and a one-word verdict ("aligned", "shifted right", "layer too small", etc.). Use this AFTER place_image / scale_layer / move_layer to confirm the operation produced the intended result — far more reliable than eyeballing a preview for fine alignment. Read-only. Layers nested in groups are found by name recursively.

Render the active Photoshop document as a flattened, downscaled image and return it inline so the calling AI can see the current visual state. Use this to verify edits visually, judge whether adjustments went too far or not far enough, and decide what to do next. Read-only with respect to the working document (renders a duplicate that is closed immediately). The optional `annotations` array draws overlays in document-space coordinates: `rectangle` / `guide` / `point` / `selection` for spatial verification, and `grid` / `composition` for coordinate readout and compositional evaluation (added 2026-06-09 — grid styles `every` / `thirds` / `quarters` / `phi`, composition styles `diagonals` / `triangles` / `fibonacci_grid` / `golden_spiral`). Use spatial annotations to verify ("did the placed image land inside the frame interior?") — pass both target and actual bounds in different colors. Use grid / composition annotations to EVALUATE composition (balance, thirds, leading lines, focal-point placement) — not to read a coordinate for a tool call. To place or select precisely, do NOT read a pixel off a grid (unreliable) — NAME the intent to the on-device perception tools instead: `ps_detect` (COCO objects → real document-pixel boxes), `ps_select_by_reference` (a named target → a real selection, not a guessed rectangle), plus any spatial-grounding locator / selection tools present in `tools/list`. Without annotations, behaves identically to a plain preview.

Render an inline JPEG so the agent can visually verify what is currently selected: by default a red-wash OVERLAY (50% red over the selected area, Quick Mask-style — most intuitive); pass `image:'mask'` for a B/W MASK (black = selected, white = not) instead, or `image:'both'` for both. selection_info is always returned regardless of `image`. Heavier than the selection_info bundle alone (~2-4s) — call this when the stats look off or before committing a mask. Does NOT modify the source document.

Layer group (LayerSet) lifecycle and membership — choose the operation with `op`. create/delete/ungroup/add_layer/set_blend_mode. See the `op` enum for per-operation params. delete and ungroup are DESTRUCTIVE and require confirm:true — delete removes the group AND everything inside it; ungroup dissolves the group but promotes its contents to the parent level (use ungroup, not delete, to keep the layers).

Manage document guides — non-printing layout aids for a HUMAN working in Photoshop. Guides are editor-only chrome: they do NOT render into ps_get_preview (the exported/flattened image), so they are a user authoring aid, not a model-perception tool — place them when a person will open the PSD and wants alignment/composition marks. Choose with `op`. `add` places one guide (orientation horizontal|vertical) at a `position` in px. `layout` creates an evenly-spaced grid (columns and/or rows — great for rule-of-thirds at 3×3). `clear` removes all guides.

Read-only document inspection — choose with `what` (metadata / layer_tree / history / selection_info / smart_object). This is the assess/orientation surface: call it at the start of a workflow and whenever you need fresh state. For metadata, pass `sections` to subset (e.g. ["context"] for a cheap probe). For an IMAGE-based check use ps_get_preview; for NUMERIC verification use ps_get_histogram / ps_compare_regions / ps_get_layer_bounds_diff (these stay separate, named tools on purpose). Read-only and idempotent.

Manage the active layer's mask — choose with `op`. `create`: add a layer mask; if a selection is active it reveals the selection and hides the rest (the one-call "mask the placed image to the frame opening" — make the selection first, then create); with no selection, a reveal-all mask; adjustment layers load the current selection into their built-in mask. `delete`: remove the mask (layer pixels preserved). `apply`: DESTRUCTIVE — permanently bake the mask into the pixels (outside-mask pixels lost). `gradient`: draw a linear fade into the mask (fade_to names the side that ends hidden; start/end place the fade; auto-creates the mask; replaces existing mask content and clears any active selection first) — the standard fade for reflections, sky blends, and soft edge falloff. Verify with ps_get_preview. Prefer keeping masks non-destructive unless flattening for export. **Don't write `Mk Chnl At=Msk` or `Grdn` AM scripts in execute_script — this tool already does both.**

