PSCS6 - Slow Saves??

Okay, here are some controlled test results:

I saved a large (600 megapixel), multi-layer (40ish layers) file with all combinations of compatibility and compression.  Here are the timing results and file sizes:

Compatibility Always, Compression Enabled:  180 seconds, file size 1,187,588 KB

Compatibility Never,   Compression Enabled:  111 seconds, file size    813,191 KB

Compatibility Always, Compression Disabled:   37 seconds, file size 6,062,369 KB

Compatibility Never,   Compression Disabled:   10 seconds, file size 3,254,357 KB

For each of the following tests I rebooted the Windows 7 test system to ensure nothing was cached and opened one of the files saved above into Photoshop CS6.  Times are repeatable to within 1 second.

Compatibility Always, Compression Enabled:   33 seconds

Compatibility Never, Compression Enabled:     23 seconds

Compatibility Always, Compression Disabled:  16 seconds

Compatibility Never, Compression Disabled:    10 seconds

The differences between the compatibility Always/Never timings in the second section seem to confirm that when compression is disabled, having the composite or not having the composite in the file does make a pretty significant difference in timing (something like 60% longer to open).

-Noel

I'm using the same os and my 35M raw files and multi layered files open very rapidly.  My settings in cs6 preferences:

Uncheck:  auto update and also Allow extension panels to connect to the internet.  And uncheck Adobe Drive.

Check: Disable compression of psd / psb files.

Use graphic processor and in advanced set at normal.

25 history states

4 cache levels and cache size 1024

My mem use set at 6485 - 89%

I use auto save every 10 minutes, save previews as icon

Also, the machine would hang sometimes and it was the AdobResourceSynchronizer.app doing something.  In finder click Adobe Reader app, then right click and show package contents, in the contents folder go to the support folder where you will find that app.  Just rename it by adding a couple of A's to the front. Then it won't run.

Did anyone ever figure out the best way to speed up filehandling of Photoshop files with mutliple layers? It takes me 25+ seconds to save and open files that are less than 30mb in CS6.

I just tried creating a photo with 6 layers, 16 bits/channel, 1598 x 1337 pixels and an alpha channel.  File - Save As TIF completed too quickly to measure accurately - I'd guestimate maybe a quarter of a second.  The TIF file on disk is 55 megabytes.  I have a fast disk array, but a file of this size shouldn't even be much of a burden on the disk in a slow computer from 10 years ago.  I guess a proper follow-up question would be:  What options are you choosing when saving as TIFF?

Regarding cidrmakr2's question, perhaps it would be helpful to be more specific...  What kind of document are you saving?  What format - PSD?  What size is it in pixels and on disk once saved?  How long is "slow" by your definition?  From what I can see the time spent doing compression isn't too much...  I just saved a single layer 18432 x 12306 pixel x 16 bits/channel PSD with Maximize Compatibility: Always in 5 seconds.  Size on disk is 1.3 gigabytes.  My disk speed is ridiculous, but we're talking about compression here.

-Noel

cs5 had a plug in (disallowflatecompression) that enabled fast saves of large files.  cs6 does not support that plug in.  Will that plug in be upgraded to work in cs6?  Or is the slow saves here to stay?

Thank you for all the comments and suggestions. Generally, I save multi-layered documents with alpha channels as PSDs and will continue doing so. You folks are correct....saving PSDs is MUCH faster, but a long shot. When I do save a TIF, I try to stick to the original TIF definition (flat images, no alpha channels, etc, so it remains compatible with other programs). I just happened to have a few TIF files and added a few layers and alpha channels to try out CS6, and it took 25 seconds to save! Yikes.

I tried turning off Save in Background and Windows thumbnails and that didn't seem to help. But it is good to know that TIFs save slow, at least mult-layered ones with alpha channels. I'll stick with PSD and only use TIF when somebody asks for it.

Thank you folks!!

Two additional differences are that I don't generate and save Windows thumbnails, nor do I have Save in Background checked.

I believe the Adobe folks have said that because so much more complexity is involved to make the Save operation capable of running in the background safely while you continue to work on the file, it may be somewhat slower than it has been in the past.

Have you tried unchecking the [  ] Save In Background setting to see if it speeds things up?

-Noel

Lou,

Because—in my experience—TIFFs take forever to open and save on all my machines, I abandoned the format several years ago.

PSDs and PSBs save amazingly fast in CS6, but perhaps my amazement comes from the fact that this version of Photoshop (CS6) is the first one I've ever run on a MacIntel under Snow Leopard.