File locations for saving smart object .psb files

[DVDmike]

Is there a way that you can change the default file location of smart object files so they do not save to your OS drive?  I've got terrabytes of storage on data drives, but < 10GB on my OS drive,

[Zeno_Bokor]

the default location used is the place where you last saved a file

[DVDmike]

This statement is NOT true.  I can assure you that I have never saved any file to my  c:\documents and settings\user\local settings\temp\ folder EVER.

Furthermore, after forcibly selecting to save a .psb smart object in another location, CS4 still saves the next new .psb into the same c:\...\temp\ folder.

So unless I have my preferences set up weird, CS4 does not behave this way.  If there is a preference to default to some other location other than my c:\ drive, please let me know where it is.

[Zeno_Bokor]

i think i see your problem. You placed JPG files as smart objects and then edited that smart object and added layers, didn't you? When you edit that smart object, the extension of the file is .JPG, right? when editing smart objects and going to File->Save you shouldn't get the Save As dialog box, the problem comes from the fact that the JPG file format doesn't support layers. The solution is to open that JPG in Photoshop and then convert the background layer to a Smart Object.

[DVDmike]

Zeno, I really appreciate your help in trying to solve this problem for me.  But I do not think that you have much experience using smart objects.  I think that I really need someone to help who is experienced in using smart object layers.

To clarify some more....

I have a .psd file with layers that is stored on my data drive.  I convert a layer to a smart object so that I can preserve its resolution.  I open this layer by double clicking on it.  It comes up in a new window and I can make adjustments to it in Photoshop like any other image/.psd file.  When I close it, it takes a long time to save and I have a lot of disk activity on my OS drive.  I believe what is happening is that it is using that \temp\ directory as some sort of scratch device that it deletes on its own later.  But I am not sure of this.  If I close the file, it asks if I want to save, takes a long time, then goes back to the main .psd file with the changes to my layer.  Instead of simply closing the file, if I do a save as to another location, Photoshop saves the file as a .psb file but the main .psd file does NOT get updated with the changes.  So clearly, "save as" is not the answer.

I just want to make Photoshop use my scratch/data disk to save any temporary .psb smart object files.  Maybe it is not possible.  But I need someone who has more experience than me to weigh in if this is going to get solved one way or the other.

[Gyno-jiz]

This link (bold bullet 5):

http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/331/331968.html

Seems to confirm this link:

http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2006/01/15/513134.aspx

But I've never tried it. Just googling for you.

[DVDmike]

I am not sure how those links relate to how photoshop decides to store temporary smart object files specifically.  First of all, I am not using "elements"  (does elements even support Layers and Smart object layers?  IDK as I have never used "elements").  I am using CS4-Extended as part of the master collection under XP.  Photoshop has a preference for scratch disks that supercedes any windows definition of temporary Internet files.  I am asking if if there is a way for photoshop to use this for smart objects.  I really do not want a "windows" solution as there would be other programs affected.  Furthermore, the saving of smart objects is working, its just taking longer than I think that it should since it is using my OS hard drive.

Again, I really need help from someone who usues Smart Object layers to see what they experience.  I don't think that it is worth peoples' time to try and figure this out for me if they are not themselves using Smart Object layers.  I can live with the way it works now.   I would hate to think that there are people out there trying to figure this issue out for me who have no real use for this knowledge themselves.  I really appreciate the effort though.

[Zeno_Bokor]

I just want to make Photoshop use my scratch/data disk to save any temporary .psb smart object files

That's exactly what Photoshop does, it makes that .PSB on the primary scratch disk which in your case is probably set to the OS drive. If you don't like that then go to Edit->Preferences->Performance and change the location or order of your scratch disks.

[DVDmike]

My Scratch disk is set up properly to use a drive other than my OS drive.

[Gyno-jiz]

So then a Windows alteration is your only solution. That pretty much confirms what I've read about Windows and my experience on my Macs. It would be nice to hear from someone who uses smart objects tho.

[Zeno_Bokor]

Then there might be some preference corruption at your end, try resetting your preferences

http://forums.adobe.com/thread/375776?tstart=0

[Chris Cox · Accepted solution]

Photoshop uses the system TEMP directory to save smart objects for editing.

[fabiotovarphotographer]

I realize this is an old thread but I just posted something about a psb workflow here:

http://forums.adobe.com/thread/746956

I asked if there was one.. but i can't find any info on it.

I'd love to see something like this implimented:

PSD FILE:

FOLDER1

>SubFolder1>

>> image

>> image

>> image

>>>Sub_Subfolder2>

>>>>> image

>>>>> image

>>>>> image

Convert each folder to Smart Object

SmartObject_FOLDER1

>SmartObject_Subfolder1

>>>SmartObject_SubSubfolder2

User sets PSB SAVED LOCATION:

USER SET LOCATION:

C:/whereever/projectX/smartfolders/

autosave

files structure mimics psd folder structure:

Directory

SmartObject_FOLDER1.PSB

SUB DIRECTORY

>SmartObject_Subfolder1.PSB

SUB SUB DIRECTORY

>>>SmartObject_SubSubfolder2.PSB

I know I can export each smart object individually but is there a preference function to do this automatically?

Does this exist and I just don't know it?

[bigmarkess]

If you save it somewhere else the effects will not take place at least that's how it was for me... Try saving your PSD files to your TB drive and then see if the saving a SO file defaults to that location...

Just a thought I have not tried this...