Turn on suggestions
Auto-suggest helps you quickly narrow down your search results by suggesting possible matches as you type.
Exit
rayek.elfin
Mentor
rayek.elfin
Mentor
Activity
‎Dec 03, 2025
08:06 PM
Not to rain on your parade here - but both Animate and Character Animator are no longer in active development. Adobe remains silent on the matter. Instead of investing your time and money in defunct animation software, I would suggest that you look for alternatives that are actually still actively supported and developed. Free options are OpenToonz or Tahoma 2D (easier version of OpenToonz) and Blender (also does great 2D animation). Both are more feature-rich than Animate for animation work. Krita is nice for frame-by-frame drawn animation. All open source and free! 🙂 Facial motion capture is also possible in Blender - look for tutorials on YouTube. Commercial options: Moho Pro (they've got a BlackFriday deal going on now) which has awesome bone-rigging for 2d puppets, Toonboom, CelAction2d, Clip Studio Paint, and TVPaint.
... View more
‎Nov 29, 2025
10:43 PM
Meh, I started ranting a bit. My bad - sorry. Wishing you the best of luck with the petition. I agree that Figma's ever increasing upkeep and monopolist market dominance is worrying. They've learned from the best in this regard (looking at you, Adobe!)... I've switched to a selfhosted PenPot last year, and I like it a lot. More features than XD, not as feature-rich as Figma, but more than good enough, and at no cost (aside from server space or running it on your own machine).
... View more
‎Nov 25, 2025
01:19 PM
1 Upvote
Addendum: I just discovered that the latest release of Moho Pro adds animation export (fully rigged!!!) for characters and animations in to Godot, Blender, Unity, and Unreal. Now to update my R13 to R14... 🙂 And they are having a Black Friday sale till the 30th. Nice. https://youtu.be/NOS5VdiCBu4?si=pTYrTNGtO6djoY8F
... View more
‎Nov 25, 2025
12:40 PM
1 Upvote
The bone tool in Animate is a broken and half-baked mess. Just avoid using it, because it is not worth the frustration. Either install the Flanimate plugin to access good FK/IK bone animation tools in Animate, or switch to an alternative, such as Moho Pro. https://flash-powertools.com/ https://moho.lostmarble.com/
... View more
‎Nov 23, 2025
04:02 PM
Well, there's Blender, OpenToonz, and Krita... Seems to work for them! 🙂
... View more
‎Nov 15, 2025
05:12 PM
A free open-source focus stacking tool that produces as good results as Helicon is found here: https://github.com/PetteriAimonen/focus-stack Good options as well. The only drawback (if one can call it a drawback) is that it is command line only. Available for all major platforms.
... View more
‎Nov 13, 2025
06:01 PM
Yes, ACES 1.3 and 2.0 were added as defaults. I still prefer AgX myself - there are still issues with ACES that are resolved better in AgX (and even in Filmic). I work on a wide gamut P3 monitor, and R5 adds that option to select P3 compatible displays too. HDR screens are supported as well. I find that a nodal compositing approach, while initially more complex looking, is preferable to a layer-based workflow for this type of work.
... View more
‎Nov 13, 2025
11:51 AM
The about to be released R5 version of Blender has a number of quality of life improvements in the compositor. Recommended.
