Bring back multiple instances!

[AndrewSouthard]

The new content tabs may seem a good idea, but not at the expense of opening a new window (or instance of Bridge). In my workflow, it is critical that I can run between 3 and 6 instances of Bridge across two monitors. This is to quickly and efficiently compare different folder (Illustrator, PNG & PSD) sets across different cloud services (OneDrive & Dropbox) for version control in a massive multi-volume publishing environment. I've tried undocking tabs and carefully arranging them across two monitors and then saving the workspace, but it's horrible with just three - to get six arranged and usable, I probably need another two monitors.

Before Bridge 13, it just worked perfectly; now it's a horrible mess 😞

[audrey.n]

Agreed. I've been using Bridge for 14 years at this point. It's my primary file manager and having multiple windows open has always been critical to my workflow. There's nothing about the new UX that's incompatable with multiple windows. Why after all this time is Adobe removing core features?

Worse still, opening a new tab doesn't default to a copy of the active tab, which was the default "new window" behavior. The undocked child tabs don't register as separate windows in either MacOS or Windows, so forget being able to quickly jump between them.

This is such an incredible kick in the shins. Between multiple instances, collections, non-destructive editing via CameraRAW, view all items, powerful export options, placing directly into apps, Bridge is such a powerful tool. I genuinely don't know what to replace it with. For now it's back to the previous version until and hope Adobe comes to their senses.

[polyxo]

I do agree that the implementation of new features happened quite aggressively "we know what works best for you". Several other Adobe apps leave "legacy" functionality inside the app for years, selectable in Preferences.

[audrey.n]

Adobe is overall pretty decent when it comes to legacy features (I still often use the legacy 3d in Illustrator). This is a removal of a core, day 1 feature of Bridge. I'm having a hard time imagining a use-case where this new tabbed system is faster than use having multiple windows and letting the OS do the window management. They talk about improved multi-monitor support, lol

[bjoernzedlick]

100%. Having multiple windows of Bridge opened is life-or-death essential for a "file sorting and comparing" workflow. Let alone multitasking in a modern world project environment. I can't even fathom how people do it in Finder. It's like not being allowed to have multiple photos opened in Photoshop. Tabs in general feel inhibiting tbh., never liked the concept. @Adobe, please take note, just leave the rest of the 2023 update as is (although a lot of it feels like an uninvited downgrade, e.g. gridded content tiles jumping, depending on whether you have a scroll bar showing or not, seriously?), but we need multiple windows back, no questions asked, asap, yesterday. Adobe is for VISUAL people, we work with our EYES, now you're taking away the option to EVALUATE CONTENT side by side with our EYES... very bad decision. Please fix. Thank you.

[bjoernzedlick]

Also, how to toggle these new Content Tabs with the keyboard??? COMMAND + ` does not work. 

[gary_sc]

New Workflows

If you look at the Content Panel, note the hamburger menu on the right-hand side (three horizontal lines). To the left of the Hamburger menu, you'll see a plus (+) (red arrow). If you click on that, you'll get a new Content Panel. If you click on the option in the Hamburger menu for a new Content Panel (green arrow), you'll also get a new Content Panel.

The primary disadvantage of these two options currently is that either will default to a "home" position and are not likely to provide access to the folder you want. Fortunately, for any Content Panel that is active (note the blue square and blue line circling the Panel), if you go to the Recent icon in the icons on top, if you select a folder from there, it will open up in that Content Panel.

Likewise, if you select a folder from the Folders Panel. In addition, if you take an image or a folder and drag it to the Bridge icon in the Dock, THAT folder will open in the active Content Panel. Hopefully, soon they will provide both "Open" and "Recent" options in the Hamburger menu.

 

If you have a folder with other sub-folders, you can always right-click on one of the subfolders, and it can be opened in a new Content Panel

 

Once you have two or more Content Panels, you can drag from one to the other by simply mouse-down on an image (or all selected images), then move the mouse up to the title area of the other Content Panel to make it the active Panel and release. IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE before you do anything, then Comand/Control-z and you'll be good.

Note also that extra Content Panels can be placed and/or moved to any other location in the Bridge window.

I hope this explains some of the new workflows available to you.

[bjoernzedlick]

Yes, all those new features are neat, but in daily professional workflow I need to navigate multiple folders / filesets simultaneously within seconds / intuitively, and most importatntly WITH THE KEYBOARD. I can't mouse over and right click to lay out my Bridge tabs every time I'm contemplating to look at a set of files. Sorry to be unromantic here, but Bridge to me is a TOOL, and navigating it should not primarily involve a mouse/trackpad/pen. 

[AndrewSouthard]

Hi gary_sc,

Thanks for taking the time to try to help, but I'd already thoroughly explored all the new options trying to find a way to make it work. I know Bridge very well as it is my daily navigation tool in my publishing work and have also used it for many years in a professional photography capacity. I haven't tried to use 2023 in a photography workflow, so I can't say if it works or not, but using the New Window option killed my publishing workflow stone dead; by necessity, I've returned to 2022 where I shall stay until Adobe reinstate New Window or I won't have a business anymore.

Anyway, thanks again for your input.

Andrew.

[bjoernzedlick]

Also, when going up/back one folder level, I can't use the right/left arrow on my keyboard?! Only up/down work, and then the selector jumps to wherever it wants. Literally random. Does anybody else have this problem? OS 12.6. Happens w/ or w/o a Wacom plugged in. (Keyboard/laptop 3 months old and in perfect mechanical order, just to answer that question). 😉 

[gary_sc]

Hi @bjoernzedlick 

Just to make sure I'm talking about the same apples as you are, if I'm in subfolder A-2, and I want to get back to folder A, what I do is to tap Command + uparrow and I'm now in folder A. I can then use the Arrow keys to navigate to a different sub-folder (say "C"), then, once "C" is selected, I tap the Return or Enter key, and I'm there. 

I'm on 12.6 on a Mac Studio. Is this not working for you?

[bjoernzedlick]

Correct @gary_sc, let's say you have 8 folders ABCDEFGH, you arrow-key to folder E, hit ENTER, now you're looking at the contnet of folder E, then you hit COMMAND + UP, you're back looking at ABCDEFGH, with E still selected, but you (or at least I) can't right-arrow to F to look at what's in there. Bridge will a) either not take the < > input period, or b) jump to (highlight) a random folder, say B. I can not arrow-key to D or F. 

[gary_sc]

OK, I'm using a Mac Studio (OS 12.6) with a Logitech keyboard and am having no issues doing exactly what you want to do. 

I am very apprehensive about suggesting the following only because I really feel that it will not change anything, but it's the only thing I can think of: Reset your Preferences.

To reset Preferences:

Quit Bridge (if running). Just before clicking on Bridge in the Dock or double-clicking the application for the Mac, press Command-Option-Shift. For PCs, press Control-Alt-Shift. Then open Bridge BUT KEEP your fingers on those keys until you see a window pop up. From the window, choose “Reset Preferences," "Entire Thumbnail Cache,” and/or "Reset Standard Workspaces.” In your case, choose "Reset Preferences."

Let me know if this does anything; as I said, I do not have high hopes, but I've got nothing else to suggest.

[mphillips18]

This is horrible. I need multiple windows that I can easily switch between. I'm using Bridge constantly as a design tool and I do not have time to build out content pannels for each design job. I will be uninstalling this current update and going back to the previous. This is a serious issue that needs to be fixed.