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AlanGilbertson
Community Expert
AlanGilbertsonCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 20, 2012

P: Problem saving AI file after opening as Smart Object

  • May 20, 2012
  • 13 replies
  • 740 views

There is a disastrous File Save (mis)behavior when an AI file is opened using "File > Open As Smart Object".

When editing is complete, the expected behavior on Ctl-S or File > Save is for Photoshop to open the "Save As" dialog, as it does when e.g., a jpeg has been modified in such a way that it is no longer a valid jpeg.

What actually happens is that the PSD is saved over the AI file, using the same file name including the .AI extension. The result is an "AI file" that is actually a PSD. It opens in Illustrator as a raster image. The original AI file is gone. This is a disastrously bad bug.

The only workaround is to revert the Photoshop document to its Open state, open the Vector Smart Object (which is identical to the original AI file) and save THAT with the original file name, but this definitely is the wrong behavior in this situation. I'm amazed no-one has run into this earlier (including me); it's been in the program since at least CS5.

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    13 replies

    J
    J453
    Legend
    February 3, 2015
    Fixed in CS6 (13.0.1) or later.
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    May 31, 2012
    Thank you very much!! 🙂 @ Alan
    AlanGilbertson
    Community Expert
    AlanGilbertsonCommunity ExpertAuthor
    Community Expert
    May 30, 2012
    @Colin: It's a three step process.

    1. Rename your ".ai" file (that is really a .psd) so it has a .psd extension.

    2. Open in Photoshop and select the Smart Object layer.

    3. Go to Layer > Smart Objects > Export Contents *or* double click to open the SO in Illustrator and save it where you need it, with the proper filename.

    Bonus step 4: Mop brow, wait a few moments for blood pressure to return to normal, and go enjoy a nice [beverage of choice].
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    May 30, 2012
    Again: you can export the contents of the Smart Object, which contains your original file. The big problem is that you have a PSD that got saved with a .ai extension -- but you already embedded the AI file inside the PSD as a smart object.
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    May 30, 2012
    i had this same problem... Have we found a way to make it editable again as an actual .ai in illustrator?
    i haven't finished this yet and I'm def not starting from scratch. it took many many hours to get this far. please any help would be appreciated
    J
    Adobe Employee
    Jeanne Rubbo
    Adobe Employee
    May 21, 2012
    Hi Alan,

    I've logged this in our bug database. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
    AlanGilbertson
    Community Expert
    AlanGilbertsonCommunity ExpertAuthor
    Community Expert
    May 20, 2012
    Yep. You got it. Sorry that took so long. 😕😕 When you're in a rush it's easy to leave out important bits of data.
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    May 20, 2012
    Ok, trying it again, I think I see the problem. The save logic is getting invoked when it shouldn't be, but only after adding layers or making other modifications.

    We will have to investigate.
    AlanGilbertson
    Community Expert
    AlanGilbertsonCommunity ExpertAuthor
    Community Expert
    May 20, 2012
    The problem arises if you've modified the Vector Smart Object in Illustrator. In this particular case, I had three artboards, deleted two of them, then created two new SOs via Copy so I could apply different effects to different parts of the illustration. The only recovery mode was to revert to the Open state in history, open the vector SO and save it back to the original place, overwriting the bogus Photoshop document.

    This is hard to grasp because it's so completely illogical. Trust me. I've not been through four Photoshop prerelease cycles to not know when I'm changing a filename.
    AlanGilbertson
    Community Expert
    AlanGilbertsonCommunity ExpertAuthor
    Community Expert
    May 20, 2012
    Chris, that's the whole point. There's no way Photoshop should ever save a document created in Photoshop with a .AI extension. That's a bug. I replaced NOTHING in the filename. PS simply obliterated the original .AI file (which I had opened as a Smart Object) by saving the new Photoshop document over it.

    One data point that perhaps will give you the clue. Call it an edge case: you don't start with an open Photoshop document and THEN "Open As Smart Object." You create a new document using "Open As Smart Object."

    Steps to reproduce:

    1. WITH NO DOCUMENT OPEN use File > Open As Smart Object and select an Illustrator file, foo.ai.

    2. Do anything you like to it -- add a drop shadow, resize it, anything.

    3. Hit Ctl-S. Your Illustrator file is now saved over. Foo.ai is now a PSD.

    This is not what happens with, say, a Camera Raw file opened the same way. Ctl-S invokes the "Save As" dialog, just as you would expect.
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