... View more
‎Nov 13, 2025
10:52 AM
1 Upvote
Camera Raw's output is 8bit or 16bit (which can be set in the preferences-->File Handling-->Camera Raw Preferences. This means an automatic conversion to 16bit (or in Photoshop's case: effective 15bit). Which isn't an issue if your master file is also 16bit with the 32bit file placed as a smart object. (That is: if we do not care about Photoshop's limited 16bit image mode...) Here is the result with me opening a 32bit rendered EXR scene from Blender directly in Photoshop, converting the layer as a smart object, switching the main file to 16bit image mode, and finally applying the Camera Raw plugin: Full HDR support, as you can see. And here the same file but placed as an embedded smart object: No HDR support. It is deactivated. The quality sharply degrades, and it is no longer possible to edit in HDR mode. It is impossible to colour grade this properly as it (seemingly) only works in 8bit. Based on my testing here, I wouldn't place it directly as an embedded smart object via File-->Open As Smart Object. By the way, if I may ask: why use Photoshop at all for this work? I avoid Photoshop for jobs like these, because it adds another layer of potential mismatch and conversion issues as well as Photoshop's limitations in regard to 32bit files and in particular 16bit files. Instead, I use Blender's compositor to take care of this, and it also allows me to keep the pipeline a closed loop in regards to colour management and colour grading. For example, here is the above scene composited and edited in Blender's compositor: This avoids the conversion step in Photoshop, and allows me to output a higher grade 16bit PNG. And tonemapping in Blender happens in full 32bit and supports Filmic, ACES, and AgX out of the box with various transforms. Of course, I am unsure which 3D software or rendering process was used to generate your @csscms EXR images. But even if you do not work in Blender for 3D rendering, you can still open the EXR files directly in the compositor. Ideally we want to stick to a 32bit workflow until the very end when we output the final 16bit PNG file - something that isn't possible in Photoshop. Davinci Resolve can also be used for this, but is a tad overkill for still images perhaps.
... View more
‎Nov 12, 2025
07:43 PM
Why not convert the EXR to a smart object first, then convert the image to 16bit while retaining the layers (and avoid flattening the 32bit smart object layer)? Followed by assigning the Camera Raw effect as a live plugin to the smart object. If need be, add the exposure and gamma to the 32bit version in the smart object. Sidenote: Be aware that Photoshop doesn't convert to a full range 16 bit file. It converts (silently) to a 15bit +1bit range instead which means you will lose half the potential values of a full range 16 bit conversion. Strictly speaking: 0-32767 + 1 = 0 - 32768 values. Any other image editor with 16bit support supports a range of 0-65535 values. Photoshop turns a full range 0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9--etc to 0-0-2-2-4-4-6-6-8-8---, which can be an issue depending on what the file is supposed to be used for. For photographic renders generally not an issue, but for HDR work, medical imaging work, and displacement mapping (for example) it could turn ugly. If you need a full range 16bit file the 32bit conversion will need to be done outside of Photoshop.
... View more
‎Nov 07, 2025
03:59 PM
In the meantime, while figuring out the licensing issue(s), consider as a fallback PhotoPea. It's pretty much an online Photoshop clone and requires no account.
... View more
‎Nov 07, 2025
08:06 AM
@davescm Can you remove the link that was posted?
... View more
‎Nov 07, 2025
08:03 AM
I would remove those links immediately...
... View more
‎Nov 07, 2025
07:55 AM
There is no need to conjure up conspiracy theories here. What you should be concerned about is that if you installed a cracked version there is a good chance that other malware may have been installed on your machine. Stop doing any essential business on that machine (such as online banking, insurance stuff, etc.) and first check with a good anti-malware utiility if your computer isn't compromised.
... View more
‎Nov 07, 2025
07:45 AM
There is absolutely no question that that is a cracked copy. Adobe doesn't offer so-called 'life-time licenses'. You have been duped. Those people manipulate greed in people. Simply stated: if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
... View more
‎Nov 01, 2025
12:22 AM
Asked for permission to access your file - to check the model for errors.
... View more
‎Oct 25, 2025
11:00 PM
1 Upvote
Also - we've seen other apps that have been killed off done so very transparently in the past few years: Aero, Substance 3D Viewer, Xd, et c. By @Joseph Labrecque This comment made me laugh out loud when I read it - I spit out the tea I was drinking! So funny! Thanks, I needed a laugh. 😄
... View more
‎Oct 13, 2025
10:20 PM
2 Upvotes
At this point you have a few options: - attempt to activate Fireworks via the methods mentioned in other related threads in this FW community forum. You are on your own: various possible solutions that do not seem to work for everyone and for every case or context. - install a trial version that works for 30 days and convert your files - open your FW files in Photopea, and save as a Photoshop PSD file, and switch to other software. Photopea is a free online Photoshop clone. To be honest, I use a cracked portable version of Fireworks to open legacy files. I purchased Fireworks CS6 legally years and years ago, and it stopped working. None of the various methods (described here in various threads) to activate FW worked for me, and since I have the license to install it, I have no qualms over using a cracked version. That said, I only use that verson to convert old files once in a while. Fireworks is defunct and it's been abandoned and discontinued by Adobe over a decade ago. It is time to move on. It doesn't work on Macs anymore, and I wouldn't be surprised when it stops working sooner than later on Windows next.
