P: Why was sync settings removed?

Report · Dec 02, 2015

Why sync settings in PS CC 2015.1 was removed?
I like this idea. Are technical problems with it?

Report · Dec 15, 2015

Really really confusing why they would strip a feature many power users use with no solution in place to replace it. Back to 2012-era clunky workspace exports.....

This one one of my favorite new features in recent history.

Report · Dec 15, 2015

As a freelancer that works on many different computers (my own and other studios) this feature was absolute gold for keeping my workflow and time management efficient and speedy.

I do not pretend like this is easy stuff for the team, but I echo the sentiments of others: this is a really odd, huge step backwards to make when no solution is in place to replace it....

Report · Dec 17, 2015

Instead of trying to use external servers it would seem very simple to just have an option to sync the preferences, work spaces, actions, etc. to the CC Cloud Drive (maybe even inside of a hidden folder) and likewise when I sit down to use my other machine PS is on and hit sync it reads in any changes it sees on the Cloud drive that are newer then that machine has. Even better give me an option to "auto sync" all of those things to any cloud drive and any licensed copy of PS I am using. I just point to that cloud drive and it occasionally looks for changes and sync.s them.

If you really want to get crazy with it, provide a list of items that could be sync'ed with check boxes next to them to turn on or off different categories of syncing a given individual would prefer.

Libraries are fantastic, but please don't go backwards on other important cloud capabilities for a product that lives under the umbrella of "Creative Cloud".

Report · Dec 23, 2015

Excluding this feature, I fear that everyone will come back with CC2014 heaven

Report · Dec 23, 2015

The CC and CC 2014 sync servers are going away as per the official response.

Report · Jan 04, 2016

I, too, miss the sync services. I maintain two CC accounts because I often need three Macs to manage my workflow as a freelancer with mixed video, photo, and mobile work. What I'd love to see in the near future? Change/augment the CC account to allow up to 5 seats, rather than 2. Many software companies are going to this. For many small businesses/free lancers who are sole proprietors with a part time assistant, we often end up with a couple desktops and a laptop or two for working with clients, etc. Then, since the CC app can identify hardware installations, couldn't it also store the settings and presets along with things like brushes and textures as assets? That way, we could easily 'sync' or 'individualize' each seat as needed. This would be the way to 'sync' using a cloud-based platform as opposed to the previous node-based sync methodology which is problematic and has, with the advent of cloud services, been done away with by most modern vendors and replaced with a cloud based service.

Report · Jan 05, 2016

These are horrible news, another feature which was really handful taken away... if you work on several computers, which many people do, this really makes the life much easier..: What could be the problem having this feature still available for Adobe? Resources?? I don ́t need cloud storage for photos as much as this feature.

I hope Adobe comes up with some alternative way how to do it, not just taking things away...

Report · Jan 06, 2016

I just dont get how removing this feature is a step foreward this was really one of the best addition IMHO.

Report · Jan 14, 2016

I Hope that some day i can watch the down fall of Adobe. They live in 1999 still they should realise that it is 2016! Haven't heard any good news from them in long time.

Report · Jan 14, 2016

Aint that bad buddy....

Report · Jan 17, 2016

This is freaking amazing! They say they're removing the sync feature because it causes confusion. A much much better idea would be to have left it in and just disabled it. Then we (the professionals) could turn it on if needed. Why the heck would Adobe call it creative cloud, when all they do is push their sleazy stock images. This just goes to show that Adobe has completely lost its touch to its long time professional users. I really really hope that someone sometime will release a piece of software that drives this company to the ground once and for all. Sadly I'm stuck with this behavior for now because of their monopoly in graphic design software.

Adobe is the new EA...

Disgusting!

Report · Jan 17, 2016

Er, no, that's not even remotely what was said.
Please read the responses already given in this topic.

Report · Jan 17, 2016

I read his answer. But it still doesn't make sense. Adobe also killed sync in Indesign. I don't see why removing a perfectly fine feature would benefit anything. A lot of us are working from two places (two installations). Yes, it is complex, and not exactly user friendly. But killing it completely boggles my mind.

Report · Jan 21, 2016

I hope some form of synch comes back soon, primarily I am sad about the brushes. I find it very hard to keep my brushes organized at all let alone between 2 different computers when I forget I made a new one or go looking for a brush on the wrong computer. Additionally I really wish I could install cc on more than 2 computers, I have 3 I need it on. (My weak home stationary, my weaker laptop, and my strong stationary work computer)

Report · Mar 02, 2016

This is crap, and so typical adobe. As soon as they really start getting something off ground and have people depending on it, they kill it. One step forward then two steps back as soon as everyone is on board. And the typical response that this is better for everyone, when clearly it's not. I thought the whole point of this CC thing was that they could really put time and effort into releases, and stop the pathetic excuse of well we had to meet the ship date.

Report · Mar 09, 2016

I can't believe they removed it and have no solution for it. Now I run around with an USB Stick and before starting Photoshop I've to get my settings out of the system folders and take it to the second workplace and overwrite the settings there once a week sometimes daily.

Thanks for not supporting the customers and still delivering an unstable Photoshop CC 2015!

Report · Mar 15, 2016

Argh! This was one of the main reasons I preferred photoshop. What really annoys me is the lack of responsibility for their users. I adjust settings toolpresets, etc. I am dependent on this and in a hurry to finish my work for my client. And here I am on another location. I have to travel almost 2 hours back to my home office to manually copy my settings etc. almost 5 hours time spent on %$#%!

