Smart objects, why so big?

[marcel_911]

Hi,

I need to output about 30 jpg files from a single master, the differences will be crop shape and colour.

I thought Image Assets would be ideal.

I have converted my base layer to a smart object, added a couple of Hue Sat adjustment layers with masks clipped to the base layer, put all these in a group and called the group something like red.jpg

I duplicate this group and call it something like pano_red.jpg and add a panorama shape mask to the group.

This is working fine, but each time I duplicate this group my original psd file is increasing in size by 120mb.

I thought a smart object when you duplicated it was linked to the first one. it must be somehow because if I change any of the duplicated smart objects then they all change, but why is it adding 120mb each time. That is some admin overhead!

The image is roughly 9000 x 5000px. An 8bit mask at this size is only 4.5mb uncompressed so this isn't where the 120mb is going.

I am up to 7 groups and the file is now 1.2gb.

I was trying to make this idiot proof so anyone can replace the base image and then fiddle with the adjustment layers and voila, 30 saved jpg files

[davescm · Accepted solution]

Hi

A single pixel layer of 9000x5000x3bytes = 128MB

Each time you add a duplicate smart object it will add an overhead equivalent to single pixel layer size, no matter how large or small the contents of the smart object. So even if the original smart object contained 16 pixel based layers - the overhead of duplicating it is a single pixel layer size.

Note the effect on saved file sizes is smaller due to PSD/PSB compression

I hope that makes sense

Dave

[marcel_911]

Thanks, that makes sense.

I'll have to find another way.

[davescm]

Hi

You could try this:

If the only difference is adjustments then you could start with a single image layer (in a smart object) and add all the adjustments.

Turn on the visibility of each set of adjustments in turn and save each set as a layer Comp. That way you can add as many adjustment layers as you like and the layer comps will take care of switching on and off the adjustments.

You can then create an action to both switch layer comps and  Export Save for Web for each layer comp

Dave

[marcel_911]

Yeah that sounds like a solution. I'd forgotten about layer comps. Thanks

Export layer comps to files seems to work ok, the filename prefix helps and if I name my comps cleverly I just need to remove the underscore it adds after the prefix and I am done.

I need to crop also for some versions, but I can do a non destructive crop and run the export again with a new prefix.

I've got two adjustment layers for each colour variant and have put these in a group. I've just duplicated that group 20 times and it's only added 20mb or so to the original file. That is more workable than a 2-3gb file. My 2009 Mac Pro at work was struggling with an 800mb file.

[davescm]

Glad you have a solution to go forward

Dave

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

Export layer comps to files seems to work ok, the filename prefix helps and if I name my comps cleverly I just need to remove the underscore it adds after the prefix and I am done.

Easy enough to do in say Adobe Bridge via Batch Rename.