Category Archives: CC

Come try Photoshop Web!

CC, Illustration

I kinda can’t believe it, but the team has gotten the old gal (plus Illustrator) running right in Web browsers!

VP of design Eric Snowden writes,

Extending Illustrator and Photoshop to the web (beta) will help you share creative work from the Illustrator and Photoshop desktop and iPad apps for commenting. Your collaborators can open and view your work in the browser and provide feedback. You’ll also be able to make basic edits without having to download or launch the apps.

Creative Cloud Spaces (beta) are a shared place that brings content and context together, where everyone on your team can access and organize files, libraries, and links in a centralized location.

Creative Cloud Canvas (beta) is a new surface where you and your team can display and visualize creative work to review with collaborators and explore ideas together, all in real-time and in the browser.

From the FAQ:

Adobe extends Photoshop to the web for sharing, reviewing, and light editing of Photoshop cloud documents (.psdc). Collaborators can open and view your work in the browser, provide feedback, and make basic edits without downloading the app.

Photoshop on the web beta features are now available for testing and feedback. For help, please visit the Adobe Photoshop beta community.

So, what do you think?

Feedback, please: Do you like the "What's New" videos in Illustrator CC?

CC

“You guys have added 500 features since May?! Man, I just can’t keep up…”

I know: we get that a lot. All the thoughtful, kickass functionality in the world doesn’t matter if you, the customer, don’t find & use it.

That’s why Adobe’s exploring some new ways to help you find & learn new tools. What do you think of the way the latest rev of Illustrator CC highlights & demos key enhancements?

  1. If you’ve updated Illustrator CC, have you seen the What’s New dialog and videos in the latest update? (screenshot below)
  2. Do you like this dialog & find it useful? Or do you find it intrusive/annoying?
  3. If you like it, do you think we should put it in the other apps too?

Thanks!

AI WhatsNew

Demo: New hidden gems in Photoshop CC

CC, JDI

Julieanne shows off some of those numerous new JDIs I mentioned:

Take a close look at several feature enhancements and refinements made to scripted patterns including placing patterns along a path, rendering unique trees for concept, architectural and fine art images and scripted border designs. Learn how to unlock the background into a layer with a single click, choose recent colors from the swatches panel and add and change color readouts for multiple color samplers at once.

Sweating the details: New "JDI" tweaks arrive in Photoshop CC

CC

“I wish Adobe would do a ‘Snow Leopard release’,” I used to hear people say—i.e., instead of building big, shiny features, spend time just tweaking the little things that make all the difference in day-to-day use. 

Although we’ve sweated the details in past releases, including making tons of “Just Do It (JDI) tweaks,” I think you’ll find that the move to Creative Cloud makes it more possible & important than ever. CC = continuous, iterative improvement. Here are the tweaks made in just the newest release of Photoshop CC, including some live-coded at Photoshop World. 

  • Mercury Graphics Engine performance boost (Smart Sharpen on GPU)
  • See recent colors in the Swatches panel
  • Improved selection of shapes with white arrow tool (clicking in the middle reveals white knots)
  • Improved font transformations
  • Layer names can now be up to 255 characters*
  • Generator now properly rescales Illustrator Smart Objects when exported at 200%
  • Set custom background color in New Document dialog
  • New option for Narrow Options Bar, for small displays
  • On a background layer, one click on the lock icon unlocks the layer
  • Enhanced Scripted Patterns and Fills (Trees, previews, and other improvements)
  • Added a “Don’t show again” checkbox to the missing fonts dialog
  • Enabled “Share on Behance” for more languages
  • Improved history states for editing text, editing and applying Character and Paragraph styles
  • Generator can export padding in image assets by using layer masks
  • Better negative number support in curves adjustments
  • Change “Clear” to “Clear All” for the Color Sampler tool
  • Increase number of color samplers from 4 to 10
  • Change all color samplers in Info palette at the same time
  • Generator stability improvements
  • Over 200 bugs fixes

 

 The work is never done, and the team will keep rolling on with improvements. You can request & vote on changes (large & small) here.

* Reminds me of an earlier JDI: as of CS6 you can Tab/Shift-Tab among layers to rename them.

Linked Smart Objects, Smart rectangles in AI, and more are here!