... View more
‎Oct 13, 2025
07:57 PM
That is interesting, and urges me to investigate further. I will get back to you later this week 🙂
... View more
‎Oct 13, 2025
01:46 PM
I can confirm that Photoshop is just slower to respond to adjustments compared to Affinity Photo or PhotoLine (the last one doesn't even benefit from CUDA or a fast GPU for its calculations!). Even a simple Curves adjustment layer takes more time to complete and update than other image editors with the same 16 bit image, and on the same system. As a matter of fact, having to convert the image to a Smart Object to use a live effect (not necessary in other apps, btw!) such as a Gaussian Blur degrades performance further. The destructive Gaussian Blur filter responds faster than the live effect in Photoshop. My Windows system runs on fast M2 drives, loads of free drive space, 128GB ram, a fast CPU, and a 5090 GPU. That's just the nature of the beast, i.e. Photoshop. It's slow compared to other software with basic operations (at least, based on my Photoshop running on Windows experience).
... View more
‎Oct 13, 2025
01:24 PM
1 Upvote
...and are you aware that Photoshop's 16-bit mode is actually not a true full range 16-bit mode either? It only holds 0-32768 values, while Affinity Photo, PhotoLine, Krita, Gimp, and any other image editor with 16-bit support supports a range of 0-65535 values. If a 16-bit file is loaded into Photoshop it is silently converted and degraded to lose half its values. 0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 converts to 0-0-2-2-4-4-6-6-8-8 in Photoshop's 16-bit mode. This was done when the 16bit mode was first introduced in the late 90s to improve performance and simplify calculations in code (since it provides a midpoint to the range and allows for faster math: bit shifts instead of divides), and it didn't matter 30 years ago seeing that nothing really produced such files with a full 16bit range anyway. Of course, that is no longer the case. It does become a problem in game and VFX depending on the context. Anyway, I agree that Affinity works faster with those files. A bit painful once we understand that Photoshop's 16-bit files are actually degraded to half values, for which the original reason was to increase performance in the first place! But perhaps this has been fixed in the past year? Does anyone know? I haven't kept track, since I never use Photoshop's 16bit mode due to this 'optimization'.
... View more
‎Oct 13, 2025
12:28 PM
Is it possible to edit the contents of Smart Objects in-situ and in real-time (affecting the parent document within context)? Answer to both: no. Smart Objects are an awkward work-around to 'solve' this. In the above example I could have used virtual layers (cloned instances) of the original vector mask in PhotoLine as well. Any change to the original mask would cascade to all the other masks. Is it possible in Photoshop to instance masks directly? No. It is in After Effects and in other apps. All of these shortcomings are limitations that have been solved in competing software. As I stated earlier: Photoshop's layer stack is showing its age. In my opinion so many things could be improved, and much is low hanging fruit. It's too bad and unfortunate for Photoshop users.
... View more
‎Oct 12, 2025
02:21 PM
GenAi, right? Because the arrangement of the piano keys make no sense. It would be nice if people added a note whether they used genAI and in what fashion.
