Photoshop Ninja
Expert Photoshop tips and tricks for designers and photographers since 2005
Photoshop features wishlist – 2009
A review of my Photoshop wishlist from 2005 and what I’d like to see appear in Photoshop in the future.
I have been working through my site and reviewing the content as I go. Way back in June 2005, not too long after starting this site I wrote a post called ‘Photoshop features wishlist‘ – I thought it was entertaining to review this and go over what has happened nearly 4 years later – and come up with a new wishlist – maybe you would like to contribute your own by leaving a comment?
First, I’ll review what was on the original wishlist written in 2005:
Editable filter adjustment layers – It would be great if some of the more simpler filters like gausian blur where accessible through a temporary non-destructive adjustment layer, which effected layers below it – much like the current adjustment layers. Obviously this would require a fair amount of processing power, but it would be great!
Well, we basically now have this with ’smart filters’ – not exactly the functionality I outlined, but pretty darn close… thanks Adobe!
Advanced eps handling – This is would work much along the lines of how InDesign and Quark work with imported graphics. Rather than rasterising a placed vector graphic to specific dimensions as pixel data and it suffering when resized, it would rasterise a low res version – keeping a link to the placed vector graphic. So it would auto update if you changed the vector file and you would be able to resize it to any size. This would need the option to rasterise it when you where happy with the placed vector graphic. I know you can copy and paste vector artwork from Illustrator or Freehand, but im talking about more complex graphics.
We also now have this functionality, with the introduction of ’smart objects’ that get created when you place an EPS or vector graphic into Photoshop. In-fact Adobe gave us even more, with the ability to turn any layer into a smart layer and re-size it up and down without any loss in quality (original resolution of graphic allowing). Again, great work Adobe, thanks!
Levels palette overhaul – I think this needs to be bigger in dimensions and more intuitive – possibly offering more colour info feedback. The quick ability to view individual channels would also be very useful.
Well, they didn’t give us this – but they did significantly improve the Curves palette, making it much larger and with the new functionality of presets, so can’t really complain too much!
Advanced scaleable actions – The ability to record an action on an image at a recorded resolution, then play it back on a higher resolution image – with Photoshop scaling the action appropriately to the new image.
This was a complex one really and I understand why this has not been integrated into Photoshop yet by Adobe. However, Photoshop actions are used extensively by production designers and something like this would be VERY useful to see appear in the future!
Filter overhaul – Although I only use a handful of filters these days it would be nice to see some refinements of the current filters appear in future versions. In particular a much more sophisticated tiled pattern/texture generator would be good to see appear. Also the lighting effects have not been touched for years – the preview/setup is particularly small!
Well, looks like someone was looking again at Adobe (I do hope so!!). Filters have has significant improvements in speed and new production filters have been introduced (like ‘Smart Blur’). I’m glad to see Adobe have been working more on ‘production’ type filters rather than ‘fancy effects’ filters too. We also got a pretty decent pattern generator too – bravo Adobe!!
More Actions Options – It would be great to see some more advanced actions options, for instance the ability to pick up file save names from the names of layers or layer sets. This would be great for web development!
Whilst improvements have been made to Actions, I feel that there is still room for improvements here. There is the functionality to save
Give the Mac version the PC toolbar palette extra! – When you are working in full screen mode on a PC, a little arrow appears in the top of the tool palette that has all the top menu options on, this is not available in the Mac version, meaning you have to come out of full screen mode to execute a command you don’t know the shortcut for!
Still waiting for this one, but I guess now we have the palettes that appear automatically when you move your mouse to the edge of the screen this has been superseded by this new interface design… but you still don’t get the main menu across the top, meaning that I have to come out of full screen mode if I don’t know the keyboard shortcut for a menu command.
A live liquify free transform tool – I would love to see the liquify filter be combined into the free transfom tool, so that you get the distortion mesh over a layer directly on the editable image rather than within a (all be it large) filter window. It would be particularly powerful if it also included benzier transform handles like vector paths to curve the edges of distorted layers, maybe even providing an editable low res version of the distorted layer until you hit apply!
The ability to distort layers using vector paths has now been integrated – of all of my wishlist itmes this was pretty much number 1! Gone are the days of having to bodge distortion filters on layers in funny positions, now Adobe have given us PROPER vector point based layer distortions – and as a side bonus even given us presets from the text distortions… could ask for more really on this one!
2005 wishlist review
Wow, after reviewing my previous wishlist, it seems that Adobe have pretty much integrated everything – and even extended the functionality in some areas beyond what I originally outlined! Now, I’m not saying anyone at Adobe HQ was actually paying attention to what I wished for, but it is certainly interesting to see just how many of my wishes have been granted since 2005!!