CC

I’m delighted to report that big new updates for Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign CC have arrived. To get them, check the Creative Cloud app (Mac menu bar, Windows task tray) If they’re not yet showing up, try this.
Two of the features I’ve wanted & heard designers request the most for years—linked Smart Objects in Photoshop & smart rounded rectangles in Illustrator—are finally here. Check out some of the highlights:

New in Photoshop CC

  • Perspective Warp lets you change the perspective of image content for dramatic effect or to aid in photo-compositing. 
  • Linked Smart Objects make it possible for multiple designers to collaborate on a Photoshop project, saving time and reducing errors.  
  • New 3D printing features enable you to print 3D objects or send to a 3D service bureau for output.

New in Illustrator CC

  • Create perfect, editable rounded corners with the new Live Corners controls. 
  • Draw more intuitively with the rebuilt Pencil Tool, and use the Path Segment Reshape feature to quickly modify existing objects. 
  • Change the view of perspective drawings, and export responsive SVG code and graphics that resize when viewed on multiple screens.

New in InDesign CC

  • Support for the EPUB 3.0 specification provides new ways to add interactivity to eBooks. 
  • Enhancements to hyperlink creation and editing speed up the creation of EPUBs, PDFs, and iPad apps. 
  • Pop-up footnotes streamline the EPUB reading experience, and support for Japanese, Hebrew and Arabic text allows you to reach new audiences.

InDesign CC and Illustrator CC integration with Typekit desktop fonts

  • Adobe Creative Cloud includes a new way to access and implement fonts in your creative work—Typekit desktop fonts. You can now use fonts across your applications and keep your design vision consistent across projects by syncing fonts to your desktop and using them locally in any application. 
  • This latest release of InDesign CC and Illustrator CC will include tighter integration with the Typekit service. 
  • Offers a convenient new way to browse for fonts during the design process, 
  • Quickly obtain a missing font when working with a collaborator. (InDesign CC only)

Demo: Top 5 Tips for Working with Vectors in Photoshop CC

CC

Great stuff from Julieanne Kost, showing off path creation improvements, isolation mode, drag-selecting paths, path operation shortcuts, and more.

If you skipped CS6 (in which case, boy, you missed a ton of enhancements for designers), you might want to take a look at the re-engineered shape tools in “What’s New in Adobe Photoshop CS6” (vector layers begin at @ 44:45). And, you can learn about rounded rectangles and Live Shape Properties in this video: “Adobe Photoshop: Favorite Features for Photographers.”
Oh, and keep your eyes open later this week for more vector goodness from Adobe. I think you’ll be happy.

Now available: Stand In (UI prototyping straight from Photoshop)

CC, User Interface

According to the team, the new Stand In will let you:

  1. Share your prototypes with teammates and clients. Let them experience your designs on their devices instead of scrolling through PDFs on their computers.
  2. Design and use your prototype in real time. As you make changes in Photoshop, Stand In sends the changes to the fully functional prototype.
  3. Move past boring static screens. Add buttons with press states, content that scrolls, modals, and more!
  4. Bring your prototype to life with screen transitions and animation. Stop telling people how the app is supposed to work. Start showing them.

The tool costs $25/mo. & requires a Mac running Photoshop CC.

“Much more than image extraction,” writes Photoshop’s Tim Riot, “Stand In takes positioning, styling, state, even motion data, from PSDs and creates prototypes that feel like real apps which you can view on your iPhone. This capability, to fluidly create in Photoshop and seamlessly output designs to any context, is at the heart of the Generator technology.”

[Vimeo]

Yet more awesomeness comes to Adobe CC video apps

After Effects, CC

Creative Cloud means continuous innovation. Check out the newest batch:

Adobe Premiere Pro CC has seen four new releases in this year – all within the 6 months since the CC version was announced. Guided by user requests, the Adobe Premiere Pro CC December 2013 release adds Open CL performance enhancements, media management improvements like multiple Media Browser tabs, new editing enhancements for even greater workflow efficiency, and delivers more intuitive voiceover recording.

The After Effects CC December 2013 release offers customizable output of file name and path templates, improved snapping behavior, enhanced scripting options, and the ability to migrate user settings when updating to newer versions.

