{"id":12884,"date":"2008-09-22T23:54:11","date_gmt":"2008-09-22T23:54:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.adobe.com\/jnackdev\/2008\/09\/cs4-sweating-the-details.html"},"modified":"2008-09-22T23:54:11","modified_gmt":"2008-09-22T23:54:11","slug":"cs4_sweating_the_details","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jnack.com\/blog\/2008\/09\/22\/cs4_sweating_the_details\/","title":{"rendered":"CS4: Sweating the Details"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">I&#8217;m a perfectionist, and I deeply, viscerally want to smooth &amp; polish every aspect of Photoshop.&nbsp; Doing it all in any one cycle is impossible, but I&#8217;m proud to say we&#8217;ve put a ton of effort into sweating the details in CS4.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>You&#8217;re going to see tons of flashier features in other write-ups, and of course I&#8217;ll cover them here, but for this cycle I want to <em>lead<\/em> with the little stuff&#8211;things you might not read about otherwise, but which can make a big difference while working.  <a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.adobe.com\/jnack\/2008\/09\/cs4_sweating_the_details.html#more\">Read on<\/a> for the details.<\/span><br \/>\n<!--more--><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\"><b>Display &amp; navigation<\/b>:<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">\n<li><b>Smooth pixel rendering<\/b> at any zoom level (via new OpenGL support) <\/li>\n<li><b>Bird&#8217;s-Eye View<\/b> for fast navigation of high-res documents; detailed explanation to follow<\/li>\n<li><b>Flick panning<\/b> (aka &quot;Hand-tossed pixels&quot;) for quicker navigation of high-res documents<\/li>\n<li>Support for <b>multi-touch gestures<\/b> on  MacBook Air\/MacBook Pro <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\"><b>Interface<\/b>:<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">\n<li>Support for <b>tabbed document viewing<\/b> and quick <b>N-up<\/b> (2-up, 3-up, etc.) window reconfiguration<\/li>\n<li>Support for using miniaturized <b>panel groups on secondary monitors<\/b>. (The term &quot;panel&quot; now replaces &quot;palette&quot; throughout the Suite.) <\/li>\n<li>Ability to set the color of each screen mode separately (in a way that&#8217;s now actually discoverable by humans)<\/li>\n<li>Ability to have <b>no border around an image<\/b> (useful for soft proofing in conjunction with custom background colors; call it the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sjphoto.com\/\">Stephen Johnson<\/a> Feature) <\/li>\n<li><b>Flash panels<\/b> enable a dramatically <b>more configurable working environment<\/b>, especially when used with the forthcoming <a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.adobe.com\/jnack\/2008\/07\/photoshopnext_ui.html\">Configurator<\/a> utility app.<\/li>\n<li> <b>Return to three &quot;F&quot; screen modes<\/b> (vs. CS3&#8217;s four)<\/li>\n<li><b>Application frame<\/b> (optional on Mac for those who want more managed document\/window handling) \n<\/li>\n<li>Improved automatic scrolling when zoomed in near image edges<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\"><b>Keyboard shortcuts<\/b>:<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">\n<li><b>Spring-loaded keys<\/b>: Switch from any tool to any other temporarily by holding down the other tool&#8217;s key.&nbsp; For example, you can hold &quot;R&quot; to invoke the new Rotate View Tool, drag on the canvas to rotate, and release R to jump back to the Brush or whatever other tool you were using. \n<\/li>\n<li><b>Cmd-~ (tilde) is now assigned to switching among open documents<\/b>, as is Ctrl-Tab, meaning Photoshop is now consistent with both Mac and Windows conventions<\/li>\n<li><b>Cmd-1 is now assigned to 100% zoom<\/b>, as it is in Illustrator, Flash, and other apps \n<\/li>\n<li><b>Single-letter keyboard shortcuts for video<\/b>, meaning you can navigate through time using just one hand while painting with the other <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">\n<li><b>Ability to delete layers via the Delete key<\/b> when any tool is selected.&nbsp; In CS2 and CS3 you had to have the Move tool active, leading to the &quot;V-delete&quot; convention.\t  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\"><b>Color correction &amp; compositing<\/b>: <\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">\n<li>Photoshop now emphasizes non-destructive techniques via a <b>new Adjustments panel<\/b>, making it faster and easier to browse &amp; edit adjustments <\/li>\n<li>Curves, Hue\/Saturation, and Black &amp; White feature an <b>on-canvas adjustment tool<\/b> that enables you to click a region of the image, then drag to adjust just the targeted tonal\/color range. <\/li>\n<li>Support for <b>Vibrance<\/b> adjustment (introduced previously in Camera Raw\/Lightroom) for smarter saturation adjustments <\/li>\n<li>Improved <b>Color Range<\/b> selection tools\n<\/li>\n<li>Improved <b>Dodge, Burn, and Sponge<\/b> tools: Dodge &amp; Burn do a better job of preserving tones while Sponge uses the Vibrance algorithm <\/li>\n<li>Ability to <b>adjust the density (opacity) of a layer mask<\/b><\/li>\n<li>Ability to add <b>non-destructive feathering<\/b> to a layer mask  \n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cudo.jp\/e\/\">CUDO<\/a> support: Photoshop&#8217;s soft proofing features can simulate color blindness, making it easier to create accessible signage and other artwork.&nbsp; (Illustrator offers the same functionality.) \n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\"><b>Metadata<\/b>:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">\n<li><b>Better copyright preservation<\/b> controls through Save for Web <\/li>\n<li><b>Unique IDs<\/b> generated\/stored per document (to enable easier asset tracking downstream)<\/li>\n<li><b>Layer-based metadata<\/b>: PSD files now include timestamps that indicate when each layer was edited (thanks to the Pixar guys for suggesting this), and scripts\/Flash panels can read\/write metadata on a per-layer basis; more on what that means soon. \n<\/li>\n<li>Extensible, <b>Flash-based File Info<\/b> (enabling developers to add network-stored keywords, spellchecking, etc.); a cool in-house demo lets Photoshop and Bridge display Google\/Yahoo\/Microsoft maps for geotagged images. