Smart Object Workflow Suggestion/Question

Sorry if this is a noob comment/discussion I have been looking around for more info on this stuff and can't find it.
I really love using smart objects to help me organize my workflow. But I am frustrated at the lack of control I have over how to save my smart object conversions.
There are no settings, that I can find, in preferences where I can tell CS5 this is where I want my smart object conversions automatically saved to. (it currently uses the temp cache folder? I believe thats where it places them.) I would like set the save location in my preference.
It would also be nice to organize the smart object psb files in a folder system similar to the layers in my PSD file. keeping that consistency will allow me to go through my folder system in the same manner I go through my layers.
Sorry if this workflow already exists. I'm having trouble finding any in depth information on saving psb files. hitting export on every smart objects is very tedious.
Here is an example of what I mean
PSD FILE:
FOLDER1
>SubFolder1>
>> image
>> image
>> image
>>>Sub_Subfolder2>
>>>>> image
>>>>> image
>>>>> image
Convert each folder to Smart Object
SmartObject_FOLDER1
>SmartObject_Subfolder1
>>>SmartObject_SubSubfolder2
PSB SAVED LOCATION:
USER SETS LOCATION
C:/whereever/smartfolders/
autosave
files structure:
Directory
SmartObject_FOLDER1.PSB
SUB DIRECTORY
>SmartObject_Subfolder1.PSB
SUB SUB DIRECTORY
>>>SmartObject_SubSubfolder2.PSB
I know I can export each smart object individually but is there a preference function to do this automatically?
Does this exist and I just don't know it?

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Hello, I've just started working with DNG files exported as Smart Object from LR2 to PSCS3 and I would appreciate some feedback on my experiences thus far.
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1.6. Questions
1.6.1. Is what I've described the expected behavior?
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I haven't tried doing what you are in CS but do you have the embed xmp into file enabled or are you updating the xmp by saving it out of LR CTRL-s? Do you have ACR set to read the xmp data? I don't have access to LR at the moment but will have a play l8r and get back to you if no one else does.

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Ahh, thanks. So Photoshop now works like InDesign using linked layers? And that works with updating DNG settings as with native Illustrator/PS documents?
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Smart Objects back-end question? How did it get so smart?

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var
tmp
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<<i can see how those smart object layers are linked to the actual source files on my local computer hard drives.>>
I'm afraid you're seeing wrong. Smart Objects are linked to nothing external to your PSD file. The original (raster, vector, RAW, PDF) image or object is IN you master PSD file. It's embedded. When you mess with the visible Smart Object, Photoshop consults the internal original but doesn't alter it.
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Please Help!
I am trying to replace a smart object in Photoshop CS4 with a .psd, pdf or tiff image that contains a spot channel and it is not being honored in Photoshop
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I don't believe spot channels transfer from smart objects but there is a workaround.
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4. Layer: New Fill Layer: Solid color.
5. Hide or delete all other layers.
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Smart objects in 10 - how do they work ?

Hi,
I am just curious...are smart objects editable non-destructively?
Thanks for your help.
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For the most part smart objects in photoshop elements are limited to transform operations.
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I have 2 questions associated with opening from ACR as a Smart Object in Photoshop. I'm using CS4.
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2. Is there a way to change the Document's name as described above from "Filename as Smart Object-1" to "Filename.psd" without actually saving it?
It seems to me there would be a simple way that I might be overlooking here.
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Sorry, I guess I need to explain better.
I wrote a script to do this, but here is this portion of the workflow:
1. Open CR2 file in ACR and make adjustments.
2. Open as Smart Object in PS.
3. Script Events Manager activates this script on Document Open, checks to see if it was opened as a Smart Object. We'll assume it did.
4. The script asks me if I want to make another layer. I pick yes. The script copies the SO layer, sets an inverted mask, and opens to edit settings in ACR again.
5. I adjust the settings for that layer in ACR and click OK.
The script will keep looping between 4 and 5 as long as I pick YES.
This gives me more local control of areas. If I want to bring out eyes a bit, I can up contrast, saturation, sharpness, brightness, exposure, or whatever looks best for the eyes in ACR, then unmask the eyes as much as I want on that layer in Photoshop. There is more data to pull from in the RAW file vs trying to do the same thing within Photoshop.
Opening as a regular image file then converting to a SO doesn't give me the same control. I would have to reopen the file separately, make the adjustments in ACR, open to PS then copy that document and paste as a new layer in the original.
Duplicating the document might work also, but I can also just save as .psd at that point since I'd have to know the path name by then anyway. I'll give that a try, though, and see if it might work better. The only catch with the save part is it slows me down waiting for it to write the file and if I have 5+ SO layers, it takes awhile. Once I unmask where I want, I flatten to a rasterized layer and continue.
Thanks

Smart Object - How do I keep ACR from changing workflow options?