The December 2013 releases also includes updates to SpeedGrade CC, Prelude CC, Adobe Media Encoder CC and Adobe Anywhere for video. Along with performance enhancements, SpeedGrade also offers expanded camera format support in Direct Link mode. Prelude CC has added support for the latest Adobe Anywhere protocols. Adobe Media Encoder expands Sony XAVC format support, and Adobe Anywhere introduces performance improvements and diagnostic tools for monitoring system status.

I like what my colleague Steve from After Effects had to say:

“Our team turned around this release in a matter of weeks based on direct feedback from our users,” said Steve Forde, senior product manager for After Effects. “With regular Creative Cloud updates, we’re able to continually evolve and enhance our feature set. Your tools just keep getting better.”

So, how's Adobe doing?

CC
  • 1.4 million+ paying subscribers to Creative Cloud (more than 400,000 signing up in the last three months alone)
  • 500+ new & improved features introduced this year
  • 2.4 million+ projects published on Behance (more than in its previous six years combined)

(Full details here)
Thanks for your incredible support this year, guys. We’re only just getting warmed up.

ByTheNumbers_sm

Check out the new Creative Cloud Learn

CC

CC membership is about far more than desktop apps. Helping you actually unlock the power & value of the apps is a key component, and to that end Adobe has just introduced the new Creative Cloud Learn.
The site features hundreds of video tutorials presented by expert trainers from Adobe, Infinite Skills, Lynda.com, Kelby Training, Train Simple, and Peachpit. For example, the Photoshop page is packed with content that spans everything from fundamentals to new CC features to masters-level techniques.

Thoughts? How can we deliver the training content that’s most useful to you, personally?

Lightroom 5.3, Camera Raw 8.3 for CC, CS6 now available

CC, DNG, Lightroom

In addition to the new cameras listed below, Photoshop CC users get new features including Auto Levels-like functionality and Auto Straighten. PM Sharad Mangalick writes,

Please note that this is the final version of Camera Raw 8 and DNG Converter 8 that will be available for Photoshop CS6 customers on Windows XP, Windows Vista or Mac OSX 10.6.  Impacted customers can continue either update to compatible operating system or continue to use Camera Raw 8.3 for Photoshop CS6.

Photoshop CS6 customers on Windows 7, Windows 8, Mac OSX 10.7 (Lion), Mac OSX 10.8 (Mountain Lion) or Mac OSX 10.9 (Mavericks) will not be impacted and will continue to receive updated camera support through future ACR 8.x dot releases.

Newly added support for Tethered Capture in Lightroom 5.3:

  • Canon EOS Rebel T4i / EOS 650D / EOS Kiss X6i

New Camera Support in Camera Raw 8.3 & Lightroom 5.3

  • Canon EOS M2
  • Canon PowerShot S120
  • Casio EX-10
  • Fujifilm XQ1
  • Fujifilm X-E2
  • Nikon 1 AW1
  • Nikon Coolpix P7800
  • Nikon Df
  • Nikon D610
  • Nikon D5300
  • Nokia Lumia 1020
  • Olympus OM-D E-M1
  • Olympus STYLUS 1
  • Panasonic DMC-GM1
  • Pentax K-3
  • Phase One IQ260
  • Phase One IQ280
  • Sony A7 (ILCE-7)
  • Sony A7R (ILCE-7R)
  • Sony DSC-RX10

For a list of bugs fixed, please see the Camera Raw & Lightroom posts, respectively.

Demo: Use Camera Raw as a Smart Filter in Photoshop CC

CC, Photography

Julieanne Kost puts one of the most popular features in PS CC through its paces: 

In this episode of The Complete Picture, Julieanne demonstrates how to take multiple exposures and combine them into a single 32-bit HDR file that can then be edited nondestructively using Adobe Camera Raw as a Smart Filter in Photoshop. In addition, you’ll discover how powerful using Camera Raw as a Smart Filter can be when working with layered files.

Wait, what part of Adobe's new photography deal is "limited time"?

CC, Lightroom, Photography

The sign-up window is limited; the price is not.