... View more
‎Oct 12, 2025
09:20 AM
This is one of those Photoshop 'moments' where it becomes quite obvious that certain functions in Photoshop plainly show their age through obscurity and legacy limitations in core functionality. To compare, PhotoLine allows the user to check a simple invert switch to control the vector mask's path(s) effect on masking. Also, Photoshop's frustrating inability to apply more than one vector layer mask (without the use of awkward clipping masks) once more showcases how little Photoshop's core layer functionality has changed in the past 25 years. Competitors allow for multiple layer masks and vector masks, and clipping masks are not the answer depending on the context. (PhotoLine doesn't differentiate between clipping mask layers or layer mask layers, for example.) PhotoLine turns this into an easy to use feature, and therefore a feature that is regularly used by myself in comping.  Of course, other software such as Krita and Affinity Photo also do not limit the layer masking the way Photoshop does. It would be great if the Photoshop devs would finally update the layer stack functionality and push it into the 21st century 😄
... View more
‎Sep 24, 2025
06:45 PM
Why not use Photopea instead then? A web version of Photoshop with smart objects and non-destructive adjustment and filter layers. Also the Pen tool. And even LUTs via the Color Lookup filter.
... View more
‎Sep 20, 2025
09:32 PM
OMG OMG OMG This actually FINALLY happened?! I see pigs flying! There are pigs flying in the skies! Look! Look people! It must be the end times! The destroyer of worlds is upon us! .... All kidding aside, I am happy to see my request --posted a mere 9 years and 4 months ago-- granted. So responsive and quick! Thank you! https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-ideas/p-curve-adjustment-graph-dialog-size-is-tiny-please-make-it-bigger/idi-p/12248760 It would have been even nicer if this outdated Curve editor dialog would have received a proper overhaul with additional features that have been available in other image editors for longer than we had to wait for a scalable curve editor, as has been pointed out by others here in this tghread. And it would have been SO great if the curve editor could have been non-proportionally scalable! Or have more readable info. And the resolution of the graph doesn't resolve to a higher resolution when working with 16 bit images (is Photoshop still 15bit +1 , btw?). But I suppose we shouldn't get too greedy. We have a scalable Curve adjustment dialog! Yay! I immediately checked the Levels dialog, because OBVIOUSLY(!) that would be made to properly scale as well, right? Right? RIGHT? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! (Sinking to the ground in sheer despair while raising fists to the heavens and uttering a deep guttural and agonizing cry) Well, no biggie, I suppose. I am off writing another request. With a bit of luck we will have a scalable levels editor in.... Oh, around 2034. I can't wait! 😄 So happy! Thank you SO much, Photoshop devs! So thankful. Very thankful. Thankful, indeed.
... View more
‎Sep 20, 2025
09:21 PM
1 Upvote
Dear ladies and gentlemen, The impossible was made possible. The gods listened to our pleas, and let it be known in all the Photoshop communities: The Curve adjustment dialog is now... *sniffle* Now... *Sigh* SCALABLE. Yes, you read that right. It finally happened. It only took 9 years and 4 months for this to be implemented. Let there be rejoicing. Let there be feasting. Ring the bells! Rejoice! Rejoice! Hail Photoshop! Next, we hope and pray the Photoshop deities for a scalable levels dialog. This request can now be closed.
... View more
‎Sep 17, 2025
09:47 AM
Just a basic guess on my part: the new New Layer dialog was probably redesigned with wide screens in mind and the fact that the average user nowadays tends to work with larger and higher resolution screens. In my opinion the new UI layout of this particular dialog feels less cluttered and is much more readable, so I do not mind it all - the opposite, in fact. That said, I do agree with you that we could argue in favour of "neutral gray (50%)" or "neutral color (50 % gray)" rather than "neutral color", because the term "neutral color" by itself doesn't make sense at all to me.
... View more
‎Sep 03, 2025
10:25 PM
Out of curiosity (and perhaps a stupid question): did you @_keyframer try the keyboard shortcut for creating a new file? Does that work?
... View more
‎Aug 28, 2025
08:35 PM
1 Upvote
Not directly possible, unfortunately. Objects hidden outside the canvas can be revealed with Image-->Reveal All. (I forgot about that option) It will adjust the canvas size, though, so not comparable to InDesign or Illustrator. One other workaround would be to use a second (temporary) artboard while working.
... View more
Copyright © 2025 Adobe. All rights reserved.
AdChoices