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team_graham99
Participant
October 13, 2010
Answered

Un-smart or Revert a Smart Object

  • October 13, 2010
  • 4 replies
  • 91213 views

It'd be very convenient if there was a shortcut key or button that could "revert" or "un-smart" a smart object to what is contained within it. I know you can open the smart object, and drag the contents back to your working PSD, but having a button to toggle between these stages would be very helpful.

If anybody knows an easy way to do this already, please let me know.

Thanks,

Graham

      Correct answer Jeff Arola

      Have you tried the newest photoshop 2020 (version 21.0) that includes Convert Smart Object to layers

       

      https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/whats-new/2020.html

       

      https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/create-smart-objects.html#convert-smart-object-to-layers

      4 replies

      Stephen Marsh
      Community Expert
      Stephen MarshCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      April 23, 2024

      Just for the sake of completeness, before this was added as a native feature:

       

      https://github.com/joonaspaakko/UnSmart-Objects-photoshop-script

       

      https://www.mightyplugins.cc/magic-scripts

        Jeff Arola
        Community Expert
        Jeff ArolaCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
        Community Expert
        June 2, 2020

        Have you tried the newest photoshop 2020 (version 21.0) that includes Convert Smart Object to layers

         

        https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/whats-new/2020.html

         

        https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/create-smart-objects.html#convert-smart-object-to-layers

          R
          RoséJellié
          Participating Frequently
          November 4, 2020

          @ Jeff Arola 

          This doesn't not keep the transformations. Let's say I convert several layers to a smart object, move the smart object to a different position, and make the smart object smaller to fit into the design appropriately. Once I choose "Convert To Layers", the element does not keep its exact position and size.

           

          What I had to do was duplicate the smart object so that I had 2 copies of the element. They both sat directly atop one another — already perfectly positioned & sized within the layout. Then I converted one of the smart objects to layers — it grew larger & moved across the artboard after it was "unpacked". Then I used the first copy of the smart object (still a smart object) as a guide for placement of the second element (the smart object that I converted to layers). I had to re-position & re-size that second element (the one that was once a smart object but has now been converted to layers). Then after it was resized and repositioned, I deleted the smart object that I used as a guide for placement of the unpacked layers.

           

          I wish all those transformations happened automatically with the "unpacking" of the smart object.

           

            retouchMOJO
            retouchMOJO
            Participant
            October 13, 2010

            Under the menu "Edit/Menus..." Be sure you are in the "Menu For: Application Menus" tab.

            Choose "Layer/Rasterize" and assign the keyboard shortcut of your choice.

            H
            hannes-grebin
            Participant
            March 1, 2023

            You can just open the smart object and copy all layers within the opened document and paste them back to the file originally containing the smart object.

             
              ChzBrgr
              ChzBrgr
              Participant
              April 23, 2024

              THIS! I just spent 10 minutes getting back into this adobe acct just to say THIS IS THE ANSWER. Thank YOU!!! All of these other comments are DESTRUCTIVE and you won't be able to edit things like, for example in my case text. You can just double click the little icon in the thumbnail of your smart object "and copy all layers within the opened document and paste them back to the file originally containing the smart object." 

              The selected "ANSWER" to this question has got to be a bot response or something because OH MY WORD lol you answered it in ONE SENTENCE lol again thank you for your simple yet very effective answer. You are the MVP of this thread especially answering 13 years later.

              Chris Cox
              Chris Cox
              Legend
              October 13, 2010

              No one step way to do it, and only rarely could it even be done without significant loss.

              Smart Objects can have a different depth, resolution, color mode, and profiles relative to the parent document.

              Only if EVERYTHING perfectly matched could we take the contents out of a Smart Object and put them in the parent document without loss.

              But you can already do that by opening the child and dragging the layers to the parent.

              T
              team_graham99Author
              Participant
              October 13, 2010

              Thanks Chris. I was hoping there'd be an easy one-step way to do it, but you're right, there could be many characteristics distinct to the smart object that would not toggle back appropriately to the parent.

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