  • Everyone (regardless of whether you own previous Adobe apps) can sign up by next Monday (Dec. 2) to get Photoshop CC & Lightroom 5 the $9.99/month price.
  • Anyone who owns Photoshop CS3 or higher can sign up by Dec. 31.
  • The price itself isn’t limited. That is, it won’t be going up in a year. (Adobe has no plans to raise the price at all, but we can’t say that it’ll never go up—e.g. for inflation—or down.)

A new deal for all photographers: Photoshop CC + Lightroom 5 for $9.99/mo.

CC, Photography

I’m delighted to say that for a limited time, Adobe’s Photoshop Photography Program is available to everyone. The team writes,

By “everyone” we mean EVERYONE! Sign up before Dec. 2 to get Photoshop, Lightroom, 20GB of storage, and Behance ProSite for $9.99/month

As before, the intention is not to get you in at $9.99/mo., then crank up the price after a year. $9.99 is the expected ongoing price. The difference is that you now don’t need to own a copy of Photoshop or Creative Suite CS3 or higher. Please do note that this is a limited-time deal, so you’ll want to jump in before December 2.
999

Russell Brown's new Layer Namer for Photoshop

CC, Photoshop Generator

Speed up graphics production:

This new panel is designed to work with Adobe Photoshop CC and a new feature called Generator. This new HTML panel will automatically name a layer so that Generator will automatically create, and export a PNG, GIF or JPEG image. Install this new panel with Adobe Extension Manager CC. On a PC, be sure to install this panel in the Administrator Mode.

 

Let me know what you think!

renamer_sm

"The industry's first integrated editing & color grading pipeline"

CC

Check out the badass new connection between Premiere Pro & SpeedGrade, live Thursday at 10am Pacific time:

Direct Link allows you to move projects seamlessly between Adobe Premiere Pro CC and SpeedGrade CC, providing the industry’s first integrated editing and color grading pipeline. Join product managers Al Mooney (Premiere Pro) and Patrick Palmer (SpeedGrade) for this lively interactive session on how to get the most out of the new Direct Link workflow. You will learn:

  • How Direct Link works
  • How to apply color adjustments in SpeedGrade
  • Use the Lumetri effect in Premiere Pro
  • Best practices for starting and finishing projects

The session is both for aspiring and established editors and colorists and will be followed by a Q&A.

150+ new improvements arrive in Adobe CC video apps

CC

Creative Cloud is about continuous innovation. Making good on that, today Adobe released a huge set of enhancements for the CC video apps that first shipped this summer. Among these:

Highlight features in this release include Direct Link integration between Adobe Premiere Pro CC and SpeedGrade CC, expanded support for 4K and higher resolutions and raw formats, new mask tools, a host of editing efficiency enhancements, including new monitor overlays, and a cool new detail-preserving upscale tool in After Effects. […]

Performance enhancements in Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects mean you can work faster with powerful tools like the Warp Stabilizer and 3D Camera Tracker. New SpeedLooks and the SpeedLooks camera patches are now included with SpeedGrade providing a new way to match different cameras for a faster color grading workflow. Adobe Media Encoder now offers GPU processing for speedier rendering. Prelude CC has added the ability to export marker lists and printouts to keep the whole crew on the same page, and Adobe Story CC Plus can now import and export lists, such as set lists or character lists, for easier production planning.

Install the updates by clicking the Creative Cloud desktop app (which should appear in the menu bar on Mac or process tray on Windows). Enjoy!

Photoshop CC Features Panel now available

CC, Configurator, Suite Development

You can now learn new features of the app right from within the app:

How do you learn what the new features are and how to use them? The answer is the Photoshop CC Features panel where you can access new tools and features and watch videos all within Photoshop CC.

To get the panel, launch Photoshop CC and then open the Adobe Exchange Panel by going to Window > Extensions > Adobe Exchange. You may need to restart PS in order to apply updates.

If you’d like to make a panel like this for your organization (e.g. to train freelancers on your processes & systems), grab Adobe Configurator 4.0.

New Photoshop CC update (14.1.2) available

CC

Per the Photoshop team blog:

  • F5 deletes layers instead of opening Brushes panel
  • Intermittent crash using Generator
  • Issue running actions with Generate>Image Assets enabled
  • OpenGL functionality disabled on some Windows systems with both NVidia and ATI cards

Installation is simple:

  1. Look for the update in the Creative Cloud application and click “Update”. (Quit and restart the Creative Cloud application if you don’t see the update)
  2. If you don’t have the Creative Cloud application running, start Photoshop and choose Help > Updates.
  3. The Adobe Application Manager will launch. Select Adobe Photoshop CC and choose Update.

