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The layer stack system is getting really tired. Here's what I'd like to see: - Node-based layer system, like Quartz Composer and Max/MSP. Right now, any comple
by natesm 15y ago
The layer stack system is getting really tired. Here's what I'd like to see:
- Node-based layer system, like Quartz Composer and Max/MSP. Right now, any complex nesting of layer styles has to be done via Smart Objects, which is a terrible hack that has you saving, seeing what the effect on the final image is, then going back and making more changes, repeat.
- It's 2012. There should not be destructive filters anymore. All filters should just be another node in this layout. If you'd like to apply them, you should be able to right click a node and merge everything that feeds into it. Brushes should also be usable as layers. Composite everything.
- Where's this layer system going to go? Obviously, it will go on screen, but how about an iPad app that pairs with Photoshop for displaying and altering it? They already have something sort of like this for tools.
- Photoshop badly needs usable variables of some sort. I'm tired of jumping around 5 different places because I decided I want to change a color.
- Going with the last one, documents should be able to contain multiple images, like Illustrator does. This would be a great addition for icon design, since you could (easily, without ugly hacks) have all of your sizes in the same document. Combine that with variables, and...
- Finally, stop the sucky non-native UI already. Stop replacing perfectly good Cocoa widgets with terrible Air ones.
Adding fancy new features is nice and stuff, but the fundamental UI of this application is getting really dated.
- terhechte 15y agoI've been waiting for variables for years, so sad it's still not there. Not only for colors, but also for values like shadow width, etc.
- gramsey 15y agoDefinitely agree with the non-native UI point. I've been using Photoshop for years on my Macbooks, and the interface has always had a clunky, slow, unnatural, and Flash-era feel to it. I wonder what the reasoning behind using this terrible UI vs Cocoa is?
- illicium 15y agoPortability. It would be very inconvenient to maintain two completely separate UI codebases.
- gramsey 15y agoYes, but shouldn't some portability be sacrificed? Google Chrome, for example, has the same interface on OS X and Windows, but is fast and has a native feel on both platforms.
- fredley 15y agoThere's a vast, vast gap in the complexity of Chrome's ui and Photoshop's. I maintain an app with a cross-platform ui (Mac/Windows/*nix), and it adds an enormous amount of time re-doing everything on different platforms, particularly Mac.
- oneplusone 15y agoCocoa UI isn't that great. The Photoshop UI is much more compact and suitable for the kind of application it is. Turning it into a cocoa app would degrade the experience considerably.
- replax 15y agoWhat they are missing in the UI I think is a search function! Just a little bar on top (yes, you could toggle it off for Unity haters) to which you could easily get to with a keyboard shortcut and just type in e.g. "liquify", hit enter and the liquify filter pops up. I have no idea why that has not been done yet, or am I simply missing something?
- knubie 15y agoCmd+shift+/ might work for what you want, assuming you're on a mac.