Adobe Photoshop CS5 - King of All Image Manipulation Programs ?
Adobe Photoshop CS5 - King of All Image Manipulation Programs ?
Adobe Photoshop CS5 - King of All Image Manipulation Programs ?
The newest addition to the Photoshop Family is The Creative Suite 5. Power packed with 250+ new features, this Upgrade is capable of performing a plethora of new tasks weve never seen before, and packs a real big punch compared to other closed-source Image Manipulation Programs like Corels PaintShop Pro, Apples Aperture and iPhoto. Few people may know how they can use CS5s new features to their advantage, and the new tools to their full potential. This Write-Up highlights the most efficient ways of optimizing your Images using these new features.
BackEnd Changes
Before we go any further, you may want to know a little bit about the back-end development of Photoshop CS5. The Programming team had its hands full during the development period, since they had to write most of the program from scratch, to accommodate 64-bit processing. For Windows Users, this is a boon in disguise as they can now open and edit HUGE files, of up to 4GB in size, and Utilize more RAM, making the Program run marginally faster, and its effect processing zippier. However, users of Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) and OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) will barely notice the change in launch, or processing speed. They have also made some of the Mathematical Algorithms that govern the Way Certain Effects work, more accurate. For Instance, the Shape Mesh of the Warp tool is closer knit, and now allows transformation up to a much larger extent. Bad News is, that to accommodate the new programming code that allows for 64-bit processing, some plug-ins and filters, like the built-in Variations and Lighting Effects, only work in 32-bit mode, and that surely will disappoint some users. Moreover, most third party plug-ins too will work only in 32-bit mode, until they are updated. Thankfully for Mac Users, its easy to switch between the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the Program; just select the application icon, choose File>Get Info, turn on the 32-bit option, and re-launch Photoshop. There is no such option available for Windows yet.
As shown above, the UI of Photoshop CS5 is more advanced, and with nifty new features like Tabs and Built-In Image management software like Adobe Bridge in the form of a Plug-
In.
Graphic Design - Customizable Wet Media Brush Presets - Puppet Warp Tool - Repouss 3D Rendering Capability with HD Render Lighting presets - Faster Realtime 3D Engine with Different Camera Angles and Perspective Photography - The Content Aware Fill Tool - Adobe Bridge Mini Preset For Image Management - Cleaner, Easier Image masking and GreenScreening/Chroma Keying. - Image Tone post Processing in 3 Different modes RGB, CYMK and many RAW formats
to blossom fully. Other painterly improvements include keyboard shortcut access to a heads-up version of the Colour Picker (it appears atop your image, sans dialog box), making it easier to swap colour while youre painting; improved support for graphic tablets (like the option to have tablet settings override brush settings); and a new sample ring for the Eyedropper Tool, which shows the current and new colours, making it easier to grab the colour you want.
full arsenal of 3D tools. Dont expect it to be a quick process, though; no matter what workstation you have, Photoshop requires some time to perform the 3D extrusion. To use the Repouss tool, first select your item by clicking on the thumbnail, then going to 3D> Repouss>Current Selection. Then Select your settings. Other 3D features include the new Ground Plane Shadow Catcher, which gives you an easy way to generate a realistic shadow cast on the ground (or, in this case, mesh) beneath a 3D object. Photoshop CS5 also sports faster 3D Ray Tracer rendering (think of Ray-Tracing as tracing the path of light rays reflected off an object and back to the camera for a more photorealistic image), which lets you render a selection, pause and resume rendering, and change render quality. Adobe have also added a slew of new materials, light sources, and overlays, and also the ability to change 3D depth of field, new 3D preferences and more.
Imaging (HDRI or just HDR), Photoshop CS5 has it ALL. Ready to delve deeper into
these often un-explored depths of Photoshop ?
others. Another headache: software companies must continually add support for the proprietary raw formats that come with the unending parade of new cameras in the Market.
THE FINAL VERDICT So, is It worth the Money, Or the Upgrade from previous Versions ?
YES ! - If you are an Aspiring, or professionally qualified Graphic-Designer, and want those really cool new 3D render tools, and a Revamped Photoshop work Environment, along with stepped-up features spanning many categories Not Quite ! If you are a Photography Enthusiast, and use Photoshop only occasionally for photo post-processing & Image-Management, Since Older versions may suffice for those purposes. After All, Adobe Bridge Plug-Ins are available for Older Versions Too !
However, All the New Photography-centric additions WILL make this task easier. On the Whole, an Exciting Product, and we hope Adobe continues its legacy of producing Ground-Breaking Software that takes the IT community by storm.