Yes, that's my question:

Is there a way to keep the shape of a selection when you expand or contract it ?
(Select/Modify/....)

I find these pretty useless as the shapes change...
Even a simple rectangle looses its right angles when I expand it !!
TY

maybe this will help?
Using Smart Objects.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l309y6i9azc

shift drag
hold down shift key while dragging a corner handle
ctrl + t > shift + click and drag

not sure if I'm reading you right but with the shape selected go to "Select/Save Selection" and it makes a channel of the shape for you. Then you can make a selection around the channel window and transform/scale it.Not sure if that's what you are trying to do but thought I'd say something anyway

update: nevermind...I see what you want to do....HOLD the shape you have before you expand?

Is there a way to keep the shape.....


Situps, pushups, lay off the beer.....

made an example of what I think your talking about. I made it backwards though Blue is the original and red being the expanded version cutting the corner off.

Or
1 with selection tool still active, right click somewhere on canvas, choose transform selection,
2 drag corners (shift key). For precision adjust width and height in option bar.
3 confirm with ctrl enter

Create path from selection, export to Illustrator, offset path in Illustrator (mitered corners), and fill it with with a solid color, save the ai file, place the ai file in PS, align with original selection, use this layer to make new selection...

or

create path from selection and use the Path Styler Pro plugin to offset the path with mitered corners, use new path for new selection

MindGraph you showed the problem backwards and perfectly.
Thanks to gravyboat and Netwel for the answer !
So what's the use of select/modify/expand or contract? It makes such a poor job while transform selection works perfectly. (did not know it was there.. ..)
vokaris don't make it simple if you can find a complicated way...but I want to learn the stuff about paths...still mysterious to me. So I'll study your answer. (can you make a scalloped path ?)
Thanks to all of you !