A very convoluted problem...

[Josh_Tempelaars]

Ok so this might be a little hard to follow, But I will try my best to explain. I had what I thought was a bright idea... turns out it doesn't really work... or atleast I cannot get it to work the way I want.

The idea.

I have a master illustrator file with several artboards that have various designs on them for graphics and design work (branding). I have a couple of Master Photoshop files that each have several artboards with Mock up stationary setups. Say 1 artboard has some stationary in one view another artboard has a different angle. Now I had the bright idea to link the various different smart objects that nest inside the photoshop files to the master AI file each element to the artboard it draws from. My theory was that when I create a design I only have to edit the AI master file then save it. And when I open up the Master PSD the new designs will populate in the right areas and all I have to do is save out the renders for the different artboards.

The problem I'm finding though is once I link one element to the correct artboard on the AI file and save, the next element on the PSD file has the little error icon. So this means that even if I edit the Master AI file it wouldn't populate the PSD artboard elements with the correct if indeed any of the new design. This in theory would have been a great idea as the same design can be used several times across the various PSD artboards without having to change them all individually each time.

So I guess my question would be, is what I am trying to do even possible by using one master file?

[Chuck Uebele]

No, don't think it's possible, as the linked files will update to show the last saved state of the master file.

[Josh_Tempelaars]

least of all because the linked files are nested in smart objects so if the file does change it won't show up until you open up the mart object first

[davescm]

Hi Josh

Chuck is likely to be right - he usually is, but please tell me what I'm missing here from your process:

An AI document with three artboards :

A PSD with each of those artboards, placed in it as a linked smart object using "Place Linked"

I update the AI file - changing the colour of the square on artboard 1 and adding text on artboard 2

On saving the AI document the smart objects in the PSD in Photoshop are updated

Like I say - it is probably me missing the point

Dave

[Josh_Tempelaars]

That's close but it's more like this

AI file with artboards

PSD file with artboards

Smart object with the linked file

now this was done so I could add effects and layers and what have you to each individual element. But that won't work as it is nested and PS won't update the nested files without actually going into them. Also if you do go into the smart object if it has been translated to fit the bg it resets to it's original size.

[davescm · Accepted solution]

Thanks Josh - got it now. It was the linked smart objects inside the document smart objects I had missed.

If the only reason you nested the smart objects was to be able to use the distort and perspective transform controls and add different shadows then you could do this, which uses Perspective Warp instead of transform. That allows you do build your renders without nested SOs

Place linked each object onto the first artboard

Duplicate onto the other artboards

Use Perspective Warp instead of transform - this will allow you to keep the linked objects without nesting

Add drop shadows etc as required.

The links will be updated from AI

Update objects in AI and the Photoshop document changes :

Dave

[mark-heaps]

I had this same experience, instead of using multiple artboards, saving, and updating the Smart Object I just made all my artboards individual layers in the AI file and turned them on and off as needed. When I hit save it updated and worked fine. i haven't tested it recently, but in the past it worked fine through the layers function.