Photoshop's path selection get improved

CC

Good tip from Julieanne Kost regarding the latest PS CC update:

Three really helpful improvements were made in Photoshop CC (v14.1), with regards to anchor point selection:

  • Path point selection is no longer retained when switching among layers.
  • Clicking on a selected anchor point will select that point and deselect others.
  • With anchor points not currently visible on a path, clicking on the location of an anchor point will select that point without any extra clicks.

Photoshop Photography Program Now Available

CC, Lightroom

I’m pleased to say that the $9.99/month limited-time offer for owners of Photoshop CS3-CS6 is now available. With it you get:

  • Photoshop CC
  • Lightroom 5
  • 20 GB of online storage
  • Behance ProSite (custom site/portfolio hosting)
  • Access to the online video tutorials in Creative Cloud

Per the original announcement, “To be clear, $9.99 is not an introductory price. It is the price for those of you who sign up by December 31, 2013.” (That is, the price is not set to rise after 12 months.)

Meet Adobe Generator: Real-time asset generation from Photoshop CC

CC, Photoshop Generator

Web designers, screen designers, and anyone who needs to extract image assets out of a Photoshop document: I think you’ll dig this.

Generator allows you to create image assets in real time as you work, eliminating the tedious steps of copying, slicing and exporting each layer manually, and saving you hours of time. Simply add a file extension to the name of your layer or layer group, and Photoshop will automatically create a JPG, PNG or GIF from the contents of that layer. If you make a change to that layer, the file is immediately updated. This means that you now have a folder of images that are always up-to-date with your Photoshop design.

This update is available right now (via the CC app or by choosing Help->Updates within Photoshop). Check it out:

Here’s the crazy part: Generator is open-source (right here on GitHub), based on Node.js, so you can extend it (and Photoshop) in all kinds of interesting ways. Check out this video from the The Engine Co., who used Generator to write a plug-in for their Loom gaming engine that allows game designers to change the UI of a game in Photoshop while the game is being played:

Check out the Photoshop team blog for additional details. [YouTube vid 1, 2]

150+ new enhancements coming to Adobe CC video apps

CC

Creative Cloud is all about continuous innovation. The CC apps that debuted just a couple of months back are already getting a ton of enhancements, and Adobe’s rolling out a brand-new iPad app, Prelude Live Logger. Highlights of this round of updates include:

  • Direct Link integrated color pipeline between Premiere Pro and SpeedGrade
  • Expanded native support for 4K and higher resolution, RAW, and  UltraHD content
  • New mask tools – new Mask Tracker in After Effects and multiple masks in SpeedGrade
  • A smoother editing experience with new editing features, improved multicam and closed captioning
  • Faster on-set production workflows, including a preview of the new Prelude Live Logger iPad app
  • Powerful image upscaling in After Effects
  • Performance optimizations
  • Media Browser in After Effects
  • Sync Settings in Adobe Media Encoder
  • Better production planning with Adobe Story Plus

Check out this quick demo from Jason Levine:

More videos are here. For complete details on what’s new just in After Effects, check out Todd Kopriva’s very thorough post.

Thomas Knoll talks Photoshop & Creative Cloud

CC, Photography

From Luminous Landscape: 

In early June 2013, Michael Reichmann & Kevin Raber sat down with Thomas Knoll, co-inventor with his brother John, of Adobe Photoshop. Thomas tells the story of two young brothers and the beginnings of Photoshop.

Later in the video, Thomas talks about the controversy surrounding Adobe’s Creative Cloud and the solution he proposed for photographers.

I can’t embed the clip, so check it out on Vimeo.

Photographers: A great new deal on Photoshop CC + Lightroom

CC, Photography

I’m pleased to say that if you own Photoshop CS3 or higher, you’ll be able to get Photoshop CC, Lightroom 5, and more for $9.99 per month.