Open image in Photoshop as a Smart Object from Lightroom.
Double-click to change the RAW characteristics.
When I return to Photoshop, my image has been changed... Color space is changed, bit depth is changed, size is changed........
I believe I know WHAT is doing it - the Workflow Options in ACR are set. HOW DO I TURN THEM OFF?
I can't find a reset, and I can't get it to stop messing with the image. I've SPECIFICALLY UNCLICKED the "Resize to Fit", but
it STILL takes my 2600x3300 pixel image and returns it as 1824x2321 pixels.......
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I ABSOLUTELY agree...... That's exactly, I believe, how it's SUPPOSED to work.
Except that mine didn't.
I opened a 12.2 MP RAW file.
And made absolutely no changes to the workflow uptions at the time of opening.
But instead of "Image Sizing" saying "Default 12.2 MP", it said "3.6MP"
Resize was turned OFF
Width was 2321 px and height was 1824 px, BOTH GRAYED OUT.
Upon leaving ACR, I had a 2321x1824 file.
Eventually, after wasting another hour screwing around with it, I finally blew away all of Bridge AND the preferences and all that,
and rebooted since the %$#)(*& Adobe CC thing wouldn't figure out there was no more Bridge, and resintalled...........
Now, when I open a file in there, at LEAST it knows it's 12.2MP.
It STILL wants to change the Space to sRGB, which I NEVER use from here, and the Depth to 8-bit, which again, I never use in ACR,
but I can set those back to what they should be...
So, in this case, by using a large enough bludgeon, I appear to have gotten around the problem. Now I'm just waiting to see how soon it screws up again.

CS5 Smart Object Question

I just migrated from CS4 to CS5 , I have a .psd that has layers with that are photos which contain blending layers inside their original psd's. They were converted and imported to the main.psd as jpgs. Is there a way to convert each of those layers to a smart object and in my case edit the blended layer which contains a blackborder so I can make the border smaller?
Or do I need to get the original jpg photo, create a new border and resave as a jpg?
rd

I don’t quite follow, but I would assume that one should place the files without the borders and possibly just apply the Layer Style Stroke.
One can certainly convert a Layer to a Smart Object, but if that Layer has been transformed before that won’t improve image quality and it certainly would not change a flattened layers back to a previous multi-layer-state – but like I said I may be misunderstanding the question.

DNG in Smart Object RAW workflow?

I'm totally immersed in the Smart Object RAW workflow. I've been on the fence about using DNG as SO layers, but it suddenly dawned on me that, since you're building in raw layers, rather than having access to your original RAW files easily, that DNG becomes essential to ensure an archival process.
That is, if I have separate RAW files I can always, at some point, convert them to DNG. Once they're in the file as a SO, I'm hosed. (Yes, I can extract them, but I lose all my work in the TIFF.)
Is anyone out there slamming to DNG before working with a Smart Object RAW workflow? (Is anyone working in a SO workflow even? Sometimes I feel like the only one... heh)

Been requested since B2 or so. Still a wait.
Don
Don Ricklin, MacBook 1.83Ghz Duo 2 Core, Pentax *ist D
http://donricklin.blogspot.com/

Questions about smart objects in CS3-CS5.

Hi.
Two questions.
When I replace content of smart object in CS2 the content takes the size of previous state of smart object in pixels.
It was very useful when need to replace some background to another and it autoresized to the new size and proportion.
For example, when I replace content of smart object with external size 100x90px and 100x90% proportion (can see with Ctrl-T) with file with 200x300px size, i have new smart object with old size 100x90px and new proportion 50x30%.
When I try to do the same in CS3-CS5 I get smart object with size 160x216px and proportion 100x90%.
Haw can I return the old behaviour?
Second.
In CS2 I use files with a lot of smart objects each of them may consists with some others smart objects and so on.
But i can`t use this scheme in CS3-CS5 because of very high consumption of scratch memory.
Very-very simple example. In CS2 create file 4000x3000px, create new layer and draw there black square 300x300px.
Convert the "square" layer to smart object. Then duplicate it with Ctlt-J 30 times. Save the file and reopen.
The scratch size is about 280 MB and practically not changing when moving layers with movetool.
Open this file in CS5. The scratch size is about 2.5 GB and quickly increase to 5 GB and above when i try to move layers. And this is a very simple file.
If i will try to open several such files in CS5 the amount of useing memory will be fantastic.
Why there is such behaviour whis memory in cs3-cs5 photoshops?
PS. sorry for my english. hope you understand me.

Hi,
What version of Ps and AI are you using?
1. In Ps, there's no controls for the AI layer visibilty, but the visibility attributes should be respected.
2. The placed file is an embedded copy, not a link to an external file. However, there is a script that you might find useful for your purposes. I'm not sure if the Win support improved with CS5.
http://ps-scripts.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=3045%20Brilliant%21%21
regards,
steve

Smart Object Workflow Suggestion/Question

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