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1. Re: Linked Smart Objects
Reynolds (Mark) Jan 20, 2011 6:17 PM (in response to PeaceFingers)If the placed psd is updated, naturally all documents containing that psd would be updated to reflect the changes.
How do you propose that works?
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2. Re: Linked Smart Objects
PeaceFingers Jan 20, 2011 6:46 PM (in response to Reynolds (Mark))Hey Mark
How do you propose that works?
Exactly like Adobe Illustrator. If you're familiar, a placed object in illustrator that hasn't been embedded, will automatically update if the original artwork has changed (even if the content was changed by another program). If the illustrator file containing the linked artwork is open when a change is made to the linked artwork, you get a popup on reentering illustrator asking if you would like to commit the changes.
I realize it's a complex feature, but it would be a monumental upgrade to Photoshop Smart Objects.
If the placed psd is updated, naturally all documents containing that psd would be updated to reflect the changes.
I also think i may have worded this poorly... obviously Photoshop cant force other programs to update their own open files, or anything like that. I was just trying to reiterate the fact that if a Photoshop Smart Object could be linked to an external psd... and that external file was changed, all other psd's with that linked file would reflect the changes when opened, or previewed.
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3. Re: Linked Smart Objects
Reynolds (Mark) Jan 21, 2011 11:37 AM (in response to PeaceFingers)OK, its a fair request. And its one I'm sure they are very carefully looking at. It does have problems based on the same fundamental limitation that stops the much requested Auto-save feature being implemented.
Photoshop files can be enormous. Indesgn and Illustrator are vector based apps. When you link to an external file in these apps, any time reading off the disk is a lot more minimal than it would be in Photoshop.
To explain one of the the problems, take this scenario: You have a Photoshop file with 20 linked Smart Object documents. You, or someone who's wife you had an entertaining night with last night, then chooses to upsample the linked documents by 500%. You then try and open the master document. What happens? Your carefully worked Photoshop file is now more or less unopenable. Just freezes, while it goes through the automatic process of trying to read in twenty 4 Gig files. The solution is to have an Update all documents command of some sort of course. But the external linking behaviour that Illustrator shows cannot be directly copied satisfactorily .
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4. Re: Linked Smart Objects
PeaceFingers Jan 21, 2011 11:41 AM (in response to Reynolds (Mark))yeah, i totaly agree with you, i wasnt thinking of using it in a photographic environment. It was more of a web designing feature in my mind (small files at 72ppi).
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5. Re: Linked Smart Objects
SG... Jan 22, 2011 12:14 AM (in response to PeaceFingers)Hi,
As a near term solution, have a look here:
http://ps-scripts.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=3045&sid=46200aa07f06fabb89d96fbbf498052c
There's a CS4 and a CS5 version, plus it looks like Mike Hale has provided the Flex project for further customization if you're so inclined.
This doesn't preclude investigations to make your feature request more robust and included as part of a shipping Ps version.
regards,
steve
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6. Re: Linked Smart Objects
Reynolds (Mark) Jan 22, 2011 8:09 AM (in response to SG...)SG, great link. Something I wasn't aware of.
Mike Hale's Links Panel works, with a few minor glitches. He updated it with an "Update All" button if you look later in the thread.
The advantage with this over "Replace Contents", which I assume the OP is aware of by the way, is that it records the path to the external file, and also allows opening of the linked file from within the panel.
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7. Re: Linked Smart Objects
PeaceFingers Jan 24, 2011 8:52 AM (in response to SG...)Thanks SG, Mike Hale's Links Panel is a great short term solution.
But it's not the super-powered feature that it could be if it were built into Photoshop.


