Two windows open in Bridge Oct. 2022 update?

[Melani Lust]

Hi!! I use Bridge daily and always have had 2 - 4 Bridge windows open so that I could easily move files from folder to folder after viewing them. However with the new Bridge update there no longer exists the "File, New Window" option.  After several hours, ok a few days...., of toying around and looking through discussion boards I couldn't find any information. Does anyone know how to have more than one Bridge window open with the new update? Thanks in advance.

[neilf45702266]

Has adobe fixed this yet? I just opened 2023 and there is only one window. Cotent tabs don't work the same. I need to drag and drop. The only reason I use bridge is because of this and not finder. I'll use the previous version until aodbe sorts this out. Horrible mistake. 

[PECourtejoie]

Hi, I think that, if the new framework that brought the often requested multiple contents tabs is the one of the video apps, it might not directly support Multiple windows, and might require more work...

I suggest to use Br 2022 if, like many others you still need the multiple windows.

[jimpurcell · Accepted solution]

I believe the secret is in the Undock command. It alows you to resize and move your content pane to where you want it. With two content panes open, you have the functionality that you had before. Hope this helps.

[jennyr45762150]

I actually uninstalled the new version and reverted back to 2021 for the multiple windows. Does the undocking create different windows, or just content panes within the same window?

[Melani Lust]

Jim Purcell has superpowers! Yes, Undock! That works and now I can get back to work with multiple windows open. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jennyr45762150]

Oh my gosh is it really true... like actual windows that we can Command + Tilde between?!? That would be great!

[love.crusader]

I think that most people complaining here about the lack of the multiple windows feature are aware of the fact that they can undock the content panel. But it doesn't resolve the issue. When you place another content panel on the second screen, for example, and you want to navigate to a different folder, you have to go back to the first screen which is really unproductive way of working. Besides, it's confusing and you can easily change the viewed folder in the wrong content panel. While working with multiple tabs can be handy at times it can't really replace working with multiple windows if work involves a lot of organizing and moving files from one location to the other. 

[neilf45702266]

Yes sounds like I will continue the old version until this is fully improved. Multiple windows is all we are asking for. Don't see why they would take that option away. Pointless 

[gary_sc]

Hi, @love.crusader 

You stated "When you place another content panel on the second screen, for example, and you want to navigate to a different folder, you have to go back to the first screen which is really unproductive way of working."

This is not true. For each of the Content Tabs, if a content tab is active, all you have to do is to take either the folder or an image from a folder, and in either Explorer or the Finder, drop that item onto the Bridge icon in the Dock or a Shortcut in Windows and that will cause that folder's images to appear in that Content Tab. 

[Lumigraphics]

One thing I need is to compare folders- I have multiple sizes/formats of my images on multiple drives (masters on my workstation, backups on a file server, copies on our ftp site, copies for our mobile app, edited images for internal use among others) and have to keep them synchronized. I HAVE TO be able to compare filter panels to check for matching keywords and formats. Even if it wasn't buggy, without multiple windows, Bridge 2023 is worthless to me.

I didn't care one way or the other about multiple tabs (never saw what the big fuss was about) but Adobe has IMHO ruined Bridge. They had an amazing opportunity and so far the effort is disappointing.

And just to point it out, Adobe had approximately US$5 billion in profit for FY2022. I'd love to see them hire a team of rockstar developers to whip Bridge into shape. They could even outsource it, there are lots of contract coding houses that do amazing work.

I rely on Adobe software to do my job and don't see this version of Bridge as a viable option.

[love.crusader]

Seriously? So you think that opening Finder (which is not really the best way to browse the visual content, therefore I use Bridge) and navigating to the given folder in order to then open that folder in Bridge is an efficient way of doing things? So maybe let's get rid of the Bridge Folders panel or Favorites panel totally, cause we've got Finder, right? I've been using multiple windows for a long time and I've been doing it for a reason. Why are you trying to convince me that using some weird workaround is better?

[love.crusader]

Of course, I was replying to @gary_sc comment

[gary_sc]

Hi @love.crusader  Yes, seriously.

You stated, "When you place another content panel on the second screen, for example, and you want to navigate to a different folder, you have to go back to the first screen which is really unproductive way of working."

That statement specifically states that that is the only way to fill the contents of a Content Tab. I showed a different way to do that. I did not say that YOU had to do it that way. Rather, it was a different path to the same location. Beginning, middle, and end.

Surprisingly, not everyone does things the same way. I have never liked using the Folders Panel in Bridge, I find it awkward. Can I use it? Sure, but it's not my favorite path. Most typically, when I'm using Bridge, I go there when I have a specific folder right in front of me in the Finder, and with the simple trick I explained above, I'm there. Done! Alternatively, I have folder collections stored in the Favorites Tab. Then with a few clicks, I'm exactly where I want/need to be.

If the way you work is working for you, great. But please, do not denigrate or deny the workflow of others. Also, please do not denigrate or put down someone that offered a suggestion. That's not a good approach to being a crusader of love. :>)

[love.crusader]

@gary_sc I have nothing against you, I appreciate you're effort to help people on this forum. Also, if you like using Explorer or Finder to browse the folders and then only preview files in Bridge, then OK, I have nothing against it either. But the fact you use it that way doesn't make it a solution for a problem we're all discussing here. It's as if the pen tool was removed from Photoshop and you suggest that we should go to Illustrator, draw a shape there and then paste it into Photoshop. It works but it's not a solution that Photoshop users would expect.