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\"><b>Painting &amp; retouching<\/b> <\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">\n<li><b>Smoother painting performance<\/b>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Drag-resizing cursors<\/b>: Hold down modifier keys to resize a brush and\/or change its hardness by clicking and dragging \n<\/li>\n<li><b>Live under-cursor preview<\/b> for cloning\/healing (a la Vanishing Point) \n<\/li>\n<li><b>Pixel grid view<\/b>: At zoom levels greater than 500%, Photoshop will optionally display a faint grid that makes it easier to edit pixels precisely. <\/li>\n<li>When working with pressure-sensitive drawing tablets, Photoshop now supports <b>more than 256 levels of pressure input<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Eyedropper option<\/b> to sample all layers or just the current layer<\/li>\n<li>Flash panels will enable the creation of <b>non-modal (panel-based) color pickers<\/b>; <a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.adobe.com\/jnack\/2008\/12\/photoshop_gets_1.html\">here&#8217;s one you can download<\/a>. \n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\"><b>Smart Object enhancements<\/b>:    <\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">\n<li> <b>Layer masks can now stay linked to Smart Objects<\/b> while moving\/transforming the objects.&nbsp; Sorry that it took a while. <\/li>\n<li><b>Perspective transform<\/b>: You can now apply non-uniform transforms to pixel-based SOs (non-destructively, of course). \n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\"><b>Filters\/Plug-Ins<\/b>:\n<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">\n<li>Adobe <a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.adobe.com\/jnack\/2008\/09\/new_pixel_bende.html\">Pixel Bender plug-in<\/a> for fast filters, enabling more modern versions of operations like Radial Blur <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\"><b>Miscellaneous<\/b>:<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">\n<li>Ability to <b>delete multiple channels at once<\/b>.&nbsp; (Not paths this time; sorry.)<\/li>\n<li><b>Stroke color now defaults to black<\/b> (hey, don&#8217;t ask me, but people said they&#8217;d like it changed) <\/li>\n<li><b>Kuler panel<\/b> enables creation of color harmonies, download\/upload between Photoshop and <a href=\"http:\/\/kuler.adobe.com\">kuler.adobe.com<\/a>. <\/li>\n<li>Automatic <b>detection &amp; correction of vignetting &amp; fisheye distortion<\/b> during panorama creation <\/li>\n<li><b>&#8220;Share My Screen&#8221; command<\/b> under file menu enables quick, free <a href=\"http:\/\/www.adobe.com\/products\/acrobatconnect\/\">screen sharing<\/a> with up to two other participants (same in other CS4 apps; great for quick reviews with clients, art directors, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>The Pen tool now defaults to drawing paths (instead of filled shape layers), while the various shape tools continue to default to drawing filled shapes<\/li>\n<li>Support for <b>brushes up to 1500px in Liquify<\/b> (up from a previous limit of 600px)<\/li>\n<li>Support for <b>sampling color from fill layers<\/b> (solid color, gradient, pattern)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\"><b>Printing &amp; color management<\/b>:<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">\n<li><b>16-bit printing<\/b> (Mac only; requires OS X 10.5)<\/li>\n<li>Support for <b>printing larger documents<\/b> (&gt;30,000 pixels)<\/li>\n<li>More automated print output enabled via <b>increased scripting support<\/b><\/li>\n<li>Support for <b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.colorwiki.com\/wiki\/Device_Link_Profile\">Device Link<\/a><\/b> color profiles<\/li>\n<li>Support for <b>abstract color profiles<\/b><\/li>\n<li>Support for <b>N-color\/multichannel imaging<\/b><\/li>\n<li>Support for <b>scene-referred color profiles<\/b> (useful with After Effects CS4)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\"><b>Video<\/b>:<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">\n<li>Thanks to OpenGL, PS offers much <b>smoother display of non-square pixels<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Export and preview audio<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Export comments<\/b><\/li>\n<li>As noted above, single-key shortcuts enable more efficient navigation among frames<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 0\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8217;m a perfectionist, and I deeply, viscerally want to smooth &amp; polish every aspect of Photoshop.&nbsp; Doing it all in any one cycle is impossible, but I&#8217;m proud to say we&#8217;ve put a ton of effort into sweating the details in CS4.&nbsp; You&#8217;re going to see tons of flashier features in other write-ups, and of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[26],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jnack.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12884"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jnack.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jnack.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jnack.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jnack.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12884"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/jnack.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12884\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jnack.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jnack.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jnack.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}