Rasterize smart object without flattening it

[Fluffytoast]

Is there a way to rasterize a smart object without flattening it? Meaning that if I select a few layers and turn them into a smart object to edit the contents non-destructively, but then I want the layers back to e.x. paint on them again, I can't rasterize the smart object without it being flattened, which makes me lose all those individual layers. 

[Stephen_A_Marsh · Accepted solution]

@Fluffytoast 

Recent versions offer a "Convert to Layers" menu item in the Layers panel.

Older versions required a script to "unpack" the SO back to layers.

[Fluffytoast]

Thank you.🙌 In the recent versions you talk about, using that option preserves any filters and transformations applied to the smart object?

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

Why don't you try it and see?

[Fluffytoast]

I really cant at the moment, not until I upgrade my pc. Im using cc 2014 in the meantime, its the latest version that doesnt bog down my whole system. I was asking to have the information handy for when I need it, but you're right, I'll just try it and see what happens when it comes down to it.

[Conrad C]

Just understanding where the problem is…so it doesn’t help if you simply double-click the Smart Object to open it, edit the layers inside it that way, and then save/close the Smart Object document?

[Fluffytoast]

Sorry, i thought I was clear but I clarify what I want. It may not even have to do with smart objects, but it kind of does.

So, I use Photoshop to paint sometimes, and I'm relatively new to the program. Let's say I have my lineart (inks) and the paint/colors itself in separate layers. When I'm painting characters, I sometimes need to use liquify to fix some of their features, like a slightly tilted or elongated muzzle, etc. The problem is that if I select multiple layers, and try to use liquify, it simply gets grayed out.

Using liquify in one layer at a time is not an option because it would never yield the same results in both layers and it would get pretty inconvenient really quickly. Like i can't believe liquifying multiple layers at once is not possible, how hard can it be to implement? Other apps already do this.

Also, using smart objects feels really overkill for just doing some painting. And it doesn't let me preserve the layers if I want to rasterize it again to keep painting on separate layers. I do not want my lineart to be merged with the paint. And I'm surely not going to a separate file to edit the contents, save it, and then come back to my main file. Not only is it inconvenient but it also disrupts my workflow. 

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

@Fluffytoast – You need to make use of the save mesh and load (last) mesh features to apply the previous liquify transform to another layer.