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P: Allow extraction of smart object layers

LEGEND ,
May 04, 2011 May 04, 2011

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Allow extraction of smart object items.
Currently you can rasterize the smart object - or manually drag the layers from the smart object back into the document - but it would be great if I could just select "extract objects".

And what if the smart object has been resized? Then you can give the alert:
This smart object has been scaled, would you like to extract the layers in their original size or in their scaled version?
[Original] [Scaled]
[ x ] Scale effects

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Adobe Employee , Nov 07, 2019 Nov 07, 2019
This feature has been implemented in Photoshop 2020 (version 21.0). Right-click on a Smart Object, and a new command "Convert to Layers" will convert that Smart Object back into one or more layers.

Enjoy!

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New Here ,
Jul 28, 2011 Jul 28, 2011

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A feature to extract out / Split Open the content of the Smart Object to the Current Layer would be useful.

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LEGEND ,
Jul 28, 2011 Jul 28, 2011

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Unfortunately, this is usually impossible to do without losing quality.

Ignoring the transform: the mode, bit depth, resolution, global FX settings, pixel aspect ratio, and all other document settings would have to match. That's generally only possible if the child document was made from the parent document. If those don't match, we'd have to do a conversion, and the appearance is likely to change.

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Explorer ,
Mar 22, 2012 Mar 22, 2012

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Personally, I think it is okay if the quality of the out come layers will be worse then it was in a smart object (not in all cases however, but if it is not acceptable layers always can be duplicated), users just need to be notified about the conversion. It is still will be better than: opening smart object, duplicating the content and re-sizing it. Please give us "unsmart" feature 🙂

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Community Beginner ,
Apr 24, 2012 Apr 24, 2012

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Photoshop: the ability to embed photoshop Smart Objects back to the root file without complicated layer copying between two documents

in complex photoshop projects sometimes I want to reembed a Smart Object I created before of several layers or groups due to easier file handling or (this issue is fixed) due to applying photoshop effects/styles on multiple layers.

There is a similar feature implemented in Illustrator (sometimes saves my precious time 🙂 )

This feature would save me lot of time and effort in copying layers between two documents

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Community Beginner ,
Apr 27, 2012 Apr 27, 2012

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Concerning my main usage of many nested Smart Objects in webdesign they mostly contain shapes and placed documents - they could be reembedded easily 🙂

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Participant ,
Nov 21, 2012 Nov 21, 2012

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Hi there

I love smart objects.
I love them ALLOT!
I couldn't live without them.
Period!

But having to open them to take out the stuff inside them seems kinda oldschool.
I like i can open them to do a edit, so the click to edit should still be there.
What i feel is missing is > Right click to "ungroup" smart object.
This should bring the original layers back as before i made it to a smart object.

Also.. When i drag a smart object into the "create new layer" icon it should do the same as right click smart object and choose "New smart object via copy".

Thanks :)

//Poul

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Explorer ,
Jul 18, 2013 Jul 18, 2013

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Is there a simple way to turn a smart object into the layers?

If I have a SO (smart object) placed in my comp, can I simply release the content of the SO while in that comp without opening the SO and dragging the layers back into my comp?

Thanks!

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LEGEND ,
Jul 26, 2013 Jul 26, 2013

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Not tested yet but this should do the trick :)
http://pspanels.com/expand-smart-obje...

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Community Beginner ,
Feb 16, 2014 Feb 16, 2014

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It would be really nice if one could get the data out of smart object back into parent file. To the same position of X,Y and also in layers hierarchy.

Currently the only way is to open the smart object, duplicate the content of it to the parent folder. And because smart object can have different canvas size. It can never be placed to the same possition without moving it.

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Community Expert ,
Jun 02, 2014 Jun 02, 2014

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In Photoshop we can ungroup a layers group, but there is no easy way to "ungroup" a smart object. While I do realise that this is not possible without rasterising or applying some effects it would be useful in some circumstances to downgrade a smart object to a layer group.

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Community Expert ,
Jun 02, 2014 Jun 02, 2014

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Thanks for merging 🙂 Sorry I didn't find it straight away 🙂

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LEGEND ,
Oct 23, 2014 Oct 23, 2014

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Smart Objects in Photoshop CS6 and CS6 x64 do not have a right click option on the layer to remove the layer from being a smart object, nor does it have an option in the layer menu. The only option I notice is to export smart objects. If this is not a bug please advise how to extract contents.

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New Here ,
Oct 27, 2014 Oct 27, 2014

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+1

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New Here ,
Nov 18, 2014 Nov 18, 2014

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Photoshop: It would be great if Photoshop had the ability to expand an embedded smart object in the file it was embedded into along with maintaining clipping path information from the embedded smart object...if anyone has a solution for that it would be great if not then Adobe...make this happen

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New Here ,
Nov 18, 2014 Nov 18, 2014

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I am currently using the captain awesome script...however it cannot be used in batch actions...which is annoying when processing large groups of images

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New Here ,
Mar 19, 2015 Mar 19, 2015

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Sometimes I create a smart object of a layer to preserve the pixels of that layer(s) if I start playing with things that might affect it if it were still pixels in a regular layer like changing the canvas size.

I would like to be able to change the smart object back to layers in the file rather than having to go into the smart object edit mode and copy/paste back into the parent .psd.

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New Here ,
Mar 19, 2015 Mar 19, 2015

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There is this script, but it leaves a copy of the old object behind which adds an extra step. http://blog.kam88.com/en/expanding-sm...

I would also really love native support for expanding smart objects!

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New Here ,
Mar 25, 2015 Mar 25, 2015

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So I think I found a workaround for Batching this script...if you load it into Scripts event manager with whatever other actions you would like and you make sure to save it at the end it should work...So far so good today.

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LEGEND ,
May 21, 2016 May 21, 2016

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I did script which can manage it. Download here: http://bereza.cz/ps/

  • Puts content exactly on the same place.
  • Works with multiple layers simultaneously.
  • Respects selected composition in the smart object.
  • Scales content if the "SO" has different size.
  • Also scales layer effects.
  • You can choose if you want remove SO or hide it (change true/false in the top lines of file) Anyway it sets gray color tag to SO and you can easily filter extracted SO.

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Explorer ,
Nov 22, 2016 Nov 22, 2016

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Addition of 'Master Artboards' in Photoshop. So we do not need to create so many smart objects.
In addition the smart objects must be converted with Ctrl + G and open with double click in the same document.
If you resize the smart object, each pixel layer * becomes another smart object.
* No text layers, no layers of shapes, no layers of settings, ...

Note: Excuse my English. Is translated.

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Explorer ,
Nov 22, 2016 Nov 22, 2016

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How many years do we have to wait for these basic and simple characteristics. We need more productivity.

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Explorer ,
Nov 22, 2016 Nov 22, 2016

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Ctrl + Shift + G   ->   Extract smart object in the same document.

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Explorer ,
Nov 22, 2016 Nov 22, 2016

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Ctrl + G   -> Covert to smart object

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Explorer ,
Nov 22, 2016 Nov 22, 2016

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double click -> open smart object as illustrator (app vector) o affinity photo (app pixel).
So we see all layers of the document psd.

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Explorer ,
Jan 23, 2017 Jan 23, 2017

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I agree with red_fox. They should just let us know it's happening, and let us decide. The way I build my files, this would not be an issue the vast majority of the time.

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