Live map of every tool this MCP exposes, grouped by capability — each group is a one-line purpose plus the tool names in it. Read-only and cheap. Reach for it to re-orient mid-session (what exists, what to reach for) when the overview brief has scrolled out of context, or to learn which tool names to look up. ps_overview tells you HOW to combine tools; this tells you WHAT exists, currently; tools/list has the full schema for any one you pick.

Merge layers — choose with `mode`. `visible`: collapse all visible layers into one (DESTRUCTIVE; identities lost). `stamp`: merge visible into a NEW layer on top, leaving originals intact (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E — the non-destructive "final tweak" composite for output sharpening/grain/contrast; prefer this when building on top rather than collapsing). `flatten`: flatten ALL layers into the background (DESTRUCTIVE; transparency filled with bg color — use sparingly, usually prefer `visible` or exporting a flattened copy). Returns context.

Modify the CURRENT selection — choose with `op`. (To create a NEW selection instead, use ps_select.) `feather` softens by radius_px (use when a selection was made hard, e.g. after select all/inverse, before applying an adjustment). `refine_edge` runs Select-and-Mask's global sliders headlessly (smooth, feather, contrast, shift_edge, edge-detection radius, decontaminate) to clean halos and soft/fuzzy edges (hair) after a rough color-range / magic-wand / subject selection. `expand` / `contract` grow / shrink the selection by `amount` px. `border` replaces the selection with an `amount`-px band around its edge. `smooth` rounds the corners with an `amount`-px radius. `grow` / `similar` expand the selection to similar-colour pixels by `tolerance` (+anti_alias) — `grow` to adjacent pixels only, `similar` document-wide. `transform` relatively scales (scale_x_percent / scale_y_percent), rotates (rotate_degrees) and/or translates (offset_x / offset_y) the marching ants — pixels are untouched. All require an active selection and return selection_info.

Move a layer to a position in the stack — the single ordering primitive (the per-direction helpers `_to_top` / `_to_bottom` / `_up` / `_down` were removed 2026-05-31; this tool covers all four cases). Position keywords: ABOVE/BELOW (requires target_layer_name — places the moved layer immediately above/below the target), TOP/BOTTOM (absolute — target_layer_name not needed). By default the ACTIVE layer is moved; pass layer_to_move=<name> to move a specific layer by name (recurses into groups). COMMON CASES: an adjustment layer just created landed below another adjustment that masks its effect → move it to TOP; a vignette darkens the wrong layers → move ABOVE the layer it should affect; a sky-replacement composite is showing through the foreground → move the foreground to TOP. Idempotent for a given (layer_to_move, target, position).

Open a file from disk into Photoshop with all dialogs suppressed (uses last-used Camera Raw settings for raw/HEIC). Returns document name, dimensions, color mode, and whether the source was a raw format. `is_raw_source` is workflow-critical, not a passive status field: when true, the first edit should be a Camera Raw develop pass on the base smart object (via a camera-raw develop tool, if one is registered in tools/list) — NOT stacked tonal adjustment layers. Use this in the pipeline to load Inbox files for editing. If the file is ALREADY open, its existing document is activated rather than opened a second time — `already_open: true` says so, and any edits made to it are still there (Photoshop would otherwise open a duplicate with a fresh Background, which silently strands prior work).

Orientation brief for the entire MCP — workflow contract, capabilities map by category, verification primitives, escape-hatch policy, known gaps. READ THIS FIRST when the user gives you an open-ended editing task. Read-only, idempotent, no document required, no Photoshop call (returns a static markdown brief). Skip it for trivial single-tool requests where you already know which tool fits.

