I realize this is not a direct channel to the Developers, but perhaps if enough people talk about it, they will get wind that this simple request could make a lot of people really happy and wouldn't take a lot of work, there could at least be some feedback or discussion amongst the developers that could make a lot of Photoshop users so much happier.
Rather than the next neural filter that emulates body temperature by controlling the amount of sweat on a humanoid-like character (a feature exactly no one wants but should be out any day now), perhaps you should consider returning the most beloved and most used tool in Photoshop from its antiquity:
THE VARIATIONS TOOL
For those of you too young to remember this tool, let me describe it. It was simply a grid of adjustments that you could apply to your images or to your selection/layer/etc. The grid would have the standard axes that determined adjustment types. There was a scale bar that determined the scale of individual adjustment and 3 columns of 3 rows of your image with the original in the very center.
So for example if the top axis was HUE, you could see the left column of images adjusted -%hue and the right column +%hue. If the vertical axis was Brightness, you could see -%brightness applied to the first row and +%brightness to third row. So at any time, you could make visual adjustments to your image by selecting any of the 8 surrounding images (with your current image in the middle). So if you wanted the image darker, pick from the first row. If you wanted darker, but no hue shift, you'd pick the first row (-%brightness) and the middle image which is your source image (for hue). Clicking one of the surrounding image choices makies it the current image and allows you to continue adjusting until the middle image looks the way you want it to look.
The claims the original developers hid behind when they removed it without consideration of what people wanted:
- It was destructive -- Solution: make it non destructive by applying adjustment layers using the same tool. THAT SHOULD BE THE END OF THE DISCUSSION.
- Real experts should know how to use the other tools better -- this really angered me because photoshop is not just for experts. THAT SHOULD END THE DISCUSSION. Sometimes, you need some inspiration and are looking for color combinations or manipulations that you wouldn't have thought of otherwise. Seeing a pallet of options is much more convenient that trying each of the filters (hue, brightness, etc.) and hoping you come up with something new. END OF DISCUSSION.
- It made photoshop less professional -- now that we have AI enhancements that GIVE YOU VISUAL PRESETS to choose from, perhaps we can have those devs sit back down--you aren't impressing anyone with your knowledge of fine color adjustment in content that is not photographic in nature. Creative content needs different variations than photographic content. And who are you to determine the best way for me to work? That's ridiculous.
Since the advent of AI filters, users are given examples that can be applied or removed at any time. We want the same brilliant options for the Variations tool.
UPDATES TO THE VARIATIONS TOOL:
- Scalable Preview Thumbs
Ideally, the grid would be expandable so that there were more options for larger monitors. This could be controlled by fitting thumnails to the window size or by selecting the thumbsize using the size dragging UI accessory already available consistently throughout Photoshop. - Selectable Axes with Selectable Sub Axes
For image adjustment attributes like HUE, the + column would allow you to select a type of hue adjustment (+red%) the same would be true with the minus column (-blue%) - Scalable Adjustment per Axis
When adjusting brightness as vertical and hue as horizontal, the rate of change between the preview thumbnails should be configurable per axis. So I could do a 10% vertical (brightness) adjustment while allso doing a 30% hue adjustment horizontally. - Library Presets
When you get an adjustment for an image to look a specific way, you should be able to click a button to define a new Graphic Style or prefereably a new VARIATIONS STYLE that would make it super easy to adjust images using these same parameters. Much like Camera Style adjustments apply adjustments based on Camera Presets, this would allow cusom "Camera preset" equivalents that you could create based on your shooting environment, your creative idea, your personal preference, etc. - Adjustment Output Preferences
If I want the adjustments that I just created to be applied to my image in a lossy format, that should be my choice. But other formats like (Adjustment lLayers, Graphic Styles, Lossless Layer Styles, or Styles Filters) should be selectable as well, leaving the original artwork untouched. Also, "apply styles in new layer" would allow you to add a layer based on these adjustments already applied (or not).All of this is super easy to offer. - Multi-Step Modifications
Sometimes, I adjust my images in one way, then afterwards adjust them using another related but different methodology. I don't have to understand how Hue and Color are related, I know that I like to adjust something with a little hue and then from the adjusted image, adjust the color (whether that affects the hue or not). I like them to be separatable and applicable/removable much like layer styles. Having a button that establishes milestones or one-of-many adjustmetns in your variation you wish you to apply would be ideal. Especially considering that setting this up as a graphic style base, you could easily change your entire scene's color adjustments by simply changing the styles VARIATIONS PRESET for that graphic style. Saving a VARIATION PRESET with multiple variations steps would be a great resource. You could even allow a button that simplified the variations by just offering the resulting adjustment. In other words, any competing adjustments between colors and hues, brightness and vividness, etc. would all be resolved into a single adjustment by combining the steps into one step.
Now that the majoirty of high-level phtoshop filters have built-in methods that give you muyltiple options, COLOR VARIATIONS should do the same. Even after you select the options for the neural filters, the plugin offers 3 variations that you could not have come up with without the AI. This entire notion that giving customers options is a bad idea has obviously been proven to be utterly ridiculous.
Considering how easy it would be to solve any of the problems the original devs had with the Variations tool and considering the applicability of being able to visually select different options as standard for new AI Filters, what could possibly be the problem with bringing it back?
I have used Phtoshop since v88 and every time I look at a photo that needs "something", I reach for the Variations tool knowing that it will guide me step by step to the adjustments I want to apply. It's been gone for what 15 years? And yet I still do it. And a lot of old timers do the same. I would be willing to bet that new users of Photoshop would use it as much if not more than we did if they just had it available.
QUIT adding new useless garbaget to Photoshop and just bring back the most beloved tool Adobe has ever had. I am posting this as a discussion hoping that others will chime in so we can compose a compelling "NEW FEATURE" request or start a petition or something. Perhaps someone knows a dev that would consider how much love Adobe would get for bringing back this most valuable tool.
Rather than just sticking this in the "to do" pile that never gets done, I hope to discuss this issue. I know the difference between a feature request, a question, and a discussion. This is supposed to be a discussion, please don't try to tell me that this post is a bug or feature reques. It's clearly allowed under community guidlines. I have fought this war before.
The only difference now is that the same logic used to deny users of the most used option in Phtooshop has become standard for all new plugins. Times have changed and we'd like our Variations Tool back please.
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