Photoshop CS5 and Panel Woes

Submitted by mitch on Sat, 12/18/2010 - 12:11.

I have looked through Adobe resources for panels and CS5 extensions. I have sent e-mails to Adobe engineers. Here's what I've learned.

There are some incompatibilities with the CSXS library that panels use and Macs. In theory, the technology is platform-independent. I am not the only one to find that the same Action Script code that works for PCs does not always work for Macs. Often it does, but not always. There have been support messages posted about this and no solution from Adobe so far. In fact, I haven't found where Adobe engineers even acknowledge the issue. With respect to my e-mails, one engineer punted. Two others did not even respond. Given that Adobe engineersusually respond quickly, this s very curious.

I face a decision, and I'll ask for community help on this point! Do I go forward with porting the exisitng panels to work under Windows for now and then hope that Adobe fixes the Mac issues with CSXS in a Photoshop update?

I don't want to ignore Mac users. On the other hand, if I can help the Windows users while I wait for a solution for Mac users, that would help a lot of people.

The other solution is to obtain Adobe Creative Suite Extension Builder. It uses panels, but it is a different technology from the CSXS panels from CS4 (and that I am porting to CS5). Adobe appears to care now about CS Extensions, not older technologies.

The problem there, is the cost. You have to be a subscriber to one of Adobe's developer support plans to obtain Adobe Creative Suite Extension Builder.

That's $500 per year at a minimum. Plus, the panels have to be digitally signed or users will get a noxious warning when they install them. That's another expense of around $200 a year. That's all too cost prohibitive for me at this point, since I give away all the panels.

Adobe used to make resources like the Adobe Creative Suite Extension Builder without charge to developers who agreed not to sell their panels, scripts, plug-ins, etc. That's how I obtained the SDK in the past. With the change to CS Extensions, it's a pay only option.

Panels

Submitted by mitrajoon on Sat, 12/18/2010 - 15:54.

IMHO: Adobe and Apple have a history of mutual distrust They see each other as competitors. Denying use to PC owners because Adobe and Apple are constantly at odds doesn't seem
fair. Also PC users' experiences may be helpful for improvements that
will benefit both camps.

As always your efforts are appreciated. Stay healthy and have a great holiday!

Jim

http://jmlphotography.smugmug.com/

Re. Panels

Submitted by mitch on Sat, 12/18/2010 - 17:56.

I don't like this Mac incompatibility issue. I wish Adobe would fix it.

I also wish they would make the Adobe Creative Suite Extensions freely available to people who are making freeware tools. After all, those tools add value to the Adobe CS applications. I mentioned this to John Nack in an e-mail months ago (and got no reply) when CS5 was released.

There have been complaints on Adobe Forums related to CS Extensions about this. The official answer from Adobe is, supported developers get a free copy of CS5 Flash Builder Pro for their $500 a year (and that's just how much Flash Builder Pro costs, BTW). If you buy Flash Builder Pro, that doesn't come with Adobe Creative Suite Extension Builder, either. IOW, Adobe is using this tool as a way to persuade/force/coax/manipulate (choose your own verb) small developers to buy a support package.

Well, you don't need Flash Builder Pro to make extensions for Photoshop. It's aimed at making standalone enterprise apps using AIR. IOW, it's intended to be a general programming platform, like Microsoft Visual Studio languages or Java. What you need, to make panel apps for CS5 efficiently and that run reliably under Windows and Mac OS, is Adobe Creative Suite Extension Builder and you cannot get that without an annual support agreement that starts at $500.

So, the decision I face is, do I release tools that run under Windows now or do I wait until Adobe fixes the CSXS library for Macs and the tools run under both environments.

Adobe Engineers

Submitted by mitch on Sat, 12/18/2010 - 19:51.

I e-mailed two other Adobe engineers tonight, asking if they have suggestions.

Update: I heard from an engineer, who says he will look into this. He also offered a possible solution, which is to use EvalScript. In brief, it would use the Javascript interpreter for the portions of code that are not working with Macs. So, beta testers, expect a new beta soon!

Further Update: The engineer has a suspected culprit. Missing Action Descriptor(s). That's a very likely explanation. Those things can happen, that's for sure! It looks like few developers are using Smart Filter Layer Effects. ;) Otherwise, I expect Adobe would have heard more about this particular problem.

The Upshot: I have the attention of the engineer who can likely find and fix the problem for Mac users. In the alternative, he tells me that he's confident that EvalScript will work. It's less elegant (i.e., you would have to load some script files into the same folder as the panel), but it should enable the panels to work for both Windows and Mac users. That would be great, since we could then move forward with other panels and making the panels better!

Yet Another Update: A second Adobe engineer says that this EvalScript maneuver should not impact performance noticeably AND I can embed the Javascript (so there will not be additional script files for the panel). This switch to Javascript might not be ideal, but if it works . . .

Looking forward to the new beta

Submitted by gollywop on Tue, 12/28/2010 - 10:24.

Mitch, thanks very much for keeping on to this thing. We Mac users definitely appreciate the efforts to include the Mac and I am delighted you have some good leads for proceeding.

Best wishes for the holidays, Mitch, and take care.

gollywop

Mitch, have you ground to a halt?

Submitted by gollywop on Sun, 01/30/2011 - 22:03.

How are things coming with the Mac panels, Mitch?

best wishes, gollywop

Re. Mitch, Have Your Ground to a Halt?

Submitted by mitch on Tue, 02/08/2011 - 15:22.

Very nearly . . .

Considered throwing in the towel altogether . . .

Been depressed about all this, because it seemed like I was stuck with the CS5 panels and going to disappoint a lot of people. That's had my enthusiasm on the wane.

Good new, today! Bob Stucky at Adobe belives he has a solution to the problems with the SDK. I'm going to try his solution tonight. Then send it out to the beta testers to try.

If it works, I'll get rolling on lots of new panels.