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Participant
October 13, 2010
Answered

Un-smart or Revert a Smart Object

  • October 13, 2010
  • 4 replies
  • 91214 views

It'd be very convenient if there was a shortcut key or button that could "revert" or "un-smart" a smart object to what is contained within it. I know you can open the smart object, and drag the contents back to your working PSD, but having a button to toggle between these stages would be very helpful.

If anybody knows an easy way to do this already, please let me know.

Thanks,

Graham

    Correct answer Jeff Arola

    Have you tried the newest photoshop 2020 (version 21.0) that includes Convert Smart Object to layers

     

    https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/whats-new/2020.html

     

    https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/create-smart-objects.html#convert-smart-object-to-layers

    4 replies

    Stephen Marsh
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    April 23, 2024

    Just for the sake of completeness, before this was added as a native feature:

     

    https://github.com/joonaspaakko/UnSmart-Objects-photoshop-script

     

    https://www.mightyplugins.cc/magic-scripts

    Jeff Arola
    Community Expert
    Jeff ArolaCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    June 2, 2020

    Have you tried the newest photoshop 2020 (version 21.0) that includes Convert Smart Object to layers

     

    https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/whats-new/2020.html

     

    https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/create-smart-objects.html#convert-smart-object-to-layers

    Participating Frequently
    November 4, 2020

    @ Jeff Arola 

    This doesn't not keep the transformations. Let's say I convert several layers to a smart object, move the smart object to a different position, and make the smart object smaller to fit into the design appropriately. Once I choose "Convert To Layers", the element does not keep its exact position and size.

     

    What I had to do was duplicate the smart object so that I had 2 copies of the element. They both sat directly atop one another — already perfectly positioned & sized within the layout. Then I converted one of the smart objects to layers — it grew larger & moved across the artboard after it was "unpacked". Then I used the first copy of the smart object (still a smart object) as a guide for placement of the second element (the smart object that I converted to layers). I had to re-position & re-size that second element (the one that was once a smart object but has now been converted to layers). Then after it was resized and repositioned, I deleted the smart object that I used as a guide for placement of the unpacked layers.

     

    I wish all those transformations happened automatically with the "unpacking" of the smart object.

     

    retouchMOJO
    Participant
    October 13, 2010

    Under the menu "Edit/Menus..." Be sure you are in the "Menu For: Application Menus" tab.

    Choose "Layer/Rasterize" and assign the keyboard shortcut of your choice.

    Participant
    October 13, 2010

    Thanks Michael but I was looking for a non-destructive way to toggle the smart object layer into an expansion of its contents.

    Inspiring
    October 13, 2010

    Pretty easy to write an action for same depth, same colorspace, non-vector, non-raw smart objects: edit contents, select all layers, move to group, move to previous doc, close and dump old SO. On second thought, you can't really action a drag and drop, can you. As usual, after Chris posts, there'a not really much more (useful) to say...

    Chris Cox
    Legend
    October 13, 2010

    No one step way to do it, and only rarely could it even be done without significant loss.

    Smart Objects can have a different depth, resolution, color mode, and profiles relative to the parent document.

    Only if EVERYTHING perfectly matched could we take the contents out of a Smart Object and put them in the parent document without loss.

    But you can already do that by opening the child and dragging the layers to the parent.

    Participant
    October 13, 2010

    Thanks Chris. I was hoping there'd be an easy one-step way to do it, but you're right, there could be many characteristics distinct to the smart object that would not toggle back appropriately to the parent.