Just for Beginners, post your questions, ask for help, get opinions...
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Today is more about information than creating. We are going to learn about one of the coolest things for creative imaging in CS3: Smart Objects.

What are Smart Objects? For anyone who has worked with programs such as MS Word, Powerpoint or Publisher, I liken them to embedded objects (which is most likely what they are, OLE objects...but Adobe probably thinks this rose smells sweeter under another name. ;) ). When we paste an image into Elements or any other image editing program, the pixels are pasted into the new image. With Smart Objects, the image in the new file is linked to the original.

What does this mean for us? This means that resizing an SO, for example, does not reduce the pixels from 1000x500 to 500x250 pixels, but rather the entire image and all of its pixels are simply displayed at a smaller size. If we take a normal object and resize it back to 1000x500 pixels, that must be done at a lower resolution and the result is a poor image. An SO remains at the full resolution and therefore renders as perfect when resized, just like the graphics supplied with PSE, which are also SOs.

This also means that any changes in the original source image are carried over into any SOs you have used in other images. For example, imagine you have your copyright symbol embedded as an SO in all of your images. Then you decide you don't like the font and change it on the source file. All of the SOs from this source should be updated automatically when the source image is saved. I say "should", because that is what Adobe claims, but I haven't tried that part out yet. :)

It also, unfortunately, means substantially larger file sizes. I saved two PSDs, one with the background duplicated as a normal layer and one with the duplicate as an SO, making no other changes in either file. The regular PSD weighed in at 51MB, the SO-PSD at 85.1MB. (The original jpg was only 3.95MB.) So there are drawbacks. but, once the effects you desire are obtained, you can flatten the file and have a lighter file.

What is the most important thing for us about SOs? The most interesting thing for the kind of images we usually do is the ability to apply Smart Filters. Why are Smart Filter so interesting? First, because they are non-destructive. They do not change the image used permanently. This, and how they are set up in PSCS brings us to the second important factor. Remember doing a tutorial with several layers, each with a different filter, each filter with a bunch of possible configurations - you get to the end of the tutorial and decide you don't like the way those filters worked out. With a sigh, you went back to square one and tried it all over again. Well, no more. With SOs, you can apply filters and go back and change the settings as often as you want. You can also delete one filter of several on a layer!

And with this information which is in no way intended to be coverage of all aspects of Smart Objects, I leave you with this video to watch, which will demonstrate how this can be used:

http://av.adobe.com/russellbrown/CS3SmartFiltersSM.mov

Next week I will be gone on a skiing and wellness week with my family, so there will be no GTwCS next Saturday. I will hope to check in on the forum a couple of times during the week, and will be back with new energy to bring you more GTwCS tuts in the future! :)
Reka
CS3 on Vista, Nikon D40 (50mm1.4, 18-55mm and 70-300mm VR) and FIREFOX
ImageMOM

My galleries <------------------> My blog
I was wondering if I can use the smart object insted of cropping. When you want to print a picture alot of times you have to crop out a good part of the pic to fit your print size. Can you create a new file ( your finished print size EX. 8x10) and place your smart object picture on top of the new file(blank page)? I only ask this because I know that with smart object you can ctrl T - size & resize without blur. I hope im explaning this properly.
Linda


Snowfall's Gallery
"struggling to learn"
I finally got one done, it was really easier than I thought. The hardest part was finding an image that would work.

Image
It sucks when your husband works nights, I get to bore you all with all my stuff :bigwink: but at least I am getting alot of practice. I am so bored................

cshw11a.jpg
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Wow, am I the only one doing Reka's homework this week. Come on CS3er's. This one is easy and fun!!! :cheer2:
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