Photoshop :: Enlarged Smart Objects With Vectors Inside Them Appear As Resized Bitmaps
Jul 7, 2013
In Photoshop CC for Mac I have...
Â
Created layers of vector artCombined them into a smart object. Enlarged the smart object (both via "Transform" and "Image Size")Â Upon enlarging, the vector objects look the way an enlarged bitmap would (i.e. fuzzy, pixelated, terrible) instead of crisp and clean as a vector should look. I've double- and triple-checked to make sure all layers have remained vector after resizing and they have.
Â
This is a terrible inconvenience for anyone that works heavily with vector smart objects and resizes them. I use this workflow on a daily basis to make adapting interface elements for various screen resolutions easier, without it I am beyond screwed.
Â
Screenshot proof below:
Bit of a strange one, this. In Photoshop CS6, whenever I create a smart object with the intention of resizing it, whenever I shrink it, where one flat colour collides with another, it creates a really ugly "bleed" effect -- kind of the same effect you get when you take a small image and try to make it larger: Â I've zoomed in on this particular part to show just how bad it looks. Particularly on the upper part of the forearm, see how it's got a sort of white "halo" before the black outline? It now looks like I drew a slightly darker outline around all the levels of shading, and it looks really bad, almost like a raised/chiselled effect. Â Obviously it's not as noticeable when you zoom out, but it's definitely there. I've noticed that the same thing happens when I just resize the whole image using "bicubic automatic", but when I select "bicubic / anything else", the bleed does not occur. It kind of makes the once-incredibly-useful smart object tool kind of pointless now. Â This never happened with any other prior version of Photoshop which had smart objects, and I've only just got hold of CS6 a few days ago.
I'm working on a print document and do not understand the behavior of Designer Pro X9 concerning image optimizing. When I drag an image from explorer onto my document, I'm being prompted (as expected) to decide, whether I want to import the original size image or a resized version. Choosing the high resolution version gives me the full size bitmap to work with on my page.
But as soon as I drag the same image from the bitmap gallery onto my page, I get a downsized version of 1920 x 1280 pixels, which also immediately appears as a copy in the bitmap gallery. Why this happens and if and where I can prevent X9 from doing this?
I have simple outline drawings - like stars or paisleys - that I scan into PhotoPaint X5. So, to turn it into a vector drawing, I manually fill the outline drawing with the paintbrush, convert it to 1 bit, import it into CorelDraw, use the Trace Bitmap - outline trace - clip art, then do a hairline outline and remove the fill. I end up with a hairline outline of the original object that I can send to my laser. The objects must remain the same size as the original drawing.
Here's why I do some of what I outlined above. First, I manually fill the drawing because if I try to do the trace bitmap in CorelDraw X5 using the outline trace, it traces both the inside and the outside of the original line drawing because the line is thick. If I try the Trace Bitmap and select Centerline Trace, I the result is a jaggy line which won't work.
I think what I need most is a way to fill the object automatically rather than paint the inside of it. I thought I could just select the object in PhotoPaint and click on the fill, but it seems that the "object" is the outline drawing plus the background, so the fill ends up being the whole "object" including the background. I can Lasso the outline drawing and move it around on the background, but can't figure out how to do much else.
I often produce graphics in CorelDRAW, export it as en eps file and insert it inside a MS Word document as an image and finally convert it to pdf. This way my vector graphics (often linedrawings with or without fill) usually is preserved in the final pdf document. I can zoom in and the lines keep on displaying perfectly sharp. This is important, since it easily looks bad when thin lines are turned into bitmaps, even when watched from a distance.
Now, in some graphics I created today, I had a circle with fountain fill and outline (symbolizing a sphere) put behind a filled rectangle, which had a uniform transparency applied to it. In the resulting pdf file, the 'sphere' was turned into bitmap. Inside CorelDRAW everything was vector graphics, but something was loast in the process. what happens with the graphics in the different steps in the process and eventually could explain a workaround to make everything look as vector in the final pdf file.
