Photoshop
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FlickrShop: Upload images from Photoshop to Flickr
The wait has been a long one, but Flickr superpowers have finally arrived for Photoshop in the form of FlickrShop. As you can see, most of the basics are all available, such as tagging, adding to existing photosets or creating new ones, setting privacy and even specifying dimensions so you don't have to do any of that heavy lifting with the Photoshop file itself. The plug-in seems to work pretty well, though you can only upload one image at a time due to Photoshop's single document UI. Still, FlickrShop is a free plug-in from PixelNovel so it gets a thumbs up from me. Two versions are available - one for Photoshop CS2 and another for CS3.
Import your icons into Photoshop
If you've ever wanted to edit or customize an Application icon in Photoshop, creativebits has a nice tutorial that shows how easy it is to import your icons into Photoshop as a PSD file. Basically, the trick is to open the application's icon in Preview (as was pointed out in the comments, you can most easily do this just by copying it in the Finder and selecting "New from Clipboard" in Preview's file menu), then save it in Photoshop (PSD) format. Now you can open it in Photoshop and get access to the image for editing, including the alpha channel. Once you get that far you may want to check out the nice Photoshop icon tutorial we mentioned back in February.[via uneasysilence]
TUAW Exclusive: Video of Pixelmator in action
Click To Play The moment I saw John Gruber link Pixelmator - a powerful new Core Image-based image editor with support for layers, a wide variety of tools, iLife/iPhoto, Automator and more - I had to get a closer look. I remember the days of Apple hyping Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and all the power of Core Image, and then never seeing a formidable editor make use of them. Sure there are a few apps that make use of Core Image in one way or another, but nothing really struck me as truly leveraging all there was to leverage in Apple's Core image.While Pixelmator may technically be vaporware according to Gruber, I managed to snag an exclusive demonstration video of the app in action from its developers, brothers Aidas and Saulius Dailide (who you might be interested to know also founded Jumsoft). The demo showcases some impressive Pixelmator features, including working with multiple layers and objects, opening Photoshop files and moving layers from one image to another, taking a picture with an iSight camera and embedding it into the current working image, and even some slick blending modes.From what I see here, I can definitely say 'wow', especially since Pixelmator is expected to ship in late July for only $59. Stay tuned for more info as soon as we can nab it.
DS Daily: The best Nintendo-inspired photo manips
Nintendo's iconic characters and systems make excellent fodder for the funniest of the funny that this series of tubes can offer. O rly, you ask? Ya rly, we reply, let us show you them. From the head of Dr. Kawashima to the DS and its inherent money-printing abilities, Nintendo is a big part of the image macro canon. Even the execs don't escape unscathed. In this world, Iwata is a pimp, Reggie will beat you down, and Miyamoto? Well, he's just the man. Did you get your ass kicked and your name taken when a bom zal droppen? Not our problem.And then there are the Pokemans -- the personal power animals (after cats) of all Photoshop users, leading them all on a spiritual journey into lolz. Your favorites: show us them.
