Problem with editing a smart object in a PSD file

[SecOpa]

Dear all,

I am new to the Affinity suite and am in the process of transitioning from Photoshop to Affinity Photo.

My main focus is designing logos, box shots and editing graphics etc.

In Photoshop, I created a software boxshot (mochup) and to make my work easier, I created a smart object so that I can easily change the from and sides of the boxshot for my future projects.

In Photoshop, when I double click on this smart object, a new tab opens where I can easily add a new background layer (or layers) and after saving the changes in this new tab, all the changes are applied to the main file. This way I can keep all my previous changes such as angles, shadows, masks and so on.

But in Affinity, when I click on this Smart Object, it only shows me the whole photo and I cannot edit the linked Smart Object.

Could you please tell me what I am missing here?

In general, I find Affinity to be a really GREAT replacement for Photoshop and I have to say that I expected it to have a longer learning curve for me. I'm already pretty fast with the tasks I want to do and the above issue is one of the last things left on my todo list.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

My PSD file (~70MB):

https://cloud.mysecure.space/s/aCbPdZg9EfGwJMw

Edited August 14, 2024 by SecOpa

[walt.farrell]

Welcome to the Affinity forums.

You didn't tell us which Affinity application you're using, but assuming you're in Photo there's a Setting, under General, to "Import Smart Objects where possible". It's off by default, so perhaps you haven't enabled it?

Another possibility: Some Photoshop functions such as Mesh Warp aren't supported, and would have an effect in this area if you've used them.

[SecOpa]

Thanks a lot for your quick reply.

I have not activated this option yet and as soon as I am behind my PC I will try it out and will keep you updated.

 

[walt.farrell]

You're welcome.

[dominik]

1 hour ago, SecOpa said:

I have not activated this option yet and as soon as I am behind my PC I will try it out and will keep you updated.

Hello @SecOpa,

out of interest I downloaded your mockup file and opened it with 'Import Smart Objects where possible'. It does behave as you'd expect. Double clicking on the embedded layers opens them in a new tab and can be edited. They are not labelled 'Smart Object' but do behave like them.

If you are switching to Affinity completely I suggest to look into embedded native Affinity files for future projects. They will most likely work more reliable. They are actually very similar to 'Smart Objects' but are in essence plain Affinity files and can be treated like any other file, e.g. link them in contrast to embed ('Smart Objects' don't have this ability to my knowledge).

d.

[vor]

Hey, can someone help me with this? I can't quite wrap my head around it. Someone suggested looking into embedding native Affinity files for future projects, but I'm not sure what they mean. I use Publisher, Designer, and Photo to create my children's illustrations, and Publisher is my main workspace. I open all the files from there, but switching between tabs doesn't seem to work properly. The idea is great, but the implementation? Not so much.

Everything feels a bit messy. I’ve linked my documents and used the Resource Manager to show the file, but there’s no option to 'Edit with Photo' or 'Edit with Designer.' So, I end up opening the file manually, which is tedious. Once I open it, I edit the linked file like a smart object. But now, I have to open it in a new Photo window, edit, and save. Is this really how it works—like a smart object?

Last night, I messed up while editing and accidentally ruined a week’s worth of work by ending up with a low-quality image. I think I broke the link and edited without opening it correctly. What if I want to add some vector lines to my photo? Switching tabs in Publisher seemed like a simple solution, but it turned out to be just the tip of the iceberg. Am I missing something? Is there a faster and safer way to manage this workflow? It’s becoming overwhelming, especially with detailed illustrations.

[R C-R]

7 hours ago, vor said:

I use Publisher, Designer, and Photo to create my children's illustrations, and Publisher is my main workspace. I open all the files from there, but switching between tabs doesn't seem to work properly.

By tabs do you mean the 3 Affinity Publisher personas or something else? Also, what specifically do you mean about it not working properly? What do you expect to happen vs. what does happen?

7 hours ago, vor said:

... but there’s no option to 'Edit with Photo' or 'Edit with Designer.'

Look on the File menu. You should see "Edit in Photo" & "Edit in Designer" there.

Finally, I am not sure what this has to do with embedding native Affinity files in your documents, so more info about that might help.