I've got a bunch of comps that contain vectors animating. Inside the comps, the vectors are set to "continuously rasterize" which means that they come out nice and smooth no matter what the size. Â But I need to use these comps inside a larger composition, and I'm moving the whole comp around the screen with motion blur on it. Â But when the comp is set to "Collapse Transformations", motion blur is disabled. If I turn off "Collapse Transformations", it appears to over-ride the settings inside the comp, so none of the vectors are smooth. They all look like pixel-based images that have been scaled up. Horrible. Â I don't get it. I need those vectors to be crystal smooth, but I need the whole comp to have motion blur. How do I achieve this? Â This is a 2D question, I'm not using any 3D at all. I've read the relevant sections on Continuous Rasterization and on Collapsing Transforms and, as is the case with so much of this Adobe documentation that I'm being referred to, it does not address my specific case, though I can't imagine it's that uncommon. Â PS: I can't denormalize the hierarchy because of the way the animation has to work - the animation itself is hierarchical, therefore the content must be structured in a smiliar hierarchy in order to work (think moons orbiting planets orbiting the sun)
I resized it to fit the background notepad and made several identical copies of the texture layer, their only difference being different values for "blend if underlying layer", so that the texture smoothly ends with the underlying notepad on each side (as there are luminosity differences both on the notepad and the notepads background).
That looks fine for "normal blending" (dont worry about the messy bottom, it will be cropped when everythings done). But I actually need the texture to be multiplied with the background layer. Obviously setting each layer to multiply isnt going to cut it because they would multiply each other, too. So I need to either put all the layers into a smart object (option 1) or option 2, which Ill resort to here put all layers into a group set to multiply, since this way all of the layers in the group are put together first and the composite group is then treated as a single image and blended with the rest of the image, using multiply.
... whereas I rather expected the result to look like this (I only roughly masked the edges for demonstration purposes):
To me it seems, as if putting the group would nullify the "blend if underlying layer" settings for each layer. Besides, the same happens if I use a smart object instead of the group (option 1). I dont see why this should happen at all.
So my questions: Is this behaviour deliberate? And if so, can somebody explain ?
a solution to get to the last screenshot (without masking manually obviously) ?
I make a compound object, then when I resize it, it moves anchors around. Note the corners on the 3rd "8" -- they're pinched together. This is happening on a lot of different object   Edit: There are no "snaps" enabled.
I have a simple 3d object animation - it rotates over 1 second. The movie has 1 second. When played, it rotates in a loop. Â I've converted the 3d layer into a smart object. The smart object animation timeline has 5 seconds, but the nested 3d object rotates only once and then stops. How to make the internal 3d animation loop inside the smart object?
Something changed in my settings & I don't know how to chance it back. I can't click on to select objects inside or behind objects. What do I have to change to be able to select any item I click on regardless of where it is?
I recently upgraded to CS6 Master on Mac Mountain, and noticed that smart objects in Photoshop don't open in their respective applications. For example, when I double-click on the smart object, they open in Preview instead of Illustrator. How do I prevent Preview from opening smart objects? How do I make smart objects open in the application in which they were created?
Ok, so the title of this post sounds confusing. First off, I created a graphic in Illustrator CS3. It is to be used on a web page created in Dreamweaver CS3. I want to be able to streamline the editing process by using the Smart Object linking feature between Dreamweaver and Photoshop CS3.
Obviously, the problem is, I cannot link the Photoshop source to Dreamweaver because the source is not a Photoshop file, it is in Illustrator. The obvious solution to that is to export the Illustrator file as a Photoshop file. The problem with that is, I want to maintain the source in Illustrator and make edits in Illustrator.
So, my solution was to place the Illustrator file in Photoshop and make the Illustrator file a Smart Object in Photoshop. Then link that Photoshop file to the Dreamweaver page. So, basically, Photoshop is just the link between Dreamweaver and Illustrator. It works well! I click the little edit button in Dreamweaver abd it calls up the file in Photoshop. Then I double-click on the Smart Object layer in Photoshop and the source comes up in Illuistrator.