Photoshop Automator Action Pack updated to version 3.5 with CS3 support
I have rekindled my love for Automator and all things automation lately. If you can find any way to fit these tools into your workflow, I highly recommend exploring your options - including Ben Long's just-updated Photoshop Automator Actions pack. This collection of 86 actions has just hit v3.5, bringing support for Photoshop CS3 and a fresh batch of new features, such as: New Auto Color action - executing Photoshop's Auto Color command which puts the control in Photoshop's hands, but allows you to pass the image(s) along to another process without interacting with any kind of dialog or making manual adjustments by hand Add Watermark can now center and rotate watermarks Saving TIFF files now includes all the standard compression options bug fixes and more Mr. Long also notes that he hasn't included new actions for any of Photoshop CS3's new features - those are coming in a future release. The beauty of this pack of Automator actions is that they bring Photoshop's automation abilities into the rest of Mac OS X, allowing you to create workflows that pass anything you do in Photoshop on to another app. For example: you could build a workflow that grabs a folder of 200 images, auto-color correct them in Photoshop, add comments and metadata, import them into iPhoto, upload a copy to Flickr and then archive them all to a CD or DVD. All with a mere double-click. Ben Long provides his actions as donationware and asks for a very basic set of optional information to help gauge his audience and where he should take development.[via PhotoshopSupport]
Adobe CS3 may disable your firewall
This is ridiculous. Apparently, part of Adobe's Creative Suite 3 (the Adobe Version Cue CS3 Server) requires the Mac firewall to be shut down in order to install correctly. The Adobe installer obligingly shuts your firewall off, but then neglects to restart it afterwards. Adobe has 'fessed up to the problem (as a "critical issue") and suggests manually starting your firewall. So the long and the short of it is this: if you've installed CS3 you need to check to make sure that your firewall is still running. Go the Firewall tab of the Sharing Preference Pane, and if it's not running, click "Start." Adobe is already on thin ice as far as I concerned with their insanely annoying installers, and now this firewall problem is just plain bad.[via Daring Fireball]
Joystiq interviews BioShock LE cover artist Adam Meyer
Impressed by the winning entry in 2K Games' BioShock Limited Edition cover art contest, we had a chat via online messenger with the winning artist Adam Meyer about his design and the process he took to get there, as well as a bit on his background.First of all, thanks again for doing those. Tell us a little bit about yourself.Well, I'm 27 I think, I live in the Orlando area with my beautiful wife. And I own my own freelance design business called Crystal Clear Art.How did you get involved with graphic design?I've always been interested in art. And once I graduated high school it became clear that if I wanted to make a career out of art, it was best to get into graphic design over the more traditional stuff. I went to community college but dropped out in favor of just getting right into the field. I got my first design job doing layout work for a small little print company and basically learned what I could from it and the left. I kept repeating this pattern for about 8 years. I'd work someplace, learn everything I could, then quit and find someplace that could teach me new things.After I worked my way up to art director at a local design company I decided it was time to get out on my own. And here I am.%Gallery-3343%
Chuck Norris doesn't sleep... he waits
I can't believe it hasn't been done before (and I'm not sure how old the pic is), but there you go-- Cordell Walker as a WoW character.. My favorite: The chief export of Chuck Norris is Pain. More here, or just visit a local Barrens chat near you.Chuck Norris is no stranger to gaming, but my hunch is that as funny as this is, it's actually photoshopped. In all my Azerothian travels, I've never seen a sleeveless, unbuttoned denim shirt. But you never know-- if Col. James Braddock called up Blizzard and told them he was going to be in the game, they'd have no choice but to comply.[ via Digg ]
Replacement Adobe CS3 icons galore
Back in January we mentioned a contest over at Quark Vs Indesign.com to design replacement icons for Adobe CS3. That contest has now ended and the entries are available for download. Coincidentally, Joshua Bryant also has a post up linking to a variety of replacement CS3 icon sets. I have to say I don't really get the judges over at Quark Vs Indesign, as the first place winner there is a bit over the top in my view. Nonetheless, both sites have more subtle icons sets that I think are far superior to the default Adobe periodic table icons. Of all of these, I personally favor the gorgeous set by Adam Betts (right) based on the CS3 box design.So if you're looking to augment or replace your CS3 icons check out Quark Vs Indesign and Joshua Bryant for a lot of options. Do you have any other favorite CS3 icon sets not mentioned?
Adobe CS3 Beta clean up script
Now that folks are actually starting to get the shipping versions of Adobe CS3 applications, word comes that it's not good enough just to install the new applications over any beta versions you had previously been running. According to John Nack from Adobe, "It's important to run this script (and not just throw the app folder into the trash!), and/or to use the application uninstaller, before installing the shipping version of CS3 apps." The script download page indicates that you must first back up, uninstall the beta with the built-in uninstaller, run the clean script, and finally you can install the new version. I have to say, thumbs down to Adobe for this horribly unMac-like upgrading experience.The CS3Clean script is a free download from Adobe. [Via uneasysilence]
Adobe CS3 to ship April 20th?