Besides, the Folders panel is one thing, you mentioned Favorites yourself, it's also Collections, Filter, etc. All the tools that help us efficiently browse, preview and organize files cannot be moved to another screen with a Content panel. So it means that if I want to make use of those panels I have to go from one screen to another, always making sure that I have the correct Content panel highlighted (which is harder than it may seem). So I described the exact problem that lots of people here are complaining about, the problem that destroys their workflows and you said that what I stated is not true (because it can be done in Finder instead). I find it a bit rude, to be honest.

[gary_sc]

Hi @love.crusader 

One more time: you said that without the Folders Panel (or Favorites, for that matter), the user could not populate a Content Tab that was not attached to a window. That is not accurate. I pointed out how it could be done. In fact, as I sit here I can think of another: BEFORE the Content Tab is detached, if you have a parent folder selected in one Content Tab, if you right-click a subfolder, you can select "Open in a new content tab," and then detach that Content Tab and move it wherever you want.

While neither of these may not be possible or practical for your workflow, it might help others who are willing to check it out.

Do I understand and accept that the loss of multiple windows is a major loss for many users? Of course, I've been monitoring these boards for years. I've never seen an explosion of complaints like there has been with B-13.

I'm sorry you find any suggestion of alternate approaches that you do not approve of being rude to you.

Good luck.

[neilf45702266]

Hi Gary I think you're taking things personally when you don't need to. Those suggestions sadly still don't help us with our workflow so have to wait for them to fix this issue. I would screen share how I work if I could so adobe could understand how complicated they have just made things for my workflow. It actually makes Bridge pointless by not having multiple windows. That's why I will continue using the old version. 

[love.crusader]

@gary_sc You are twisting my words. I said that I found rude your suggestion that what I say is "not true".

You are picking some lines to prove that "technically" I'm not right and that some other ways of doing things exist. They do exist but they are not relevant in that situation. They do not resolve the issue. So giving those suggestions is not helping. In fact, it feels like you're trying to undermine the problem we're reporting. But maybe it wasn't your intention. If you don't see how your suggestions are not a solution to replace the multiple windows feature I don't know how I can explain that to you. So maybe let's not talk about it anymore. Good luck to you as well.

@neilf45702266I think screen sharing it's a good idea. Maybe it's hard to understand what we're moaning about for someone who has never been using multiple windows.

I'm also back to the old version of Bridge. But there's another problem that I'm facing. It's impossible to use Tools > Photoshop > Batch if Bridge version is different from Photoshop version. So if I have the newest Photoshop installed and I want to use the batch tool I can only launch it from the latest Bridge version. So I go to the new version to use the batch but all my collections, favorites, etc are in the older version so it's hard to find the files I want to batch edit, etc... And there you go... Another pain in the neck.

[Lumigraphics]

Please understand that Gary and I are not Adobe employees. We have little influence on how Adobe develops software and are here mainly to assist other users and to learn for ourselves. I am a working professional photographer and software developer with extensive IT experience, and I use Bridge as part of my job.

Also, an answer is not just meant for those posting but for everyone coming after who reads these comments.

[Just as seen]

Hi Everyone,

It looks like we all agree that the 2023 version of Bridge is very frustrating with regards to opening multiple windows, or the total lack of thereof. 

I would suggest that all of us copy and paste all these forum posts through Bridge itself in addition to this forum, as it might get  to the developers more speedily.

Once Bridge is open go to  Help>Submit bug/feature request  and paste away. I feel that if we post directly they might take notice.

A big thank you to our community experts for sharing our frustrations and trying to provide a workaround.

[Lumigraphics]

There are some hacks that allow Bridge 2022 to work with Photoshop 2023 but I'm not going to post them here as they involve altering Adobe scripts. If you look around online you may find more information.

[love.crusader]

@Lumigraphics I'm aware of the fact that you're not Adobe employees. And I don't expect that you will fix this software or anything like that.

I'm all for tips and hacks. But what Gary suggested doesn't seem like a good tip in my opinion. It's more of an unnecessary workaround. It's just my opinion which I probably wouldn't even express if Gary wasn't addressing me directly. He was replying to my comment suggesting that what I said is not true. There are better ways to say that you know some workarounds which are not exactly solutions for the problem someone's referring to. But maybe my reaction wasn't the best either. If so, I apologize for that.

Anyway, thank you for letting me know that there are some hacks to using the old version of Bridge in conjunction with the latest Photoshop. I'll check this for sure.

[Bobbie Bush]

So the UnDock option is a step in the right direction, but you only get the Content panel. What you are missing is the folder stack and the navigation across the top to know which folder you are in. I still need the entire window with all the panels, not just the Content panel. Not good enough. 

[Patricia Van Dalen]

M Mr. and/or Mrs. Adobe, please switch back to the wonderful option (wasn't broken, why "fix" it?) to have multiple windows so we can drag things from one place to another. Like Melani, "I need to see image grids in two, three, or four separate panes at the same time."

[Patricia Van Dalen]

Oh! I just found a way! "I open a new content tab," and then I dragged onto my Bridge icon in the dock another folder that went into that content tab. I clicked really hard on that tab and dragged it to my desktop, and somehow, after a few failed tries, I could see two windows at the same time and drag the content from one to the other, just like in the old days. It still feels a bit weird.

[PECourtejoie]

Hello, Gooie dag!

I think that Bridge engineers had to upgrade the interface framework to a modern one, including to offer Apple Silicon support, and that they used the one from video apps, that does not offer multiple windows by default.

I think that they heard loud and clear the need for multiple windows, and that the current solution of multiple content tabs is not sufficient for everyone!