Now, here is the problem. To add to the confusion, I maintain versioning in Version Cue. So whenever I change the Illustrator file, I check it in to Version Cue. The Illustrator file I linked to in Photoshop is the local file on my computer. This file is syncronized with the version of the file that gets uploaded to Version Cue. This may sound complicated, but to see how I did it is pretty straight forward.
My assumption was, when I double clicked on the Smart Object layer in Photoshop, I would get the local copy of the Illustrator file to edit. But, that wasn't the case. Problem is, I got a temp file of the Illustrator graphic and NOT the original source file I linked to in Photoshop.
I can still edit the temp file and have those changes automatically made in Photoshop and then update the image in Dreamweaver. BUT, when I got to check in the new edits of the Illustrator file to Version Cue, it wants to create a new file and not rev-up to the new version of the original file. That's because the file I'm checking in is NOT the original file, it is a temp file.
Does anyone else use a workflow like this? If so, how do you do it?
A lot of the hype about CS2 has been around the Vanishing Point tool; Certainly it's cool, and it's probably the easiest feature to awe an audience with. But I think there is a new tool that is waaay more useful: Smart Objects. This is a feature that Adobe has done a terrible job of advertising and explaining—looking at most descriptions of it, it seems to be relevant only to those who often import work in from Illustrator or other apps. I use it just within Photoshop and I'm totally blown away by its power.
What exactly is it?
Smart Objects allows you to take a layer or group of layers and treat them as a single unit—a unit that you can scale, warp, and transform in any way you like without losing any of the data from the orginal layers that make up the "smart object" set. This smart object can be duplicated as many times as you want, and then it is possible to edit the master smart object and see all the changes applied at once.
Here I have a set of four layers—the white shape, the green square, the red circle, and the blue squiggles, which I have combined into a smart object. I then duplicated the smart object and applied different transformations to each one.
Now I double clicked on one of my four smart objects, and in the sub-document that opened, I moved the green square layer up, and added a new layer with a black yin-yang. I saved and closed the subdocument, and all four instances of the smart object in the main document updated with my changes.
The other cool thing that smart objects allows you to do is undo a transformation without losing any of the original resolution. In this image, I took a raster graphic, duplicated it, and put one inside a smart object and left the other a regular layer. I transformed both of them the same way, and they looked identical. But when I transformed them each again, to try to regain the original shape, the smart object looked significantly better.
How to get smart objects Select one or more layers in the layers palette, and ctrl-click or right click and select "Group into new Smart Object." Now, you are free to transform and duplicate this new object however you wish. (Note: To duplicate a smart object so that all instances update together, duplicate it in the layers palette as you would any other layer; to duplicate it so it is independent, use "New Smart Object via Copy" in the Layers Menu.) Now, when you wish to edit the original set of layers, double click the Smart Object in the layers palette, and it will open them in a new document. Save and close it when you want your changes applied to your main document.
Smart objects are an incredible tool to add to the arsenal of "safe photoshop practices." Always use adjustment layers, not direct adjustments; always do everything on separate layers; save important history states; use vector art for clean, scalable shapes and text; and convert layers to smart objects before transforming them. (There are certainly more, but these are the ones that jump to mind.)
A little sidenote:
This is a little animation I did using smart objects and the new Warp transformation. It's fairly ugly, but the point of it was to demonstrate another use of Smart Objects. I won't go into how it was done here,
I have created a smart object in cs2 to help me create a webpage, but when I transfer the file to image ready it says it does not understand the smart object. When I go back to photoshop it has turned my smart object into a flat image that can not be altered anymore. Can anyone help me or give me some advice with this please. I know its an older version of photoshop, but it dosen't make sense that they have not made the two programs compatible for smart images.Â
I use to copy over a layer into a file. as a smart object, transform it. Then if I needed to replace the image. I would double click and the contents would open as a .psb file. I could then replace the image and save it and it was updated in the main comp file. Â Now, if I double click I just get Camera Raw? If I choice edit SO same thing. Replace content lets me choose another file, but I don't have the open .psb which I could work on before saving it back. Â What am I doing wrong now to not get the .psb to open and edit?
after resetting photoshop prefrences i noticed one problem, after resetting i cant select smart objects such as UI Kits or even text objects when i select the move tool and try to select it it doesnt select and show box around it why ?
