Handle AI rendered images as external compressed subordinate files similar to smart objects

The rabbit hole goes deep. 3 render variations? 6? I submit to you; NEVER!

How about 12? Oh, that’s simply adorable. 30? What are you, a child? 60? Wisdom begins to dawn. 120? AH, I CAN SEE THE FACE OF GO- <crash to desktop>

THE PROBLEM:

Photoshop files quickly get to be huge, like 2 to 9 GB in size huge.

You put in prompts, you get rewarded with some good images and some which trip the uncanny valley… which are also good images but in another way. Yet this just makes you greedy for more, so you change the prompts and try again. Before you know it, your scratch pad if full, the Photoshop file is bloated, and your coffee addled brain cries out for MOHR! One more time! I can fit one more set of images! No one can stop me! I have become SHIVA destroyer of WO- <crash to desktop>

But enough about my own experiences…

THE SOLUTION:

Upon the initial saving of a photoshop file, a second folder is created where AI renders are placed. These images are non-destructive, compressed or non-compressed, native resolution to the master .PSD or set to lower resolutions and upscaled like a smart object as a space saving option.

New AI renders show up in a pop-up window. After unchecking ones you don’t want, and accept the results, they are saved to the dump folder and placed under the variations.

The raw resource images saved in the dump folder will have the Prompt Keywords used to generate the image embedded in the metadata for future reference (though keywords are scrubbed if the image is saved via the Photoshop UI directly, as default).

In the event where Photoshop crashes or the original PSD file failed to save, the AI renders can be repatriated to an older PSD save using the AI dump Folder and subfolder syntax.

This will allow creators to separately review AI renders that were interesting, but off topic to the subject, or didn’t meet their specific needs at that moment in time, yet the world would be a sadder place without it. While also, keeping the PSD file size to a minimum.