Work with editable vector PATHS — the connective tissue between selections, brush strokes, and clipping. One op-discriminated tool: `create_from_selection` (selection → work path), `create_from_placement` (NAME a curve → editable saved path, the grounded pen), `save` (name the work path), `list`, `delete`, `load_as_selection` (path → selection), `stroke` (paint a brush-family tool along a path), `fill` (fill a path region), `set_clipping` (mark a saved path as the clipping path). **Reach for this when**: tracing a named curve (an edge, a landmark contour) into an editable path, turning a precise selection into a reusable/strokeable outline, converting a saved path back to a selection, or outlining/filling a shape exactly. create_from_selection and load_as_selection are an exact round-trip. stroke/fill bake pixels and auto-duplicate the target layer. Every op returns path_info (counts + per-path subpath/anchor totals) so you can verify the path landed; load_as_selection also returns selection_info.

Test connection to Photoshop and report session-start discovery signals. Read-only and idempotent. Call this once at the start of a session to confirm liveness before invoking any other tool. **If the user has given you an open-ended editing task, ALSO call `ps_overview` after this** — it returns the workflow contract + capabilities map + verification primitives so you can plan well. Returns `version` (folds the removed get-version tool), `custom_action_sets` (count of Action Sets loaded in the Photoshop Actions palette — non-zero means recorded workflows exist; if action tools are available in this build they will appear in `tools/list`), `user_templates` (count of saved Editmamei templates), and `open_documents` (names of documents already open in Photoshop, so the LLM does not have to ask which doc to edit).

Place an image file (JPEG, PNG, PSD, etc.) as a new Smart Object layer in the active document, optionally offset from center. Rasterize separately if you need to apply pixel-only operations. Open-world: reads from the filesystem. Returns the new layer name, bounds, and updated document context.

Rasterize the active layer (convert text or smart object to plain pixels). Destructive — the text/smart-object source is lost. No-op if already a normal raster layer. Returns context so the caller sees the layer kind transition.

The full scene model — run this before a spatially-targeted edit, not the cheaper ps_detect: detected subjects (with the main one flagged) and faces in document pixels, a coarse sky/ground region map, the horizon line (y + placement + confidence), tonal zones (shadow/midtone/highlight bands + coverage), composition geometry (which thirds cell the subject sits in, balance, headroom), and the menu of selectable named regions. The structured model is complete on its own — pass `annotate:true` for an annotated preview JPEG when you actually need to see it drawn. Built using LOCAL on-device vision + classical CV; the image never leaves the machine. Select regions by name with ps_select_by_reference instead of guessing a rectangle. Read-only: renders a throwaway duplicate. Perception is cached per document state, so repeated reads are cheap.

Step forward in the document history (equivalent to Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+Z). Only works if ps_undo was the last operation; making a fresh edit destroys the redo stack. Returns updated context.

Run Photoshop's Sky Replacement (Adobe Sensei): detect the sky, composite a replacement, and relight/colour-grade the foreground to match. Non-destructive — everything lands in a "Sky Replacement Group" of editable layers above the original, so the result can be tuned or deleted afterwards. sky_file takes an ABSOLUTE path to ANY image on disk, not only Photoshop's built-in presets. Reach for harmonization_opacity and foreground_lighting_opacity when the composite reads as pasted-on; those two carry most of the believability. Fails cleanly when the image has no detectable sky (indoor or closed compositions).

Collect an ANONYMIZED diagnostic bundle and write it to the user's Downloads folder so they can attach it to a bug report — use when Editmamei misbehaves (won't connect, a tool keeps failing, unexpected results). The bundle holds recent server logs, system info (Editmamei/OS/Photoshop versions), and a content-free summary of recent tool calls (name, success, duration, error class). It contains NO image content, NO tool arguments, and file paths reduced to basenames. Does not touch Photoshop; writes one JSON file. After calling, tell the user the file path and that they can attach it to a new issue at https://github.com/editmamei/editmamei/issues.