Inside the Camera Raw 8.1, Inside the Workflow Options, I Checked the Box for Open In Photoshop as a Smart Objects.I noticed Inside the Camera Raw, Open Image box turn to, Open Object box. I click on open, and It opened the Image as a Smart Objects Inside the Photoshop.  If I make any changes to the Image, and If I Double Click on the Smart Object, It will Open In Camera Raw again which Is good.I also noticed If I do any changes to the Image Inside the Camera Raw to the Smart Object after clicking on Open Smart Objects I see the changes Inside the Photoshop also. But If I do any changes to the Image Inside the Photoshop,and later I Double Click on the Image the Image opens Inside the Camera Raw, without any changes.  The Smart Object Image Is still a Raw Image ?I know If I open a Raw Image Inside the Camera Raw, and If I click on Done, the image is still a Raw Image, which Is good, and If I click on Reset Bottom, It will reset It back. If I only change the White Balance and Click on Done and go back to the Camera Raw again, and I choose As Shot, the Image goes back the Original Raw file.But If I do other changes such as the exposure, any color change, and click on done I can never go back to the original..  In the past month I been working with the Lightroom, and I noticed if I open a Raw image Inside the Lightroom, and do any changes to that Image,, any time I can click on the Reset and the Raw image goes back to its original.I don't think we can do this with Camera Raw can we ?
In Photoshop CC, smart objects that have a layer mask, always say they're at 100% (width and Height) even if they've been resized. If there is NO mask, the correct size appears. I hate this. It wasn't like this before, at least in CS4. Any reasons for this?
I've been working on some very large files where the primary image is converted to a smart object. For security I've backed up the PS files to another drive. Is the smart object part self contained? or stored as a separate lined file? Like if I had a PS file in illustrator. Backing up the Ill file would leave the image file behind? Â I just don't want to get surprised with an X in my layers down the road.Â
When opening and saving documents with smart objects photoshop freezes the adobe PS loader (circle dots) is replaced and the system loader (multi colored wheel of death) spins for 30 seconds or more. Â What I've tried so far based off looking at various posts. Â Photoshop Preferenes
Save in Background offMaximise PSD and PSB file compatability neverCache Tile Size: 128kAdvanced Graphic Processor Settings: Basic & NormalLayer Panel options: No Thumbnail Observations and workthroughs to date The file size and amount of smart objects effects the file expotentially i.e. The more smart objects you have the worse it getsThese files worked perfectly in PS CS5It also happens on files natively created in PS CS6The CPU is maxing out at 100% while PS loadsClosing or opening suitcase has no effect.Â
System: iMac 27-inch, Mid 2011Processor 3.4 GHz Intel Core i7Memory 16 GB 1333 MHz DDR3Graphics AMD Radeon HD 6970M 1024 MBMac OS X Lion 10.7.5 (11G63)Suitcase 4Â
I have several Photoshop documents that I would like to complie into one Photoshop document as separate Smart Objects. Â Can that be done in CC? Â I used to use Russel Brown's Place-A-Matic Script, but that is not supported in CC.
The help doesn't mention this as a benifit (that I can find), but I'm wondering if I can save on RAM by keeping a dozen layers in a smart object rather than keeping those dozen layers in the image itself.
I'm starting an image that's 30,000x10,000 pixels (8'x24' banner @ 100DPI), and I know my system is going to choke on all these layers even with 4GB of RAM and dedicated RAID 0 scratch disks.
I've got a PSD file in which I have pasted some vector paths from Illustrator as a Smart Object. Everything works as expected.
When I save the PSD as a PDF, the PDF that I receive is entirely raster based. The vector based paths are not preserved as vectors - they are rasterized.
Is this a limitation of the Smart Objects, or is there some way to yield a PDF which would include the Illustrator generated artwork as vectors?