Amazon.com has apparently spilled the beans on the shipping date for Adobe's CS3 suite, including Photoshop, as April 20th. As we've mentioned before, Adobe has a special event planned for Tuesday (March 27) presumably to announce this very thing. Amazon's Canadian store has Photoshop, for instance, while the US store has CS3 Web Premium, with both listings showing: "This item will be released on April 20, 2007." So now you know just how long you get to keep using that Photoshop CS3 beta. MacNN has a nice post summarizing all of the pricing and suite information leaked by Amazon.[Via MacNN]
Adobe Teams up with Apple for CS3 Launch + Webcast
We recently mentioned the upcoming Adobe CS3 launch (not shipping date), scheduled for March 27. Adobe has announced that they will be webcasting the launch from New York City at 3:30pm (Eastern). In addition, they will also be putting on live CS3 demonstrations at several Apple stores the next day, March 28th. So if you happen to be in SF, NYC, Chicago, Santa Monica, or London, you can head down to a local Apple store and marvel at CS3 (well if you can pull yourself away from the beta of Photoshop 3 that you've had for a couple of months). The Apple Store locations and times are listed here.Thanks, João Carlos!
Spore's power struggle: freedom vs. beauty
What is a magic crayon? If you're envisioning Harold and his purple outlet of creativity, you wouldn't be far off from the intended metaphor. Chaim Gingold, design lead for Spore's editors and cell game, described the magic crayon as a toy that is simple to use and yet gives the user enough power to create something they'll appreciate. Gingold kicked off his presentation, one of the last after a marathon of lectures and roundtables at this year's Game Developers Conference, by defining a magic crayon through example. Photoshop is not a good magic crayon, for example, because it is very hard for most people to use. Neither is Super Mario Bros., since you are not changing anything in the world. Kid Pix fits the schema for a magic crayon, as does the Mii creator, which is an "absolutely beautiful, wonderful magic crayon," he said.
Fatbits Pocket Painter, Mario Paint for the DS
Having created Rotoshop, the software behind uniquely-animated films like Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly, Bob Sabiston is no stranger to new ways of manipulating media. His latest project, Fatbits Pocket Painter, takes advantage of the Nintendo DS' hardware features to create both pixel-based and vector-based illustrations. The DS' top screen shows the entire canvas while the touchscreen displays a close-up view for editing. Fatbits won't replace your copy of Adobe Photoshop, but with features like color palette mixing, variable thickness paintbrushes, and opacity sliders, the program is a lot more sophisticated than MS Paint. The application even supports an animation mode and playback for recorded sound effects (via DS mic) just like Mario Paint. Users will be able to share their complete creations or works-in-progress by uploading them to a web server with the DS' WiFi feature. While Nintendo is aware of the project, there are no cemented plans for a commercial release. Sabistan admits that he might eventually cast the program loose for the homebrew community to play with if he is not able to find a publisher. For now, a brief user manual and a gallery of images created with Fatbits are available.
Two versions of Photoshop CS3 coming your way
When the complete Adobe Creative Suite 3 package is revealed on March 27, Adobe will announce not one, but two distinct versions of Photoshop, including a standard Photoshop CS3 and the new Photoshop CS3 Extended. Photoshop CS3 Extended includes the same tools as Photoshop CS3, but it also contains a brand new set of features for the integration of 3D and motion graphics, and image measurement and analysis functions. This marks the first occasion in which more than one version of Photoshop will be made available, with the new version targeted at individuals in the fields of video, architecture, engineering, medicine, and science.With the new PS CS3 Extended, video editors and artists can perform 3D model visualization and texture editing functions, as well as the ability to paint and clone over multiple video frames. Final animations can be exported as QuickTime, MPEG-4, and Flash video, among others formats. Additionally, users in the scientific, medical, and architectural fields will be able to extract quantitative and qualitative data from images with special measurement and analysis tools, with support for specialized image formats. Kevin Connor, senior director of product management for Adobe digital imaging says: "At one point in time, we considered separate versions, but we found a lot of overlap in the features that these people needed.... Rather than create a new application, Extended is a superset of features that can specifically benefit people in those markets." An official list of features for Photoshop CS3 Extended, in addition to pricing information will be unveiled on March 27, and the complete CS3 suite will launch later in the spring.