Resize the entire document canvas (all layers) to the specified absolute dimensions. Destructive: downscaling permanently loses pixel data. Idempotent: same width/height always yield the same result. For aspect-preserving downscale during export, see ps_export (format=jpeg / png) which resize a duplicate. Returns updated document context.

Selection-driven content-aware retouch — choose the technique with `method`. Requires an active selection (throws if none, so Content-Aware Fill never silently fills the whole layer). Auto-duplicates the active layer by default so the original is preserved (auto-duplicate-first); pass `apply_to_active_layer: true` to bake into the original. `content_aware_fill` synthesizes a fill from surroundings (remove wires/objects/blemishes); `patch` samples replacement pixels from a chosen offset — or NAME the source region with `source_placement` (grounded + gated); `content_aware_move` relocates the selection and fills the source — offset, or NAME where with `destination_placement`.

Save the active document as a layered PSD to the given path. Saves as a copy, so the working document is unmodified and unrenamed. Use this in the pipeline to land an editable PSD into the Edit folder.

Create a NEW selection — choose with `mode`. (To edit the CURRENT selection instead — including growing it by colour similarity — use ps_modify_selection.) `all` selects the canvas; `none` deselects; `inverse` inverts the current selection (e.g. select the subject, then inverse to act on the background). `rectangle` (left/top/right/bottom, optional feather_px to avoid hard block-edges in smooth sky). `ellipse` (left/top/right/bottom bounding box + anti_alias — circles/ovals). `color_range` (target red/green/blue + fuzziness — "select all the red / skin tones"). `luminance_range` (highlights/shadows/midtones — foundation for glow / dodge-burn). `magic_wand` (click x/y + tolerance, contiguous). `focus_area` selects by depth of field rather than subject or colour (+in_focus_radius, soft_mask) — check whole_canvas_selected/warning in the result before trusting it. `grow` / `similar` are DEPRECATED here (they act on the CURRENT selection, not a new one) — use ps_modify_selection(op=grow|similar) instead; kept for one release for backward compatibility, identical behaviour. rectangle/ellipse/magic_wand also accept a grounded `placement` (NAME a region/point instead of guessing pixels — resolved + gate-verified). The geometric/color/wand modes take selection_type (replace|add|subtract|intersect) to combine with an existing selection and return a rich selection_info bundle — verify it (or ps_get_selection_preview) before committing to a mask.

Select a region by NAME instead of coordinates — the natural-mask alternative to a rectangle — with a CONFIDENCE GATE. target=sky/ground/foliage/subject/face/shadows/highlights/skin/above_horizon resolves through the right Photoshop-native method (threshold for sky, invert-sky−subjects for ground, luminance for shadows/highlights, skin-tone colour ∩ the subject box, the detected face/subject box) and is SCORED before it is offered: a clean region is left selected; an unconfident one is NOT selected and reported as honest absence (the city with no real sky gets no sky). Pro adds precise FACE-FEATURE targets backed by the face mesh — face_skin (the retouch mask: face minus eyes/brows/lips), face_eyes, face_brows, face_lips, face_teeth (mouth opening), face_nose, face_under_eye, face_cheeks — each a real geometry-following selection, derived on first request and then saved as a scene:face_* channel so repeats load instantly. `passed`/`confidence` are returned. A region derived here is cached as a `scene:*` channel keyed by TARGET ONLY, so a later call for the same target loads it by name; pass `refresh:true` to force a fresh derive after an edit that changes what the region means, and note that narrowing a call with `label`/`instance`/`composition_context` always derives (it neither reads nor writes that shared channel). The structural floor (coherence, horizon alignment) is never tuned; for an artistic/non-standard shot pass `composition_context` (e.g. profile:big_sky) to relax the compositional priors so a legitimately large sky is not rejected. For target=subject with several present, pass `label` and/or `instance`. Build/inspect with ps_read_scene first; verify with ps_get_selection_preview (the red-overlay is the human/agent oversight view). Prefer this over a rectangle for any real-world region.