Photoshop Timeline is Completely Unintuitive

[Gearhart1]

Why does creating a new frame in "frame animation" not create an associated layer or group? (give you the option to select one, and set say opacity)
Why cant I drag and drop layers or groups onto new frames to set the frame?
Why cant I drag a new layer on to the timeline to create a new frame?
Why cant I toggle between frame using the arrow keys?
Why cant i delete the entire timeline and remove the frame animation from a menu ON THE TIMELINE?
Why when i create a frame animation the default frame time is 5 seconds? That will very rarely be needed.
Why when i create or swap from frame animation to video timeline, do all my frames STACK ON TOP OF EACHOTHER?
Why do i have to key a layer to a frame by toggling visibility?

Most importantly, why did you, Adobe, add a timeline and animation system to Photoshop, and then make it complete and total unintuitive crap?

If i am being DEAD honest, your timeline feature complete garbage. Fix it. Make it usable. Make it reasonable. MAKE IT INTUITIVE.

[happie_97 · Accepted solution]

Hi Gearhart, 

Wow, it seems like you are really frustrated with the timeline feature in Photoshop. I have my students use it to create short and quick GIFs files. They find it fun. We also create animations using After Effects and Animate. These programs are made for animation. We use Premiere for video editing. Those timelines are intuitive for video, animation, and GIFs. Sometimes we create an animation in After Effects and then finish it in Photoshop to save it as a GIF. Some of these things might make what you are trying to do easier.

I am not Adobe, so I can't answer your questions. However, I want to share some ideas and our workarounds with you. I have my students use it to create short and quick GIFs files. They find it fun. Some of these things might make what you are trying to do easier.

Not sure what you were trying to do, but maybe you could try some of these ideas in the meantime.

[MagnusKallas]

I ended up here searching about "Adobe Photoshop Timeline is garbage" . It's ridiculous. Compared to Image After and After Effects I have serious doubts they have ever actually used the function themselves. We really regressed, didn't we? Photoshop WAS better a decade ago. And like you when giving lessons it's sad to make myself look like a fool because the software has turned against me. 

[jane-e]

"Compared to Image After and After Effects"

Hi MagnusKallas,

If you did not read Andrea's excellent response to the question you found with your search, please read it now. Note that Photoshop is at its core an image editor with other capabilities. As Andrea says, After Effects (and Animate CC) were made for animation, so by all means use After Effects for animation since you have it and know it.

Can you tell us what "Image After" is? 

~ Jane

[whcressall]

Ditto. Been using Ps since 5, Pr since 1.5, Ae since CS3. Professional media creator for a fortune 200 company. Ps animation/timeline/video is just ridiculously dated and counterintuitive. Done with it.

[Kaijukilluh2099]

I almost broke my finger trying to upote this as hard as I could.

[Luka35375817ymej]

Why do you assume someon'e frustrated for only telling the hard truth?

It's rude and unpolite!

One exoects from photo manipulating program to be able to have intuitive tools, not this obscure insanity of no options.

[One&Done]

THE SAME HOLDS TRUE FOR AFTER EFFECTS. SUPER BIG TIME WASTER. 

THINKING ADOBE IS FOR ROBOTS NOT ACTUAL ARTISTS.

[PECourtejoie]

Hi, I know that many animators who work in Ps use this add-on to help make things easier: https://www.animatorstoolbar.com

[PECourtejoie]

Hi, you should split your questions into different suggestions:ideas threads so that others might pile in and vote for them.

[rayek.elfin]

The real question is: why animate in Photoshop at all? There are dedicated and easier-to-use apps out there, including free ones. And improving Photoshop's animation features are assumedly a non-priority in the minds of the developers, seeing that After Effects, Animate, and Premiere are part of the CC suite.

[Kaijukilluh2099]

The real answer is because you use adobe for all your creative workflow and because you pay hundreds of dollars for a subscription and the least you could hope for is for it to actually be useful.

After effects, Animate and Premiere arent drawing programs and drawing is a key part of animation. Photoshop + drawing is why we would hope at least basic animation would be intuitive.

I should NOT have to bounce from my paid adobe subscription to a free app just to get simple animation done.

The person who wrote the orginal post is correct and so is the person who wrote "Adobe Photoshop Timeline is garbage".

I also found these thread after googling the same point of view.

What a dissapointment.

FYI I hope that didnt sound rude because thats not my intent. The answer to your question is just very factual and the situation is very depressing.

[rayek.elfin]

Well, yes - one can wait until the end of time for Adobe to improve the animation timeline in Photoshop and fruitlessy bash one's head in frustration against Adobe's unwillingness, praying and hoping, to add all the features that you want/wish/require.

Based on past (and personal) experience with Adobe, however, I prefer to take the reigns when choosing tools that will solve my needs and problems NOW instead of waiting for something that is most probably not going to change in the foreseeable future (if ever).

I mean: if Adobe's management can't even manage to develop and maintain Adobe Animate (formerly known as Flash), then I assume they just aren't interested in improving Photoshop's animation tools either. And history tells us that Adobe's management never understood the needs of traditional 2d animators. Adobe pulled out of the 2d animation market a long time ago.

And if that is the case, since we are part of a relatively small segment of Photoshop users --who are interested in animation-- that Adobe management is willing to ignore. There is no money in it for them or the shareholders. Because 2D animation is dead, right?

Instead ridiculous genAI tools are added to all of Adobe's products now. Animate anything with AI! Who needs manual animation tools!

Righto... Message received.

Thus, I vote with my wallet: switch to other animation software that does do what one needs as a 2d animator. Photoshop was never meant to be a frame-by-frame animation drawing software. If that is your goal, then it is a better idea (in my opinion) to add a new tool to your existing set of tools that fits your needs.  Even free open source tools manage to do a (far) better job than Photoshop in this regard (frame-by-frame) animation.

Life is too short for such humbug from Adobe. Take control over your own workflow and pipeline instead of relying on a company such as Adobe to magically solve these for you. Because you'll be waiting a LOOONG time indeed. Adobe management doesn't care. Neither should we care for Adobe and expect them to improve the animation tools in Photoshop. They won't.

(Sorry to be such a downer... Just being a realist after 3 decades of dealing with Adobe)