Photoshop VP Winston Hendrickson writes, “One common request was a solution specifically tailored for photographers. We listened, and at Photoshop World we’re announcing a special offer for our loyal Photoshop customers.” The new package includes:

  • Photoshop CC
  • Lightroom 5
  • 20 GB of online storage
  • Behance ProSite (custom site/portfolio hosting)
  • Access to the online video tutorials in Creative Cloud

The Photoshop team provides some details: 

To be clear, $9.99 is not an introductory price. It is the price for those of you who sign up by December 31, 2013. This offer will be available at the same time we introduce the new version of Lightroom 5.2 in a couple weeks.  Visit the FAQ to learn more and follow Photoshop on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ to find out when the offer goes live.

To reiterate: the intention is not to get you in at $9.99/mo., then crank up the price after a year. $9.99 is the expected ongoing price.

I know that this change won’t address every concern, but I’m happy that the offer makes it much easier for photographers who want just two Adobe apps to get the benefits of Photoshop CC & the Creative Cloud. As time goes by the cloud component will grow more & more valuable, and I’m excited that more people will be able to get new capabilities the moment they’re available.

Demo: How To Use Adobe Camera Raw as a Filter in Photoshop CC

CC, Uncategorized

Photographers seem to be digging this one:

The beauty of Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) is that it provides you with a non-destructive way of making several adjustments to your images easily. However, the problem has always been that once you were in Photoshop and you had an image open, if you wanted to edit that image in ACR you would have to close it first and reopen it in ACR. Now with Photoshop CC you can use ACR with ANY layer on any image without having to close it first. In this new episode of Creative Cloud TV I show how to use the new Camera Raw Filter in Photoshop CC.

Creative Cloud for teams, now available for single apps

CC

Wait—why does Creative Cloud for teams cost more than the version for individuals? Well, you get more functionality:

The Creative Cloud for teams complete and single app plans are both managed by an easy-to-use, web-based admin console, so your plan administrator can centrally purchase, deploy and manage seats across your organization.

Now there’s a version for teams that need just a single app. It’s $30/mo. (or $20/mo. if you own a CS3 or higher license), and in addition to the single app,

You’ll also get 20GB of storage, the ability to sync, store and share your work and seamlessly collaborate with colleagues, as well as access to Behance ProSite so you can publish to the world’s leading creative community. That’s 1.6 million creative professionals viewing your projects!

This last point is vague: unlike regular posting to Behance, ProSite makes it easy to put up a custom portfolio using your own URL & more.

Adobe Configurator 4 for Photoshop, InDesign released

CC, Configurator, CS6

Streamlining complex apps isn’t easy, but it can pay off hugely.

That’s why we created Adobe Configurator, the tool for creating your own custom panels that can be shared & saved as workspaces in Photoshop and InDesign. This was my pet project for a long time, and I’m pleased to say that Configurator 4 is now available. It helps you easily roll your own panels for both CS6 and CC versions of PS/ID.

Configurator 4 is compatible with Photoshop CC and CS6, and InDesign CS6; supports new features and automatic conversion of existing panels. The latest release supports the new Adobe Exchange. To distribute and share panels you create in Configurator with other Creative Cloud and Creative Suite 6 users. The Configurator 4 release offers these new features:

  • Support for Creative Cloud: With this release, you can create panels for Photoshop CC, as well as for Photoshop CS6 and InDesign CS6.
  • Automatic Conversion: The automatic conversion feature has been extended, so that if you open a CS5.x panel for Photoshop, you can convert it to either the CS6 or CC version.
  • Open extensions from a panel: A new widget allows your user to open other Adobe Application Extensions from your panel. You must provide the ID of the extension to open.
  • New scripting functionality: The HTML widget now has enhanced scripting capabilities that allow you to open other extensions and call into the ExtendScript DOM of the host application.
  • Hi-DPI support: You can create panels that will run in high resolution on Apple Retina™ Displays.

Are you using Configurator or panels made with it? If so I’d love to see what you’ve created & to hear how you’d like these technologies to evolve.

The Adobe Output Module returns, now in Bridge CC

CC

Good news:

When Bridge CC shipped, it shipped without the Adobe Output Module, which allowed you to create PDF Presentations and Web Galleries. Adobe Output Module is now available for Bridge CC. Use the instructions below to install it.