2009 Photoshop features wishlist – a new beginning
So, onwards and forwards to a new wishlist. There are so many other features that have been integrated into Photoshop now that I didn’t wish for originally and the application has moved on so-much that it’s hard to find any faults with this professional software!! Adobe seem to be listening hard to what users want and rolling out functionality to address these requirements. However, I would suggest the following for new functionality:
New layer styles/effects
It would be great to see some new layer styles/effects introduced, as these haven’t really changed much for a while. Some suggestions would be ‘roughen edge’ (works off a scaleable noise mask/repeating pattern to displace the edges of a layer) and a better ‘bevel and emboss’ that properly displaced the layer pixels, rather than just shade them.
Ability to apply multiple styles/layer effects of the same type to a layer
It would be highly useful to be able to apply more than one of the same layer style/effect, for instance multiple strokes to a layer, instead of stacking duplicate layers with different strokes applied. Functionality would remain the same, but just with a number next to the ‘instance’ of the layer effect.
More Smart Filters
Smart Filters are a very welcome introduction and improve the editable, non-destructive workflow that commercial designers require. However, only a handful of filters are available (I guess due to potential performance issues). However, it would be good to see more filter choices introduced.
Faster, faster!
I know it’s not really functionality – and certainly things are getting faster through optimisation… but it would be good to see even more code improvements to make things go faster in Photoshop!
Kuler functionality
Kuler is a really nice function that gives you a little helping hand if you are struggling building palettes of complimentary colours. I know we have it in Illustrator, but it would be nice to see in Photoshop too! If it could suggest colours from an image by analysing the predominant colours used… even better!
Improved layer masks on smart layers
Currently, layer masks don’t link properly with smart layers – so if you move a smart layer with a mask attached, only the layer data moves, not the layer mask too. The way around this is to edit your smart layer and build you masking/transparency into that individual smart layer. It would be great if layer masks linked PROPERLY to smart layers, just like normal layers!
Variable transparency on healing brush
Due to the nature of the healing brush I understand why it always paints 100% opaque. You can fade a brush stroke by going to Edit>Fade after using it, or using it on a new layer and fading the layer. It would be useful to be able to adjust opacity on the fly rather than having to go through this process!
Plugin Manager
I think many years ago there may have been functionality like this – my mind get’s hazy and different versions of Photoshop blend into each other after nearly 12 years!! I’d like to see a ‘Filters Manager’ type function that allows you to not load certain filters to quicken loading time and remove them from the filters menu. I realise that you can customise the menu now (which would have a similar effect), but a manager would be great!
More options for blur and sharpen tools
It would be useful to have more options when using these two tools – taking functionality from the relevant blur and sharpen filters and bringing it into these brushes. I realise this could be achieved by duplicating the layer, applying the filter and then using a layer mask to mask out the effect – but having access to advanced blurring and sharpening straight from the brush would be useful sometimes!
What do you think… what would you like to see?
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Written by Jonny Allbut - freelance graphic designer
Last modified: 22 April, 2009 (14:58) | First published: 22 April, 2009
Filed under Design opinions and rumors 6 Comments »
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Comment by Steve
August 23, 2009 @ 5:47 pm
How about adding a screen-capture tool? I hate to say this, but Paint Shop Pro has one – and I use it all the time. I can easily take a screenshot, and I’m on a PC so the Mac screen shot options aren’t possible for me.
Comment by Photoshop Ninja
September 28, 2009 @ 1:59 pm
That would be a useful addition for training purposes – although I just use the MacOS screen capture tools.
Comment by Dario
October 16, 2009 @ 1:16 am
It’d be great if the layers would not merge whenever you gotta change image mode in PS..right now i create a new file with the correct image mode and duplicate all the layers into it. If it would just convert image mode leaving layers intact, you’d shave off a few extra seconds haha.
Comment by Dario
October 16, 2009 @ 4:43 am
And you know what else? some shortcut to enable brush tip rotation mode!
Comment by Photoshop Ninja
October 16, 2009 @ 9:48 am
They don’t always merge – you should be getting an option to decide if you want to merge layers. If you have a complex composition with adjustment layers in these get deleted usually, but apart from that it behaves fairly well.
I would recommend you begin your file in the desired colourspace (eg RGB or CMYK) to save this trouble.
Comment by Photoshop Ninja
October 16, 2009 @ 9:49 am
Good suggestion – I love keyboard shortcuts and that would be a really useful one!!