Report · Mar 15, 2016

My solution.
1/ %$#%!
2/ Install Photoshop 2014 from Creative Cloud
3/ import the settings to CC2014
4/ Transfer them to 2015
Adobe come on!!!! that is not a good soloution

Report · Mar 15, 2016

I maintain two CC accounts so I can use a laptop and three other Macs. With Lightroom, which never had the sync capabilities, it keeps all the presets, settings, etc. in a single location which works well using a symlink to Dropbox. So every time I make a change or create a preset, or change a preference in one computer, it quickly updates on all the others so when I launch Lightroom there, it's updated. Caveat: the 'default' catalog is changed too, so if the catalog isn't in the same location on each machine and named the same, you get the 'cant locate default catalog' message and have to locate it each time. I work around this by keeping an alias of the catalog or catalogs I use frequently on each machine on the desktop so I launch LR from those.
Photoshop is really difficult however, now that they've dropped the sync feature. The solution above is fine in a pinch but not for four machines used frequently depending on project and location. I've tried the dropbox solution with PS but it's been problematic. For one thing, PS keeps parts in different places on the system and so I've had issues when I tried that to the point I gave up. If anyone has gotten a working method to store PS settings/plug-ins/preferenes on a symlinked cloud system I'd love to hear it. But in my experience, I've not found a reliable workaround as I did in LR. Maybe Adobe should re-examine how they have setup the cloud services and do something using the cloud storage that comes with the CC accounts to sync installations across multiple devices.

Report · Mar 22, 2016

I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what happened to Sync Settings and now I see that it was removed. As someone in the industry I seriously hope you guys did proper UX diligence with prioritization, and I hope whatever you guys came out with made sense overall but to THIS user, this was something you all should have bumped up instead of ditching. This is maddening. Come on guys.

Report · May 11, 2016

I wonder if the next version of Photoshop might exclude the ability to use multiple layers. Those can be very "complex and difficult" for many users. It's much simpler if there's just one layer (in fact, let's call it "Background" and make sure it always defaults to being locked) and everything could be painted on that for simplicity. In that vein, we could also do away with things like rectangular and elliptical marquee selection tools since it would be less confusing for the customer to have fewer tools and you can make circles and squares freehand with the lasso tool. Get rid of any clone stamping or content-aware fill, too, too confusing. You can just use paint tools. Come to think of it, the ability to select a color presents a dizzying array of choice that is just too much for the customer. Maybe Photoshop 2016 could include the ability to only work in grayscale for simplicity's sake? And lower bit depths please–even 256 individual options for gray is probably too confusing.

Dear faceless mass of Adobe® developers and product engineers, Microsoft® Paint exists for those who prioritize simplicity and ease of use. (It's actually not that easy to use anymore–this statement is more for dramatic effect). We want a real paint and photo program.

Can't feature testing like this be done in a Beta program, rather than in "shipping" software? Alienate your beta testers instead of a huge portion of your customer base? A feature like sync settings is so intrinsic to what one would assume the cloud is for that it's disappointing not to have it. What's appalling is that it was advertised as a feature to a lot of people who put money into something that was removed shortly thereafter. What a benefit the cloud subscription model is: exciting features can be removed at any time–you don't even have to wait for an annual product update!

I appreciate the fact that David Tristam gave something of an empathetic response, but I really wish he hadn't cited those three points specifically. Do those actually make any sense to everyone here? They make me lose hope in Adobe®. Does anyone else not find this disconcerting?

1) Usability: the feature was complex and difficult for many users".

I think we've already addressed that ad nauseam. PHOTOSHOP ALLOWS FOR CREATION AND RENDERING OF 3D GEOMETRY BUT NOT THE ABILITY TO SYNC KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS BETWEEN TWO MACHINES? Who decides the priority list of most-pertinent features again? I thought this would be the worst possible justification for exclusion of a feature (how hard is it really for the end user to sync settings?). Then I read the other two:

2) Roadmap changes: Adobe wants more of a focus on CC Libraries.

What does that even mean? Is an alternative to "sync settings" coming via CC Libraries? I'm all for it if it fills the same need, but I'm struggling to see why 'sync settings' has to be dropped so libraries can be focused on. This is like taking your toddler to the landfill because you have a new baby. Aren't they two different things with individually unique merit?

3) Technical issues: the servers used for the feature are going away.

Ummm, use different servers? Use more servers? You can store bazillions of CC Adobe stock images and video but don't have the server capability of storing kilobytes of preference data? This point is perplexing.

I can, of course, at any time, cancel my Creative Cloud subscription and go back to MS Paint. Of course I'm not likely to do that because there are a thousand other things that Photoshop excels at. I just want Adobe® to feel like it's not resting on its laurels, but rather working to satisfy customer needs like this one.

Is this post a bit ridiculous, facetious, and sensational? Admittedly, yes. But so is the removal of sync-able settings in Photoshop. Just returning like for like. Only problem is I'm easy to ignore. Please do respond Adobe®. Show me where I'm wrong and help us all understand the real motivation behind this. A little honest transparency will bring so much more customer loyalty and much more understanding on our part. David, did you get permission to post more details on this? I really want to be a happy customer posting worthwhile feature requests instead of cathartic rants. Thanks for bearing with me.

Report · May 11, 2016

Well written, Jacob! Indeed, what exactly is the user benefit to having a "cloud" subscription if one cannot use the cloud for the most obvious and essential use: syncing preferences across machines?

Report · May 11, 2016

Thanks for the comments, Jacob. Let me see what I can find out about future plans.

Report · May 11, 2016

Thank you for your rapid recognition of my angst-laden post Dave 🙂

Report · May 11, 2016

My frustrated, pseudo, potentially comical anger is on par with Jacobs. It was just such a silly thing to do, removing a super valuable feature that was already working for the customer!

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P: Why was sync settings removed?

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