More content aware, video (extended version) and RAW conversion tools in Photoshop CS6 plus a new look
(Click image above for larger view in new window) By default Photoshop CS6 presents itself in Lightroom-style dark grey but there are four shades to choose from if you don't like this
You can now download the beta release of the next generation of Photoshop - version 13 to be precise, although more widely identifiable as Photoshop CS6. This is the first component of the sixth edition of the Adobe Creative Creative Suite to be previewed in beta. I'm seeing some definite Lightroom convergence in terms of RAW conversion features and the new default dark grey look.
The public beta distributes the extended version of PS CS6, which features additional 3D and video tools. There are numerous small and large changes and additions to PS CS6, more numerous to cover in this preview, but I'll try to cover as many as possible.
Adobe says CS6 will introduce a new licence management policy to avoid problems when an installation becomes corrupt and you can no longer de-activate it for re-installation. The licence will be linked to the licence holder rather than the computer it's installed on.
(Click image above for larger view in new window) Adobe Camera RAW 7 levels controls have been tweaked and some sliders have new names.
If you haven't yet tried Photoshop Lightroom 4, which has been in beta for some time and was recently released in its saleable form, PS CS6 will be your first opportunity to try out Adobe Camera RAW 7. This has revised levels controls and the ability, again Lightroom 4-style, to apply localised white balance, tint, noise reduction and moiré correction adjustments using the adjustment brush and graduated filter tools when converting RAW files.
(Click image above for larger view in new window) Lightroom 4-style, to apply localised white balance, tint, noise reduction and moiré correction adjustments using the adjustment brush and graduated filter tools when converting RAW files.
Mini Bridge has evolved further and there is a new film-strip panel at the bottom of the workspace - another Lightroom-like change. You can now adjust the interval time between automatic work backup saves. More image transform functions are GPU-accelerated, with large benefits from Adobe's Mercury engine if you have a 1GB RAM NVidia graphics card that features CUDA core functionality. One example is the liquify brush, which has an expanded size limit and works instantly with GPU acceleration.
Bicubic mode resizing can now automatically resharpen your images. There is also additional and smarter automation in levels control if you want it, with an auto option in the curves tool, for example. There are several new blur filter options aimed at photographers, like field blur, tilt/shift (diorama),iris blur and even controls to enhance bokeh blur. Another interesting blur-related tool aims to adjust the strength of blur to compensate the level of defocus in an image.
Layers management has had a revamp in PS CS6. There are enhanced layer opacity options plus a layer filter search option. Cloning has had a handy enhancement that allows you to mask the shape of the area you want to clone and use that custom shape as the template for the clone graphics elsewhere in the image, previewing the effect on the selected area in real time.
(Click image above for larger view in new window) There are even more content-aware tools like this 'move' function.
Content-aware (CA) functionality is more evident than ever. You can now an object and move it to a new position and CA automatically fills in the hole that would have been left behind. There are also new object extend and stretch functions.
Perhaps one of the coolest new features in PS CS6 is a custom perspective correction tool that works via the application of correction lines and curves at strategic positions on an image. As you add these reference lines the system responds by pulling pixels, straightening associated areas as you go along. It's difficult to visualise without a hands-on demo, but this powerful tool can transform ultra wide angle images where perspective distortion is a problem, especially with ambitious stitched panoramas.
PS CS6 can also be set to non-destructively crop and straighten an image. This is another Lightroom-style feature. When you rotate or crop an image what you are actually doing is previewing the operation. As it's a preview, no image data is lost and you can adjust the extent of the rotation and crop infinitely until you are happy.
(Click image above for larger view in new window) Adobe has built on the fledgling video editing tools in PS CS 5.1 with wider format compatibility and improved clip navigation.
Video fans will be interested to know that there has been a lot of progress in developing video-centric features in PS CS6. There is now a video time line and a much wider range of supported video file types and you can import any different format clip into a project. You can also manipulate video using layers and apply many of the corrections you'd routinely use when adjusting still photos. There is even limited support for 3D.
