,,,

I disagree. You made your point. It is documented. Oops, I thought a forum is a place for discussion.

That happens because of the reason given in my first reply. I don't think it's a bug, although there clearly is room for improvement in how the software handles the situations of your examples.

Maybe I misunderstand you, but toolbar alignments do make use of the key object, and the alignment popup of the main toolbar considers the key object to be the 'first selected' regardless of when it was selected.

For me using the app's dark UI, the button background is darker when enabled. To be clear, my opinion is that the status of that option should not prevent opt+click from being effective in the document view, and I've now reported it as a bug:

AD 2.0.4, AP 2.0.4, APub 2.0.4 macOS 12.6.3 Some functionality, for example Cut Curves With Key Object and aligning objects, make use of a key object. To mark the key object from amongst a collection of already selected objects, the user opt+clicks the object, either in the document view or in Layers panel. If the option 'Allow selection to consider items inside a group' is disabled, opt+clicking is successful in the document view and in Layers panel. However, if that option is enabled, opt+clicking is successful in Layers panel, but it is no different to just an unmodified click in the document view. Ignoring the opt key feels like a bug to me.

Found it. Selecting the key object by opt+clicking on canvas is not possible when 'Allow selection to consider items inside a group' is enabled. Smells like a bug to me.

You need to option+click the object's thumbnail or name in Layers panel.

[deleted - was my misunderstanding]

[Deleted: grouping solution already posted by @anto]

AP 2.0.4, AD 2.0.4, APub 2.0.4 macOS 12.6.3 A folded row in the Layers panel can present up to three additional thumbnails of mask-nested objects such as Pixel Masks, Vector Masks, Adjustments and Filters. Such a thumbnail of a mask-nested object usefully has a distinct red diagonal across it when the object is disabled, in the case of a Pixel Mask or an Adjustment, but not in the case of another type of object. The lack of red diagonal when an object is disabled feels like a bug or oversight. Related:

AP 2.0.4, AD 2.0.4, APub 2.0.4 macOS 12.6.3 A folded row in the Layers panel can present up to three additional thumbnails of mask-nested objects such as Pixel Masks, Vector Masks, Adjustments and Filters. Shift-clicking on such a thumbnail will usefully toggle the visibility of the nested object in the case of a Pixel Mask or an Adjustment, but not in the case of another type of object. The lack of response to shift-clicking feels like a bug or oversight. Related:

In the version 1 apps, you must click the thumbnail, not the name area, of the mask-nested object (the HSL Shift Adjustment) to select only it and not its parent (the Group), and then delete it.

The Alignment popup in the main toolbar has target options including "first selected" and "last selected". The Alignment Handles device, which can be enabled in context toolbar of Move Tool and several other tools, has a right edge handle for aligning the right edges of all selected objects to anything, and it observes many of the available snapping options.

Try ensuring Transparent Background is not enabled in the Document menu and then export to 16 bits per channel RGB TIFF.

It's made clear by a red diagonal line across the thumbnail of a disabled Mask/Adjustment in the collapsed row. At least that happens in the apps on macOS.