CS4 question-viewing open documents

[rach3975]

I'm using a trial version of CS4 right now to see if I want to switch to Photoshop. One of the things I'm missing from my old program is the ability to display thumbnails of all the open documents along the side. (Picture the way you see thumbnails of each layer, but with a thumbnail of every open file.) Is there any way to do that in CS4? I know how to view them as tabs, cascade them, do 6-up, etc. but I can't find a way to keep a thumbnail of each one visible at all times. Thanks! I'm not used to feeling like a digiscrapping beginner, and it's so frustrating!

[Victoria Feemster]

Window > Navigator

I think that is what you are talking about. Then just drag the open window to where you want it docked at.

Oh wait I reead your statement and I'm not sure if that was what you meant. Do you mean a thumbnail of EACH open document on one side? If so then PS doesn't do that but Navigator will give you a thumbnail of the document you are working on. Did you use DIP before?

[scrappurple]

I am not sure I have ever seen that option in PS before ... but have you tried using bridge?

[rach3975]

Okay, so I guess it doesn't exist in PS. I'll adjust. I'll check out bridge eventually, but if I try to learn too much at once I'll get overwhelmed and end up going back to PhotoImpact.

I've scrapped with PI since I started 6 years ago, but it was discontinued. And yes, it showed a thumbnail of every paper, element, etc that you had open so that you could easily see them all and switch back and forth between them.

[sprauncey1]

PSE has/had that function but PS doesnt'. That was my biggest gripe about it! Love all the other features but they could really put in that thumbnail bin and I'd be upgrading in a heartbeat. Sorry, just have to get used to it I guess. I just keep mine cascaded.

[rach3975]

Originally Posted by sprauncey1

PSE has/had that function but PS doesnt'. That was my biggest gripe about it! Love all the other features but they could really put in that thumbnail bin and I'd be upgrading in a heartbeat. Sorry, just have to get used to it I guess. I just keep mine cascaded.

Yeah, you'd think that would be an easy addition. For me, the PSE/PS sticking point is the ability to write actions. I don't write them often, but the ones I wrote in PI I used all the time. We'll see, though, how much this thumbnail business ends up bothering me. I'm going to have to make my peace with one of the two programs.

[schmoo]

when I first started I used PSE and I loved the whole thumbnail thing. When I was trialling PS CS4 it really bugged me that it wasn't there because it was just how I was use to working.

But I got over it and was eventually able to work another way.

What are the files that you have open that you need to see the thumbnails of?

There may be another way to work.

If it is your digi stuff you might want to consider having a look at Bridge. This generates a thumbnail view of every single image file (that Bridge is cabable of viewing) that you view in Bridge. Be warned - the Bridge builds a cache to allow it to do this and stores all that info and it can be massive. I'm talking about it eventually adding up to Gb's - depending on the number of files you have. You need a lot of spare HDD space.

From the bridge you can Place a PNG or JPG file directly into your PS file or you can just click on the thumbnail and drag it into PS. Dragging it will actually open the file and then you can drag it across to the file you are working on.

I use the Place command now because it places the image directly in my file I'm working on and it names the layer with the file name. This is really useful for keeping track of supplies. When using the Place command it places the image in the file as a smart object. I then rasterise the layer so that can make manipulate the image as I like. I assigned a keyboard shortcut to the raster layer file command (under Edit, Keyboard shortcuts) - mine is Ctrl+`.

Bridge also has an option that allows you to load multiple image files into one PS file and place each image on it's own layer (Tools - Photoshop - Load Files Into Photoshop Layers). You just need to ctrl + click on the image files you want in Bridge and then select this option from the menu. This also labels each layer with the file name. Then you can just drag them across to the file you are working on. I use this option if I just want to load a whole pile of embellishments up my layout and then I drag them all across and hide the layers and move around while deciding what I want to keep. I also use it all the time for alphas.