Vector graphics support has also been expanded. Illustrator files can be edited with support for dotted lines, arrow heads and other vector objects.
Finally in this preview, Adobe is understandably pleased about its JDI (Just Do It) programme where end-user suggestions are adopted and executed as and when development time and capacity becomes available. Some 65 JDIs were implemented in PS CS6 and here is a list of them:
Brushes
o HUD brush resize and hardness can now change opacity
o Increase brush size to 5000px
o Change colour dynamics to per stroke instead of per tip (user option for old behaviour)
o Brightness/contrast slider for textures when painting
o Brush projection for static tips
o Brush cursor reflects brush dynamics for round and captured tips
Eyedropper
o Show the sample size popup for the various eyedropper tools (black point, white point, etc.)
o Add ignore adjustment layers options bar item for the eyedropper
o New mode for eyedropper to select layers current and below
File formats
o Read common stereo image pair formats (JPS, PNS) Allow for more bit depths in TIFF files
o Read BIGTIFF format
o Give the user choices regarding how they want transparency treated in OpenEXR on file open
Grammar
o Policed throughout app
o Use consistent grammar style in the title of dialogue windows (no commands such as "Choose a colour:")
Layers
o Add a contextual menu item that deletes a layer effect not just disables it
o Add dither options to Layer Styles for Gradient Overlay and Gradient Stroke
o Allow 00 or Shift 00 to work when setting layer/fill opacity (previously no way to get 0%)
o Add bicubic sharper & bicubic smoother options when free transforming layers
o Allow changing of blend modes for multiple layers at once
o Allow locking of multiple layers
o CMD+J to duplicate layers and layer group
o Allow changing colour labels to multiple layers at once
o Layer tooltips to include layer name (if defined)
o Opt+click on toggle arrows (groups and effects) in layer panel should close all targets
o Show blend if/Blending Effects badge on layer
o Show correct opacity and blend mode values for hidden layers
o Tab goes to next layer on inline layer rename, SHIFT + TAB goes to previous
o New command to raster layer effect into layer, merging the selected layers into themselves
o Reorder effects in the layers palette to match the Z-order style/blend mode (bottom most effects in terms
of blending order, drop shadow is below the other effect
Liquify
o Resize Liquify brush with shortcuts
o Increase maximum Liquify brush size Add option to load last mesh
Presets
o Add new document presets for common devices (e.g. iPhone, iPad, etc.)
o Add new Gradient Map presets for toning and split-toning
o Sticky reorganization of tool presets (changes persist after re-launch) Add Contact Sheet II as an Automation option
SDK
o Add the ability to return an array of guides in a document from the scripting SDK
o Add ability to access tool name associated with the tool preset name via scripting
Selections
o Make the marquee, lasso, and mask panel feather values support decimal places like the feather dialogue
o Remember feather radius when showing dialogue for selection from a path
Transform
o Improve dragging of vector curves
o Don’t hide smart object icon when transforming a layer
o Rotate 90 with even x odd pixel dimension to be smooth (bjango.com)
o Undo or disable auto -rotate on open
UI
o Remove the app bar and reduce the drag/app bar over 30%
o [Windows] New/open document to context click on a document tab (has always been on Mac, now
o Windows too)
o Add "Don’t show again" checkbox to Purge warnings
Miscellaneous
o Enable Split Channels for documents with layers
o Select Hex field by default and allow clipboard pastes with # in contents (i.e. #fffffff)
o Increased GPU stability by prequalifying GPUs on the fly before use
o Auto-select the best resample method based on the type of resize
o Enable Invert and Threshold adjustments for masks in 32 -bit
o Hold SHIFT during startup to disable 3rd party plugins
o Add warning message that 16 -bit images cannot display their file size in the Save as JPEG dialogue
o Add command to insert "lorem ipsum" for type
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