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Adobe CS2 New Features

If you haven’t heard yet, Adobe has announced the latest version of its creative suite, Adobe CS2. Included in some of the new features are such gems as the vanishing point tool, a variation of the cloning stamp that’s wise to perspective. Looks like a fun toy, but seemingly more practical are two new features that I cannot wait for. First: smart objects in Photoshop that allow placed Illustrator files to scale and update dynamically. And secondly: stroked lines in Illustrator can (finally!) appear inside or behind the object being stroked. These alone are worth the upgrade for me, as they will greatly improve my workflow and the way I compose my digital illustrations using both Illustrator and Photoshop.

The Live Trace and Live Paint features appear, simultaneously, to make Adobe Streamline obsolete, and to introduce Flash-style painting techniques to Illustrator. Those comfortable creating illustrations in Flash often find Illustrator frustrating, and I myself like the way that Flash dynamically paints with vectors, but I also like the control given to me by Illustrator, so it will be interesting to see how the two techniques work in tandem.

  • cardboardcutout

    Strokes on the inside of an object! Whatever for?

    finally illustrator catches up, and with the workflow and flash style drawing tools maybe i’ll be able to ditch some of the more cumbersome software i’ve needed to use before.

  • http://cardboardcutout cardboardcutout

    Strokes on the inside of an object! Whatever for?

    finally illustrator catches up, and with the workflow and flash style drawing tools maybe i’ll be able to ditch some of the more cumbersome software i’ve needed to use before.

  • http://mandolindsay.blogspot.com/ Lindsay

    Woo! I love that! They just keep making it better!

  • http://mandolindsay.blogspot.com Lindsay

    Woo! I love that! They just keep making it better!

  • http://tonmermishap.blogspot.com/ Isaac B2

    Yes! CS2! I am such a big fan of CS, and I am a software junkie, so the new versions have me very excited!

  • http://tonmermishap.blogspot.com Isaac B2

    Yes! CS2! I am such a big fan of CS, and I am a software junkie, so the new versions have me very excited!

  • http://www.bethmaher.com/ beth maher

    Woo-hoo! I’m especially excited about the Illustrator stuff. I am a vector bunny, after all.

  • http://www.bethmaher.com beth maher

    Woo-hoo! I’m especially excited about the Illustrator stuff. I am a vector bunny, after all.

  • oracle

    Yeah, I assumed they’d merge Streamline’s feature set into Illustrator eventually. Streamline’s been getting less exposure in recent months. Can’t wait to get my hands on it.

  • oracle

    Yeah, I assumed they’d merge Streamline’s feature set into Illustrator eventually. Streamline’s been getting less exposure in recent months. Can’t wait to get my hands on it.

  • http://www.inkfinger.us/ niff

    I think God himself made the Line tool in flash…So, I will be curious to see how the new CS lives up. Of course I don’t work on the computer too much, but have wanted to start…good timing!

  • http://www.inkfinger.us niff

    I think God himself made the Line tool in flash…So, I will be curious to see how the new CS lives up. Of course I don’t work on the computer too much, but have wanted to start…good timing!

  • http://evilwallpaper.cartesiancircle.com/ evilwallpaper

    Streamline, a designers best friend

  • http://evilwallpaper.cartesiancircle.com evilwallpaper

    Streamline, a designers best friend

  • http://www.choosechris.com/blog Christopher

    Finally! This is wonderful. I had developed a work-around that permits me to emulate the look of a stroked graphic in Illustrator, but it involved duplicating the art layer, merging it into one solid shape, reducing the Z-depth by one (move the layer to the back), and then applying a stroke to the underlying layer. That process allows me to have a stroke on an illustration that doesn’t cover up the art itself, but it’s such a pain in the butt. NOW I can apply a stroke to the outside of the underlying shape and it’ll look perfect! This is just what I needed to hear. Now, if I can only scrape up the $600 million needed to purchase the new suite.

  • http://www.choosechris.com/blog Christopher

    Finally! This is wonderful. I had developed a work-around that permits me to emulate the look of a stroked graphic in Illustrator, but it involved duplicating the art layer, merging it into one solid shape, reducing the Z-depth by one (move the layer to the back), and then applying a stroke to the underlying layer. That process allows me to have a stroke on an illustration that doesn’t cover up the art itself, but it’s such a pain in the butt. NOW I can apply a stroke to the outside of the underlying shape and it’ll look perfect! This is just what I needed to hear. Now, if I can only scrape up the $600 million needed to purchase the new suite.

  • petir

    one step closer putting quark out of business

  • petir

    one step closer putting quark out of business

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