Smart Objects

[dwdallam]

I've read some and tried Smart Objects, but not completely understanding why I should be using them, and I feel like I should be. Can anyone give me some pros and cons to using Smart Objects to to adjustments in PS and the workflow changes I'll encounter?

[Josh-H]

I've read some and tried Smart Objects, but not completely understanding why I should be using them, and I feel like I should be. Can anyone give me some pros and cons to using Smart Objects to to adjustments in PS and the workflow changes I'll encounter?

Process a file in Lightroom - then when you have done everything you can in Lightroom export it to CS3/4 as as smart object. Make some layer adjustments - anything will do, whatever you might normally do to improve an image. So now you have your smart object layer and a few adjustment layers.

Now double click the smart object icon on the layers palette and it will open up camera raw with all your LR adjustments respected. You can make any additional changes to the RAW file now.

Now that is way cool and very handy.

Jeff Schewe gave a great example in the LR 2.0 tutorial where he shows how to dual process an image [process for shadows and then for highlights] using just one original RAW file and smart objects. Worth checking out.

[PeterAit]

I've read some and tried Smart Objects, but not completely understanding why I should be using them, and I feel like I should be. Can anyone give me some pros and cons to using Smart Objects to to adjustments in PS and the workflow changes I'll encounter?

As I understand it, the advantage of using SOs is that all your edits in PS are reversible. The disadvantage is that a lot of 3rd party tools (plug-ins) don't work with SOs.

Peter

[dwdallam]

Process a file in Lightroom - then when you have done everything you can in Lightroom export it to CS3/4 as as smart object. Make some layer adjustments - anything will do, whatever you might normally do to improve an image. So now you have your smart object layer and a few adjustment layers.

Now double click the smart object icon on the layers palette and it will open up camera raw with all your LR adjustments respected. You can make any additional changes to the RAW file now.

Now that is way cool and very handy.

Jeff Schewe gave a great example in the LR 2.0 tutorial where he shows how to dual process an image [process for shadows and then for highlights] using just one original RAW file and smart objects. Worth checking out.

That is nice. can you sue clone brushes with smart objects, or does the work flow need to change by doing adjustments first, then rasterizing for cloning etc?

[dwdallam]

As I understand it, the advantage of using SOs is that all your edits in PS are reversible. The disadvantage is that a lot of 3rd party tools (plug-ins) don't work with SOs.

Peter

Yes and most of the time I mess up is after I've done the cloning, smoothing, etc. And once you save the file, it's no longer a smart object, right?

[wolfnowl]

If you go here: http://www.photoshopusertv.com/
and type 'smart objects' in the search box it will bring up several episodes with tutorials using smart objects.

Mike.