Make sure you have the most recent version of Bridge CC installed. To check for updates, in Bridge, choose Help > Updates. Follow the instructions to install any updates.

Check out the page for download links & installation instructions. Update: Sorry, a database problem is presently causing trouble with the download links. If they’re not working for you, please try again in a bit.

Premiere Pro CC gets 20+ improvements

CC

“In my 18 years here at Adobe,” writes video specialist Dave Helmly, “I’ve never seen this many updates in .01 release.” This is just a matter of weeks after version CC first shipped. PM Al Mooney writes,

One of the best things about Creative Cloud is that we’re able to develop and release features in cadence with the demands of this rapidly growing and evolving industry… These features are focused in the areas of timeline editing, viewing, navigation and media management, and are direct responses to customer feedback we’ve been closely listening to. The release also includes a number of bug fixes, including a documented critical bug with multicam workflows, and is recommended for all users.

Check out the list of improvements on the team blog. See also the improvements just made to Adobe Media Encoder, and lastly this comprehensive list of updates to Adobe video apps (CS4 onward).

Shake Reduction vs. Smart Sharpen in Photoshop CC

CC, Photography

How do the various improvements to sharpening in Photoshop CC relate to each other? PM Zorana Gee posted a blurb I found helpful:

Shake Reduction is to remove blur caused by subtle shaking of your camera. Smart Sharpen is about sharpening the existing pixels (2D blurs) – no analysis of image or how the blur happened. They do actually work quite well together. Start with Shake Reduction as it requires the most original data in order to find the blur trace and then use Smart Sharpen.

Update: Zorana points out a detailed article on shake reduction (showing numerous before/after examples) from Andy Trice.

Installing CC apps in multiple languages

CC

In the past if you wanted multiple language versions of an Adobe app (say, Photoshop in English & German), you had to pay for two licenses. Things have changed for the better with Creative Cloud:

Learn how to download and install multiple language versions of any of the desktop applications included in Creative Cloud.

Spot removal shortcuts for Camera Raw in Photoshop CC

CC

Here’s a handy list from Julieanne Kost covering the new Spot Removal Tool (B) inside Camera Raw 8 (part of Photoshop CC):

Tap the “V” key to toggle the visibility of the spot overlays.

  • Shift-drag constrains the brush spot to a horizontal or vertical stroke.
  • Shift-click connects the selected spot with the new spot via a straight brush stroke.
  • Cmd/Ctrl-drag will create a circle spot and allow you to drag to define the source.
  • Tap the Forward Slash key (/) to select new source for existing circle or brush spot.
  • Press Delete to delete a selected spot.
  • Opt-/Alt-click on a spot to delete it (the cursor will change to a pair of scissors).
  • Opt-/Alt-click in the image area over multiple spots to batch-delete (the icon changes to a marquee while dragging.
  • Tap the “Y” key to toggle on/off Visualize spots. Note – this is also available as a checkbox and slider in Toolbar.

Friday demo for photographers: Photoshop CC & Lightroom 5

CC, Uncategorized

Noon Pacific:

Join Julieanne Kost as she demonstrates new features in Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5, as well as sharing and collaboration features of Adobe Creative Cloud. In this Ask A Pro session, you will:

  • Learn how Creative Cloud brings additional capabilities to your workflow with Sync Settings, Sync Fonts, and sharing with Creative Cloud
  • See new features in Photoshop CC to enable more advanced sharpening than ever before with all-new Smart Sharpen, intelligent upsampling, and Camera Shake Reduction
  • Learn how to perfect your images using the new Upright and Advanced Healing Brush in Adobe Camera Raw 8 and Lightroom 5
  • See how to customize your photo books in the updated Book module in Lightroom 5
  • Share your images with the leading online platform to showcase and discover creative work using Share to Behance from within Photoshop CC

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Thursday demo: What's new in After Effects CC

After Effects, CC

Live demo/Q&A at 10am Pacific:

Create photo-real visual content fast with awesome new advancements, such as the Live 3D Pipeline between After Effects and CINEMA 4D, an enhanced 3D Camera Tracker, and layer and mask snapping for faster composition construction. Save hours of tedious rotoscoping work with the Refine Edge tool. Be more creative, thanks to advancements in stabilization and other refinements for a more responsive workflow.

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