Add "New Linked Smart Object Via Copy” option to Complement "New (Embedded) Smart Object Via Copy”

Report · Feb 08, 2025

There isn't a native feature to create a "New Smart Object Via Copy" for a Linked Smart Object.

There are times where users wish to break the association between linked SO layers to behave the same as embedded SO layers, providing independent control of a layer so that it doesn't update based on the original.

My idea/feature request is to add a new command for "New Linked Smart Object Via Copy".

The existing "New Smart Object Via Copy" command would be renamed to "New Embedded Smart Object Via Copy" so that things were crystal clear.

As an example, I created a couple of scripts to create a "New Linked Smart Object Via Copy" that breaks the association to the original file in a similar way as the native command does for Embedded Smart Objects:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/why-is-new-smart-object-via-copy-grey...

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/please-fix-how-relink-to-file-and-rep...

Report · Feb 10, 2025

I think it might also be »useful« to create an additional level of relinking/embedding that limits the operation to the selected instance of the Smart Object, as the current state – no matter how stringent it may be – seems not to achieve what some people want to achieve.

So something like »Relink only this instance of Linked Smart Object to File« or »Embed linked in only this instance of Linked Smart Object«. (In shorter wording …)