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EMLstudio
EMLstudio
Participating Frequently
March 5, 2019

P: Linked Illustrator Smart Object transform bug with update

  • March 5, 2019
  • 19 replies
  • 1006 views

So, I'm working on a game screen and have designed everything in Photoshop to match resolutions. I need the logo to be vector for marketing, so I made an Illustrator file and linked it to a smart object in Photoshop. I have tried ALL smart object crop options for the logo to match it to the Illustrator artbox, and it seems like it works great!...until I update the Illustrator file. Suddenly weird things happen in photoshop, like scale-changing and position changing. It doesn't even seem like it's trying to adjust for anything, they're just WEIRD unlinked scale changes. All I want is for the smart object to stay where it is and update the vector art within the limits of the Illustrator artbox. I have tried this in Photoshop 2018 and 2019. Neither work right. Please help! We work in teams and need updates from one file to sink with another.

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    EMLstudio
    EMLstudioAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    March 5, 2019
    GOOD CALL. So, turning off visibility didn't work, but if I take that back layer opacity to 0% and lock it, that works. Using Crop to Trim. Thank you! Not ideal, but it's workable. Wish I could just use the artboard. I'll do it the early 2010's way.
    EMLstudio
    EMLstudioAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    March 5, 2019
    Also, I can't post this file to the internet as my client has rights to it, but it can be easily recreated if I need to. Might troubleshoot later when I don't have this deadline. Wondering if Photoshop artboards might be effecting it somehow? Currently testing in Photoshop 2018 and Illustrator 2019. Also, this is a LINKED smart object, not embedded, so another team-member can work in Illustrator while someone else works in Photoshop.
    EMLstudio
    EMLstudioAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    March 5, 2019
    It does. But then if I move it and save in Illustrator, the update in Photoshop is ALL kinds of wrong. Transforms are wrong (scale, sometimes positions). I deleted everything outside of the artboard in Illustrator, and that seems to help some, but still acting weird. Currently testing using Media Box crop. Let me know if one of the others works better.
    J
    J453
    Legend
    March 5, 2019
    Hmm. I thought if you saved the file and placed the file with "Media Box" as the option it places the with the file bounds? (at least that works for me)
    EMLstudio
    EMLstudioAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    March 5, 2019
    I am using artboards 😕😕
    Earth Oliver
    Earth Oliver
    Legend
    March 5, 2019
    Hey, give this solution a try:
    - in IL, create a new layer and draw a rectangle which is the exact size as your canvas and fill with white.
    - send that layer to the back and toggle off the visibility 
    - when placing in Ps, use the crop to trim option

    now, as long as you don't scale or move the layer in Ps, the placed art should always stay aligned with the canvas.
    but if you're moving/scaling the placed file around in Ps, you can't expect it to maintain an absolute alignment.
    Earth Oliver
    Earth Oliver
    Legend
    March 5, 2019
    Jeff, i can repro quite easily. Basically, if you make a 20x20" canvas in IL and the same in Ps, there's no setting when placing a linked SO which will respect an absolute crop of the IL canvas.
    Although i did just figure out a solution...
    J
    J453
    Legend
    March 5, 2019
    Hi Eric, can you post a PSD with an embedded Illustrator file that reproduces the problem? That might help us get to the root cause the fastest.
    Earth Oliver
    Earth Oliver
    Legend
    March 5, 2019
    I think i remember this bug from a few years ago...have you tried using artboards?
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