Alternative Smart Filter Mask

If you find editing filter masks without seeing mask thumbnails inconvenient, consider an alternative masking method.

1. In the Layers palette, select a filtered smart object.
2. Open the "Masks" dialog and apply the "Alt-Mask" command.
3. Now you can mask the effect by painting on the ordinary layer mask (screenshot).

The upside of this method is that you can see a mask thumbnail and can use standard commands for handling the mask.

The downside - somewhat bulkier layer structure and larger size of the saved PSD file.