photoshop · braza shows you
could not complete your request because the smart object is not directly editable
braza points at layer > smart objects > rasterize (or edit contents) so the error clears and your tools work again.
'could not complete your request because the smart object is not directly editable' means you're trying to brush, erase, or clone straight onto a smart object - a wrapped, protected layer. you either edit its contents in a separate tab or rasterize it back into normal pixels. here's both.
or do it yourself
- 1to keep it editable: double-click the smart object's thumbnail to open its contents in a new tab, make your edit, then save (ctrl/cmd+s) and close - the change flows back.
- 2to edit pixels directly: select the layer and go to layer > smart objects > rasterize layer (or right-click the layer > rasterize layer).
- 3now the layer is normal pixels and the brush, eraser, and clone tools work on it.
- 4note rasterizing is permanent - you lose the smart object's non-destructive scaling, so duplicate the layer first if you might need it.
- 5to convert any layer back into a smart object later, right-click it > convert to smart object.
let braza do this with you
braza is a tiny on-screen guide that points at the right buttons and talks you through it, on windows and mac.
downloadcommon questions
what does 'smart object is not directly editable' mean?
the layer is a smart object - a protected container. you can't paint on it directly; either double-click to edit its contents or rasterize it into normal pixels first.
will rasterizing a smart object lose quality?
not at its current size, but you lose the ability to scale it back up cleanly - so resize it before you rasterize.