Adobe to provide web version of Photoshop
Feel like doing your photo retouching over a sluggish DSL connection? Adobe has your back; per CNN/Money, the company's flagship Photoshop will be available in a free, slimmed-down online version within six months. No word yet on specific capabilities, storage allocation, etc.If Adobe is looking for someone to copy (or buy) for Photoshop Web, perhaps a look at Picnik would be helpful. This beta site allows most of the same transforms and fixes as iPhoto, and ramping it up to Photoshop Elements-level would probably be easier than starting from scratch. If not Picnik, perhaps one of the other sites noted here would be an acquisition target.[via news.com]
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.0 now available
It is mid-February, and you know what that means: Adobe today announced the immediate availability of it's competitor to Apple's Aperture, Photoshop Lightroom. Version 1.0 includes the updated Camera Raw 3.7 framework which adds support for a number of new cameras including the Nikon D40 and Pentax K10D. Lightroom is available at a special discounted introductory price of $200 until the 30th of April, after which the price will increase to $300. Current users of the Lightroom beta can continue using the software until the 28th of this month. I've been using Lightroom since I picked up a Pentax K100D back in December, and I absolutely adore it. The interface is beautiful, it runs pretty darn well on my aging PowerBook, and it seamlessly integrates with Photoshop CS2. Now I just have to figure out how to work the automated processing features and I'll be golden... once I find the cash to pay for the full version. [via MacNN]
Lost Planet Photochop contest: the best of the rest
After the dust cleared from our little Lost Planet photochop contest, we had over 500 total entries. 500! That's just amazing. Joystiq readers ... that's impressive. We decided that after looking through the entries again, we just had to share them with you. A lot of work went into these things, and it'd be a shame if they didn't see the light of day.We've culled together 154 of the best entries, and are rolling them out in one of Joystiq's brand new features -- galleries! Click here to zap yourself right into the middle of the Lost Planet gallery, and check out full-size versions of the entries. We'll be bringing you a lot more galleries and images in the future, so stay tuned.%Gallery-1426%
First Tag Heuer cellphone mockups surface
As we suspected, it looks like Tag Heuer will indeed be joining the ranks of D&G, Prada, Aston Martin, McLaren, and the host of other brands out there who are joining the cellphone craze. Dial-a-Phone is reporting that the forthcoming handset should be "a completely new design," unlike the D&G RAZR which was devoid of originality save for the branding, gold finish, and dangerously high pricetag. Additionally, the Paris-based ModeLabs will indeed be crafting the design, and if all goes as planned, should be launching in undisclosed locales "within a few months." Currently, all they know is that it should be "made of stainless steel" and closely resemble many of Tag's unmistakable timepieces, and while chances are slim that the phone will actually be in a watch, be sure to hit the read link for the first wave of mockups.[Thanks, Stokelake]
Joyswag Photochop: Lost Planet, found entries - Day Four
Only one day left in the Lost Planet contest, so burn the midnight oil tonight and send us your last ditch efforts. Pull out all the stops, burn through a graphics card or two, and give us your best shot. We triple-dog dare you. Today's first winning entry comes from, er ... Untitled. Did your parents really dislike you or were you a clone who escaped? Very simplistic design, but well-done and very zen. Meditate a bit while you stare at it and chant your favorite mantra. It brings Marble Madness to mind, and also looks like a sweet game to be played with a Wiimote.Check out winner number two after the jump, and remind yourself one more time about all the contest details. That is, if they aren't already burned into your brain by this point. If you haven't entered yet, give it a go. If you've been trying and haven't won, keep it going. We've only got ten copies of the game to give out, and a lot of entries, but you never know what'll happen.
