Photoshop's new blurs

[Andrew B.]

Photoshop CS2 includes some new blur filters. Here are some initial thoughts.

1. Surface Blur. This reminds me of using median with edge protection. Or maybe a median/Gaussian combination with edge protection. This could speed up work where you want to add some digital makeup to smooth a complexion. Or maybe do some general noise reduction. Then touch up with a mask to bring back some of the original. So this could be a time saver because it helps deal with the edges.

2. Shape Blur. This is a special effect blur tool that can create interesting blur patterns, especially when very simple shapes are used. The more complex shapes yield nothing that looks like the shapes they came from, and the results look pretty much the same.

At first I wondered why Adobe would even bother with special effect blurs. It seems out of place next to all the pro photo editing features. But if I mentally group the Shape Blur into the Distort group, it begins to fit for me.

3. Box Blur. I ran Box Blur at 28 pixels. Then I ran Shape Blur at 28 pixels using a box shape. Looks the same to me. Not sure what else to say.

...Andrew

[Franca]

Thanks for the report! I do occasionally wonder what I might be missing by lagging a couple of versions behind in Pshop. But I use so few of the cool features that if I were brutally honest I'd have to admit that I'd probably still be content with version 4. But version 4 might not be content with XP Pro. ;-) Version 7 is still doing all I need and much, much more.

[donmcc]

I lag on updates too. Seems to me that an 18 month update cycle is just a money grab on mature software like PS. I used 6 until CS was released (and then bought 7 merely to get the free upgrade to the Suite). I will use it until CS3 comes out in ... 2006?

Don McCahill

[Andrew B.]

There are some very significant new features in Photoshop CS2. Like the perspective feature, the larger files size handling, smart objects, etc. But if you don't need them, then they are not worth the upgrade. Photoshop CS had a lot of features that were very attractive to me. CS2 has some great features, but almost nothing I need. So I'm undecided.

[Franca]

What were the primary things that drew you to CS?

[Franca]

I skipped 3 and 6 and now will most likely skip CS and CS2 ... though I never say "never". I almost skipped 5 but Somebody made me an offer I couldn't refuse on an extra copy. ;-) 7 had some new features (new since 5, anyway) that I actually wanted but now that I've finally gotten used to 7 (more or less) I've forgotten what they all were.

[ElyseC]

The perspective feature might be handy for me to mock up product packaging designs, but I'll probably wait to upgrade until I have a specific request for such or CS3 comes out, whichever comes first. <g>

[Andrew B.]

What were the primary things that drew you to CS?Well, let's see. There was layer comps. But I never ended up using them. Match color. But I think I only used that once. Then there was Shadow/Highlight adjuster, which promptly lead to create actions that work better. Although I did use it on one picture. The warming filter, which now that I think about it, I only used once. The lens blur, which I never used, but would like to some day.

Well, what can I say. I was attracted to all those features, but it looks like it's the old stand bys that get all the use. Like layer masks, blending modes, adjustment layers, brushes, etc. Although, I do think those new scrubby sliders are great. And I feel better having those other features there, just in case.

[Andrew B.]

The perspective tool is a fascinating feature. I recommend watching "Ribbon of Perspective" and "Instant Exterior" on Russell Brown's tutorial page (http://www.russellbrown.com/tips_tech.html).

[ElyseC]

The perspective tool is a fascinating feature. I recommend watching "Ribbon of Perspective" and "Instant Exterior" on Russell Brown's tutorial page (http://www.russellbrown.com/tips_tech.html).Got another link for the tutorial? That one gave me a 404.

[JohnC]

That is the correct URL. The site seems to be down.

John

[annc]

I skipped 3 and 6 and now will most likely skip CS and CS2 ... though I never say "never". I almost skipped 5 but Somebody made me an offer I couldn't refuse on an extra copy. ;-) 7 had some new features (new since 5, anyway) that I actually wanted but now that I've finally gotten used to 7 (more or less) I've forgotten what they all were.I did the same on the Mac, and at one stage had 5 on the Mac and 6 on the PC. So I bought 7 for both, to synchronise them.

At this stage, I have no intention of uprading.

[ElyseC]

That is the correct URL. The site seems to be down.Ah, thanks. I'll try it again.

[fhaber]

Does a Win PS CS user care to comment on the new Activation? Do they still let you use it on a laptop, too? Does it phone home lots? Does it key to the machine name, or the Ethernet MAC? That'd be inconvenient, when you're clean-installing on a Friday night.

Etc.

[JohnC]

http://www.adobe.com/activation/main.html

[fhaber]

Uh, oh. Macrovision. To amplify,

http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/330089.html

http://www.gripe2ed.com/scoop/story/2005/3/8/0483/05937

I think I'll wait a bit.

[Andrew B.]

Odd. His site is still down. Maybe he is not keeping an eye on it.

[Molly/CA]

Seems to me that an 18 month update cycle is just a money grab on mature software like PS.

Don McCahill

Isn't that the definition of Adobe? Look what they did with CoolEdit (a nifty 95 dollar sound editing program they bought a while ago, with an instant 4-fold increase in price).

[Molly/CA]

What were the primary things that drew you to CS?

I didn't buy my copy so can't evaluate in terms of was it worth the price, but the little added amenities (since 5.5) are its best features for me. TINY little amenities sometimes, like having the crop frame on the toolbar! And when you use a tool, you have a specs/option bar across the top. Better dialogue boxes for almost everything. Much easier printing, if you're printing stuff yourself: a "print with preview" with a one-click "fit to page" gadget, and you can set up a "custom print" so if you're, for instance, required to print your husband's stupid relative pictures as glossies you can set the printer properties once and save the parameters with a name. The last print specs now stay with the document in both PS and AI/CS.

Saving is much improved too --especially if you often add text to pictures then save to JPG for posting or e-mailing! You no longer have to flatten the layers --CS just saves what's on the screen as a copy.

There are lots of big things (over 5.5) but the betterness is in small increments and many are not in my simplistic world things I can't get by without learning how to do. The press that's doing the books will bugger everything up anyway and the other stuff is ephemeral. One nice thing is that you can save a lot of patterns, custom brushes, etc. and they'll come up as a palette in the new top-bar properties thingie.

Also, the help seems much better this time around --though access to it regularly gets farkled and I have taken to keeping a shortcut to the first of the numbered htms, which is the intro page, on the desktop. It's my impression that PS still grabs memory or cache space or something and slows down your computer even after you close it down. Both these may be related more to my computer than to PS but why does it never happen with Illustrator?

[Franca]

Thanks, Molly! The custom print settings might be a "big" thing for me. I've had that in Corel Ventura for years and it's been invaluable. 'Course now somebody's probably going to pop up and tell me it's already available in Pshop 7 but I haven't seen it. ;-)

[Andrew B.]

Russell Brown's site finally came back on line. http://www.russellbrown.com/tips_tech.html

[ElyseC]

Russell Brown's site finally came back on line. http://www.russellbrown.com/tips_tech.htmlThank you! That vanishing point feature is nifty! Good for some package design mockups.