Thread: Photoshop - Multiple files and layers

Hi,
The function you're looking for is called "Smart object", available from PS CS2
You can basically create a master picture that has secondary pictures connected to it. By double clicking on the proper layer, you open a secondary picture, can modify it etc. and see the modification on your master picture.
As long as there are no overlaps of the pictures, it's great. Otherwise, since layers are modifying each other through the transparency and all the various effects, this function is helpless.

Have a look there to become more familiar with this function
Videos by Google

Hi!
Thanks for the reply. I've been playing around with Smart Objects, but as you said, I have lots of effects and transparencys, so it is useless. I need even smarter objects!

What I do is, make visible all they layers you want in your next PSD file. Make sure you have a visible layer selected and then press Ctrl + A to select the whole canvas and then press Ctrl + C to copy all visible layers. I then open up my next PSD file and CTRL + V to paste in the copied image and use it as my base layer.

I'm guessing this isn't what you mean exactly but I find that if I break the map up into several PSD files that I work on then even though they are all at finished size the filesize doesn't get too big to work with. So I have one PSD which is the base of the map which has all the landmass shapes, rivers, base texture of the map, the coastal contours etc. Then I copy this with the above method into the next PSD which is usually elements such as mountains, hills, forests etc. One for labelling, one for effects etc.

I usually end up with four or five PSD files and though it may be a little messy at times it works for me.

yes smartobjects are the way to work, but they don't work for everything. Maybe you can apply the effects in the masterfile and thus only work with flat files in the smalle files? Or going with ramahs way and flatten the stuff before you move it. (I guess thats what he meant). That way you can go back to the original file - edit it, flatten it and save it as a smart-object jpg - then place that one in the common file. This gives you the flexibility of psd-files but makes sure your master file doesn't get to big
or buy a bigger computer - thats always good