Refresh smart objects

[malcolms47053612]

Hi all, any help on this would be greatly appreciated!!

I have a psd file that lays out 40+ playing cards for a card game. Each card has variable info (text, icons, colours, etc) and is contained in a separate folder. Icons on the cards are smart objects (i.e. the icon for "move" is a smart object from a separate "move.psd" file). Through out the 40+ cards in the PSD file there are multiple instances of the same icon used on different cards.

My problem is that when i change or modify an icon i have to go through and manually reload the smart object for each instance of the icon. Is there a way to have the smart objects automatically refresh or update (say, when i re-open the file) or a script that might refresh all the smart objects from the source when I run it?

Thanks!!!

[Anna Lander]

do I understand well that you have an icon in the external file, edit it and then place the result into your working document as a smart object?

If so, try another way.

1. Place the external image as a smart object (once).

2. Copy this smart object as many times as you need and put in the groups.

3. Edit any instance from your working document (it will open in its own window). Save it and close this window. Your instances in the main working file will update.

[malcolms47053612]

Thanks, yes thats right.
I have tried this and it might be the best solution. I guess I didnt want to do this because I have no idea where the altered version is then stored? If I wanted to change the icon and use it in another PSD the changes are "lost", i.e. stored in the other main PSD file, no? Is there not a way to link it directly to the original file?

[Anna Lander]

It's handed in your working dociment. So, if you change the external (original) PSD, its changing will not appear inside your working one, you have to copy the improved content into the working smart object. If you place the original into 2 separate working documents, you can edit them diffrently and each document will keep its own resulting image.

[malcolms47053612]

Yes i see how this works, thanks! Seems to be the best solution in this case.

[Anna Lander]

Try to use the linked placing (File => Place Linked). This might resolve the problem.

[edgrimley]

Would Variables and Data sets work better for you?

[Myra Ferguson]

Add your icon to a CC Library. Right-click on your document's smart object and select Relink to Library Graphic..., Select your icon from the Library, and click Relink at the bottom of the Libraries panel. Use the Library-linked icon to make any changes you want to have automatically updated in other files.